Butter Archives • Mushroompride

Peanut Butter Cups Brownies – Delishar

I love making brownies, simply because it is usually a simple straight forward recipe that doesn’t require a lot of time, and clean up after. But at the same time, the people that I bake for (usually my co-workers), can still enjoy yummy decadent delights. I love it when I’m able to put a smile to someone’s face with the things I made from my kitchen. I’m get rewarded when that happens, especially when they allow themselves a 5 minutes break from the hustle and bustle of life to enjoy the brownies.

As I’ve mentioned in my blog previously, cooking and baking is my form of therapy. It relaxes me, and allows me to cast my worries, anxieties, and stressors aside. I’m able to be totally focused on the steps and procedures of cooking and baking. I savour the different texture of the ingredients that I’m handling and I’m often amazed by how combining 2 ingredients can change the colours, flavours, consistency, and texture of the product.

Have you ever stop to look at the cracks formed on an egg when you crack it with a spoon or the counter top? Notice how it falls into the bowl? How one egg can be different from another? Or even the patterns formed by the yolk and whites, when you start beating them together. Then how the egg fluff up and becomes thick and pale yellow as it whisk. That excites me. I know this might sound a little unusual, but it feels like I’m allowing the process of baking and cooking feed my wellness. Perhaps that is why a lot of people stress-bake. So here is a picture of my fudgy peanut butter cup brownie, a little soul food for you.

peanut butter brownie 1

I love how the top of this brownie forms a crackling crust that is so delicate. It makes me want to enjoy the brownie from top down! The brownie itself is dense, chewy, and fudgy with a good balance of rich dark chocolate, and nutty-ness from the peanut butter and Reese’s peanut butter cups. And here is how I made it.

PhotoGrid_1440333417567

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Delishar

Makes a 8×8 inch tray

226 g dark chocolate I used 60 %
1/2 cup 113g unsalted butter
1/4 cup 30g cocoa powder
1 tbsp espresso powder
3 large eggs
1 cup 225g sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup 89g creamy peanut butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup 128g plain flour
10 frozen reese’s peanut butter cups chopped coarsely

Preheat oven to 175C.
Spray a baking pan with non-stick spray.
Microwave chocolate and butter until melted (about 30 to 40 seconds). Then 10 seconds blast if not melted.
Stir in cocoa powder, and coffee powder, then set aside.
Whisk sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, salt, and peanut butter together.
Whisk in chocolate mixture.
Fold in flour until just combined.
Fold in chopped peanut butter cups.
Pour into prepared pan.
Bake 35-40 minutes, until skewer inserted comes out with some moist crumbs.
Allow to cool completely before slicing into squares.

peanut butter brownie

…

Marble Butter Cake – Delishar

On the same day that I baked myself some Jam filled Chia Muffins, I baked something richer, and definitely more comforting for my co-workers at work. There is nothing more yummy than a good butter cake. Wait, correction. There is something more yummy! A marbled butter cake! Fluffly buttery cake made even better with good quality cocoa swirled in the mix!

It was hard to keep my hands off this cake. I had to get it out of the house, and share the love the very next day! The cakes were gone in no time at all when I displayed a container worth of sliced up cakes for the teachers to enjoy with their tea. I’m really glad that they all enjoyed it, and they sure deserved a little pampering for the work they are doing with the students!

As much as I’m in love with SK Ng’s butter cake, this is a simpler version that does not require egg separation but still yields a light fluffy cake. So yay to less work! But don’t expect to get the same texture as egg separation cake! lol! The cake taste better the next day, after allowing all the goodness of the ingredients marry together over night. My advise when making butter cake. Do NOT use cheap butter, they tend to taste artificial. Use a brand that you like!

marble butter cake 3

Marble Butter Cake

Delishar

Makes an 8 inch round cake

250 g unsalted butter room temperature (1 cup + 2 tbsp)
180 g caster sugar about 3/4 cup
4 eggs large or A
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
230 g plain or cake flour sifted (1 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp)
1 and 1/2tsp baking powder sifted
1/4 cup milk 4 tbsp

Cocoa paste

1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp espresso coffee powder optional
1 tbsp heated milk

Cake

Preheat oven to 170C.
Grease and line baking tin.
Beat butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla in mixer bowl until light and fluffy.
Add one egg at a time, and allow to beat until combined before adding the next.
Increase speed to high, and beat for 1 minute.
Sift flour and baking powder together.
Alternately beat in milk and flour, until just combined.
Remove 250g of plain batter in another clean mixing bowl, then fold in cocoa paste.
Spoon the two batters alternately into the middle of the prepared baking tin.
Tap the pan on countertop a few times to remove any trapped air bubbles.
Bake on middle rack, at preheated oven at 170c for 50-55mins or until a skewer inserted come out clean.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes in pan before de-moulding.
Cool completely before slicing.

marble butter cake 4

…

Banana Peanut Butter Nutella Muffins – Delishar

The night before baking, I asked my girls if they would like to make some muffins for breakfast. The both of them jumped in joy, randomly shouting out the muffins they’d like to make. “Apple muffins! Chocolate muffins! Banana muffins! Yummy muffins!”, they were so excited. So we had a short discussion before deciding on banana muffins, and of course with some chocolate in it. I suggested Nutella. This is going to be the first time that they are introduced to that jar of sinful deliciousness.

Yeah, we have been pretty strict about the girls’ diet. But we also believe in everything in moderation. The girls have to earn their own muffins by making it themselves. With some help from mummy, of course. My eldest, Melody helped with measuring the ingredients, mashing the bananas, and whisking the dry ingredients. Peighton lined the muffin tins, and helped with mixing the wet ingredients. They both took turns to mix in the wet and dry ingredients. And while I wasn’t looking, they sneakily popped a few peanut butter chips in their mouth.

PhotoGrid_1448422276556

It was a learning experience not just for the girls but also for myself. I had to learn to let go, and not be such a perfectionist about flour flying all over the place, and not exact measurements. I had to tell myself that each swirl that the girls created is uniquely beautiful on its own. It was an experience where I had to focus on the present, and allow myself to take in the positive energy exuded by the girls, rather than focusing on the should haves. I’m thankful for this experience, and grateful for the smiles and joy on the girls faces. They were truly mindful, and being in the moment. I’ve got so much to learn from them.

Oops! This post sort of took a turn to be a reflective piece! Oh well, the muffin turned out awesome by the way! They were soft, fluffy, and makes the perfect little snack! If you have not tried baking with your kids, you should. It’s a great bonding experience, but be prepared to make a mess, and just have fun. 🙂

Banana Peanut Butter Muffins with Nutella Swirls

Delishar

1 1/2 192g cup plain flour
3 large ripe bananas mashed
1/3 cup 67g castor sugar
1/3 cup 73g packed brown sugar
1 large egg grade aa, 65g, slightly beaten
1/3 cup 80ml vegetable oil
1 tsp 5g baking powder
1 tsp 7g baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup 100g peanut butter chips
1/4 cup 60g nutella

Preheat oven to 190C.
Heat nutella in microwave for 10 seconds blast until nutella is runny.
Don’t burn it!
Mash bananas and mix in sugar, egg, oil, and vanilla extract.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and peanut butter chips.
Add wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
Mix until just combined but still lumpy.
Fill liners to 3/4 full, then spoon about a teaspoon of nutella on top of each muffin cup.
Using a skewer or back of knife, create swirls.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until skewer inserted comes out clean.
Leave to cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to baking rack to cool completely.

Nutella Swirled Banana Muffins 2

…

Walnut Cocoa Butter Cake – Delishar

Chinese New Year is coming and everyone is baking up a storm. I didn’t want to feel left out; So I made this simple cocoa butter cake using my Marbled Butter Cake recipe, and added walnut to the mix. I divided the batter and baked it in 2 x 6 inch cake pans to share the calories with my BFF. My girls loved the cake as much as my BFF’s daughter, finishing every single crumb they can find in their plate.

walnut cocoa butter cake 2

I love this technique of making butter cake as it requires less effort as compared to the famous Mrs SK Ng’s egg separation butter cake. It still yields a light and fluffy cake without the need to separate the eggs and whisking the egg whites into meringue. The result was not as light as the egg separation method, but definitely lighter than the usual dense butter cake. Beating the eggs a little longer introduce aerates the batter making the cake lighter and fluffier. Both methods are equally delish though. You can also skip the walnuts and make this a cocoa butter cake instead.

Don’t forget to take part in the Chinese New Year 2016 S$500 Paypal Cash Giveaway! Click to go to GIVEAWAY PAGE and complete the rafflecopter widget at the end of the post!

PhotoGrid_1453034765725

Walnut Cocoa Butter Cake

Delishar

Makes a 9 inch cake
Or 2 x 6 inch cakes

250 g butter softened
160 g castor sugar
4 large eggs room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup 60ml milk
190 g cake flour
30 g cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
120 g walnuts milled/blended
60 g walnuts to top

Preheat oven to 170C.
Grease pan, and line bottom with parchment paper.
Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy.
Add eggs and beat one at a time.
Beat on high for 1 minute to incorporate air into batter.
Add milk & vanilla extract and beat until combined.
Sift in flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder.
Beat until just combined.
Fold in milled/blended walnuts.
Pour into baking tin, drop tin on counter tops a few times to remove large air bubbles.
Bake at 170C for 50-55 minutes for 9 inch cake, or 40 minutes for 6 inch cake.
Check by inserting skewer into cake, if it comes out clean, it means it’s done.

walnut cocoa butter cake insta 1

…

Butter Pork Chops – Delishar

If you have been following my blog, you would have realised that I broke one of my cooking rules. No deep frying. I’ve adapted from many different deep fried recipes and came up with healthier alternative versions of recipes that does not require deep frying. However, I felt that there’s no alternative for this one. That’s just be trying to rationalise my action. Actual fact was that I was seriously craving true comfort food.

See, I wasn’t feeling 100% a couple of weeks ago, and it didn’t help when the husband left me for his work trip. So the best way to comfort myself was through my belly. Writing this, I guess I could have shallow fry the pork pieces or simple sear it rather than deep frying. But what’s done cannot be undone and I definitely did not regret my decision, because it is darn freaking delicious! The dish has all the making of true comfort food. Buttery, creamy, spicy, and oh so yummy! Best of all it’s pretty easy too!

PhotoGrid_1453821196177

Butter Pork Chops

Delishar

Pork Chops

600 g pork chops pounded to tenderize
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp shao xing wine
1 egg white
1 tbsp corn flour
Enough oil for frying

Butter Sauce

2 cloves garlic minced
50 g butter
2 sprigs of curry leaves
80 g evaporated milk
2 tbsp heavy cream / thickened cream
1/4 tsp chicken powder or pinch of salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 chili padi seeded and chopped (optional)

Marinate pork with salt, sugar, pepper, sesame oil, fish sauce, wine, corn flour, baking soda, and egg white for 30 minutes to an hour.
Heat oil and deep fry pork chops until golden brown.
Set aside to drain on kitchen towels.
Heat wok and add 1 tbsp cooking oil.
Stir-fry garlic until fragrant.
Add 50g butter to wok.
Add in curry leaves and stir fry until fragrant.
Pour in evaporated milk, cream, and bring to boil.
Allow sauce to thicken slightly.
Season with chicken powder, sugar, pepper, and chilli padi.
Add pork chops and toss to coat.
Remove from heat and serve.

You can get heavy cream / thickened cream / cooking cream from any major supermarket. It should be in the chiller near the yogurt/butter etc.
Alternatively, you can substitute heavy cream with more evaporated milk.
Adapted from The Meat Men

Butter Pork Chops 1

…

Browned Butter Salmon on Sundried Tomato Pasta – Delishar

I have no idea why it took me this long to make sun dried tomato pesto for the family. That thing is amaze-balls! I did make amends for that though. The day after I made this recipe, I went out to get more sun dried tomatoes. Proceed home to make myself a huge tub of pesto, which I have been using for chicken, fish, pasta, wraps, and sandwiches. It taste so good and it is so versatile!

The husband and kids absolutely adored me that evening because of this dinner. The husband was going on about how good the pasta was, and how the sweetness of the salmon beautifully compliments the pesto. The girls enjoyed their dinner so much that they requested for me to make it again, to pack in their school lunch box. Did I also mentioned that they were asking for additional serving? There were not enough to go around, twice! So, if you are making it. Make more. Leftovers, if any, is always good for lunch the next day.

I used organic extra virgin olive oil from Naturel and their range of organic pasta as well. Don’t skim on the fish. If you have not tried wild caught salmon, you are seriously missing out on the good stuff. I promise you, you will be able to taste the difference. I get my supply of wild caught fish from The Alaska Guys.

Browned Butter Salmon on Sundried Tomato Pasta

Delishar

Sundried Tomato Pasta

240 g fusilli
200 g asparagus woody ends removed and cut into 2 inch length
1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid
1 cup 25g fresh basil leaves
85 g sundried tomatoes
1/4 cup 59ml extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown Butter Salmon

4 pieces 200g each Wild caught salmon fillet from The Alaska Guys
4 tbsp 57g butter
4 tbsp honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 – 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes adjust to taste
3 cloves garlic minced
Salt and black pepper to taste

Sundried Tomato Pasta

Cook pasta in salted water until al dente.
In the last minute of cooking the pasta, add in asparagus.
Drain and set aside.
Place all the ingredients into food processor EXCEPT pasta and pasta liquid.
Process until you get a paste. If too thick, thin it out with pasta liquid.
Toss pesto with cooked pasta & asparagus.

Brown Butter Salmon

Preheat oven to 200C.
Season fish with salt and black pepper.
In a oven safe pan over medium heat, melt butter and allow to cook until it starts to brown and smell nutty. (be careful not to burn it)
Add lemon juice, honey, red pepper flakes and garlic into the pan.
Cook for 45 seconds, and scoop out half of the sauce for serving later.
Add salmon into the pan skin side down and cook for 3 minutes.
Flip, and transfer the pan to the oven to broil further 5-6 minutes.
Drizzle with the reserved brown butter sauce to serve.

…

Browned Butter Seared Scallops with Cauli-couscous & Pumpkin Puree (Keto, Paleo, Whole 30) – Delishar

While grocery shopping, I saw some really pretty wild caught scallops that inspired this meal. I was planning to make pumpkin soup but quickly deviated from the original plan to make this ultra luscious and velvety pumpkin puree instead. So glad I did it though! I swear it was so delish and so easy to put together too! To pair, I made a low-carb version of couscous made using cauliflower and seasoned it with fresh herbs with a touch of citrus. The star of the meal is the sweet, meaty, and tender pan-seared scallops drizzled with browned butter that we can’t stop eating!

I know, I know… Keto folks will start saying that pumpkin is high in carbs. However, as with all ingredients, it’s all about the serving size. This recipe works out to be about 12g of total carbs, bearing in mind serving size. Do watch your serving size: 50g (1/4 cup) of pumpkin puree, 100g (1 cup) cauliflower couscous, and 125g scallops = Total Carbohydrates: 12.26 g, and 3.2 g Fiber. We had leftover pumpkin puree & cauliflower couscous from this recipe for me to have lunch the next day.

This recipe consists of 3 different recipes/dishes put together. The pan-seared scallops with browned butter sauce, the silky pumpkin puree, and the lemon parsley cauliflower-couscous. Feel free to deconstruct it and pair it with something else that you fancy.

The cauliflower couscous works very well as a staple on its own. Pairs beautifully with any kind of protein, especially seafood. Don’t be intimidated by the use of Xanthan Gum in this recipe. The Xanthan gum helps bind the puree together and give it a silky gooey texture. It’ll work without Xanthan as well. This is my kind of perfect low-carb meal and the colours on the plate are just visually very appealing!

Browned Butter Scallops on Cauli-couscous & Pumpkin Puree

Delishar

Pumpkin Puree

500 g pumpkin peeled and seeded (Butternut if you aren’t concern about carb count)
1/4 tsp Xanthan gum optional
Salt to taste

Lemon Parsley Cauli-Couscous

500 g Cauliflower
3 tbsp chopped italian parsley
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil

Pan Seared Scallops

500 g Wild Caught Large Scallops
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
3 tbsp butter for browned butter

Pumpkin Puree

Slice pumpkin into thin slices and steam over high heat for 10 minutes until soft and tender.
Drain any excess liquid and transfer to blender.
Season with salt, add Xanthan gum and blend until pureed.
Pour the puree through a sieve to remove larger lumps.
Use a spoon to push the puree through the sieve.

Lemon Parsley Cauli-Couscous

Clean cauliflower, remove stalk, and separate into florets.
Using a food processor, process florets into the size of couscous.
Heat pan on high heat with oil.
Stir-fry cauliflower until dried and slightly brown. (About 8 minutes)
Season with salt and black pepper.
Remove from heat, stir in chopped parsley, lemon juice, and 1-2 tsp lemon zest.
Save some lemon zest for garnish later.

Pan Seared Scallops

Pat dry scallops with kitchen towel.
Season generously with salt and black pepper.
In a pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil.
When oil is heated, add scallops on by one, taking care not to overcrowd the pan.
You might have to work in batches.
Allow to cook for about 2 minutes untouched. This will give the scallops a golden crust.
Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes, do not over cook it.
In another smaller clean pan, melt butter over medium heat.
Allow to cook until slightly browned and smell nutty.
Remove from heat immediately and transfer into a bowl.

Putting it together

Ladle the puree on the plate, using the back of the ladle to spread the puree in a circular motion.
My ladle is small about 1/4 cup.
Top with cauli-couscous & scallops.
Spoon browned butter over scallops.
Garnish with reserved lemon zest.

Xanthan helps bind the puree and give a more gooey texture. But this is absolutely optional.
Paleo & Whole 30: Strain the browned butter to remove milk solids. This will give you browned ghee.
Keto: Watch serving size 50g of pumpkin puree, 100g cauliflower couscous, and 125g scallops =
Total Carbohydrates: 12.26 g, 3.2 g Fiber

…

Creamy Butter Spot Prawns – Delishar

Needed a little pick me up from all the unpleasant news going around lately. These lip-smacking, finger-licking sweet and buttery prawns hit the spot for everyone at home. As a treat, I used wild Alaskan Spot Prawns from The Alaska Guys to make this dish, making the calories so much more worth it. We devoured the whole plate and left all the other side dishes untouched. If you need a pick me up too, I highly recommend this recipe. I’ve also added a keto compliant adaptation in the recipe note.

These pure and natural Alaskan spot prawns are pot-harvested wild, from the icy cold waters of the North Pacific. Once caught, each prawn is immediately washed and flash-frozen to preserve the unique flavour and quality of these wonderful treats of nature. Spot prawn has an amazingly sweet, delicate flavour with a medium-firm texture that many have likened to lobster. It is also known as Amaebi (sweet shrimp) in Japan. Ameabi Nigiri sushi can be quite costly and is usually offered in finer Japanese restaurants.

The Alaskan Spot Prawns are also the cleanest, purest prawn in the world, with hardly any back vein to remove. I slit open all the prawns to make sure that it was clean. True enough, I hardly have anything to clean. Because these prawns are so clean, the added benefit of working with it is that my hands don’t reek of that stinky fishy smell after handling them. You’ll see it in the video. You’ll also see that Spot Prawns carry eggs (ebiko), which are considered a delicacy. I left them with the prawns to cook and enjoy together. But you can also remove it to make something else with it.

It feels good to know that these prawns are sustainably caught. Meaning, they are caught in pots then hand-picked. Practices are put in place to allow for ample natural reproduction and stock are carefully managed to ensure that they remain available to enjoy for many years to come. Let’s cook!