Chocolate Stuffed Muffins | Double Chocolate Muffins (VIDEO)

Chocolate muffin lovers ?? How about having a melting chocolate to bite in the muffins ?? 

Am double excited and so are my kids !!

My kids are crazy about chocolates in any form, and so I didn't have to think twice before trying out this recipe. If you have kids who love chocolate muffins, then go ahead and make these. Am sure you'll thank me for this. 

These are simple muffins to make using very basic ingredients and as you all know, am always in look for simple but satisfying baking recipes. I have placed white chocolate pieces and milk chocolate pieces in these muffins, but you can always add alternatives like peanut butter, Nutella or almond spreads instead of chocolate pieces. Also, you may add chocolate chips too in the batter for the extra chocolaty flavour. Do give these a try and enjoy !!

Preparation time ~ 10 minutes

Cooking time ~ 20 minutes

Serves ~ 6 muffins

Author ~ Julie

Ingredients

all-purpose flour (maida)1 1/4 cups

dark cocoa powder 1/4 cup

baking powder 1 tsp

salt 1/8 tsp

egg 1

powdered sugar 3/4 cup

buttermilk 1/2 cup

vanilla essence 1 tsp

vegetable oil 1/3 cup

white chocolate pieces 6 (or any chocolate pieces)

YouTube Link-

Method

• Sift the dry ingredients- maida, cocoa, baking powder and salt twice. Keep aside.
• In another bowl, beat an egg with a whisk and add powdered sugar. Combine well. Add the vegetable oil, butter milk, vanilla essence and give a quick mix.
• Add the dry ingredients in three batches, little by little. Don't overmix.The batter shouldn't be very thick neither be very watery as it has to hold the chocolate pieces in place or else the chocolate pieces will sink down in the muffin.
• Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees F for 10 minutes. Line a muffin tray with liners.
• Scoop a tbsp of batter in the muffin liners. Then place a piece of white chocolate. Cover the top of the chocolate with remaining batter. Tap the tray at least 4-5 times to release air bubbles.
• Place in pre-heated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes. Check using a toothpick by inserting slightly off the centre, as the centre may be wet due to the melted chocolate.
• Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes and remove, cool on a wire rack and serve warm. Enjoy !!

NOTES

* You can use chocolate chips in the batter to make it more chocolaty.

* You can keep it at room temperature for 4-5 days if you have leftovers. Microwave 30 second before serving so that the chocolate is melted.

* You can add nutella or peanut butter instead of the chocolate pieces.

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HEALTHY BAKES

* Cottage Cheese Egg Muffins(wheat flour)

* Banana Almond Meal Muffins(Butterless & No oil)

* Foxtail Millet Muffins

* Ragi Chocolate Cupcakes

MUFFINS / CUPCAKES WITH EGG

* Vanilla Chocolate Double layer Muffins

* Cranberry Upside Down Muffins

* Coconut Pineapple Tropical Muffins

* Pizza Muffins

* Strawberry Cupcakes

* Colorful Cupcakes 

* Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

* Basic Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

* Chocolate- Banana Cupcakes 

EGGLESS CUPCAKES / MUFFINS

* Apple Cinnamon Whole Wheat Muffins

* Lemon Chocolate Chip Muffins

* Carrot Muffins

* Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes
* Pumpkin Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

* Chocolate Cupcakes 

* Blueberry Muffins

Poriccha Pathiri | Ney Pathal (Step by Step Pics + VIDEO)

Poricha pathiri(ney pathal) is one of the first learnt pathiris by me, and it's quite easy to prepare. The ingredient list is quite simple and is easily available at home. The main ingredient is good quality rice flour. I have made these quite a few times and each time I prepare this snack, it gets over in no time. So there is hardly anything left to click pics. The best thing I like about this snack is that the ingredient list is short, and it's quick to prepare without much fuss.

I have not learnt all the Malabar recipes, but there are a few which are easy, and poricha pathiri is one of them. Likewise, I add one prepared pathiri at a time in the wok and fry, as my kadai is small. Furthermore, I love smaller kadai for deep-frying because this uses less oil and so the oil wastage is less compared to bigger ones. What's your preferred choice of kadai for deep-frying ??  But if you use a bigger wok, then add more than one, and please remember not to overcrowd. These are best served plain with tea and give these a try, enjoy!!

Preparation time ~ 15 minutes

Cooking time ~ 25 minutes

Author ~  Julie

Serves ~ 10 pathiris

Ingredients

idiyappam podi or pathiri podi 1 cup

salt 1/2 tsp

ghee 2 tsp

water 1 + 1/4 cups

to coarsely grind

grated coconut 1/3 cup

shallots 3-4

cumin seeds 1/2 tsp

VIDEO LINK-

Method

• Boil water in a pan and add salt, ghee.Measure the flour and add to the boiling water, Switch off flame. Leave covered for 5 minutes.
• To a blender jar, add the grated coconut, cumin seeds and shallots. Pulse twice to crush the mix.

• Then, add the grated coconut, shallots and cumin seeds mix. Add to the dough and make a smooth dough. Roll in 1/4th size cut using cookie cutter or a lid. 
• Re roll the scraps until you finish making the pathiris. You may get 9-10 pathiris with this measure.

                                                

• Heat a pan and add oil upto 2' deep. Check if the oil is hot by adding a small ball of dough, if the dough floats up after putting in oil, then it's ready. 
• Slide in each of the made pathiris and keep the flame high for the first 30 seconds till the pathiris float on the surface of the oil, nicely puffed up. Then, slow down the flame to low and cook nicely, flipping both sides.
• Drain from oil and place on paper towels. Serve warm.

NOTES

* The water should be boiling hot to add roasted flour.

* The dough should be kneaded well and then rolled out.

* The shallots added imparts a nice flavour. Some people add garlic too, you may or may not add 2 cloves of garlic. I haven't added.

* You can add 1/2 tsp perumjeerakam (fennel seeds) too in the crushed mix.  

* You may need up to 1.5 cups water for this recipe, depending on your rice powder quality.

A FEW MORE IFTAR RECIPES THAT YOU CAN TRY :

* Pazham Nirachathu

* Erachi Pathiri

* Carrot Pola 

* Sheer Khurma

* Pettiyappam

* Meen Pathiri

Chocolate Mousse (Eggless & Quick Recipe)

No eggs ? No tempering? 

Such a quick and silky smooth mousse that you can whip up in less than 20 minutes. You may not get an enormous volume of chocolate mousse with this recipe, as the whipping cream is the only one that adds volume to this. 

Usually, the typical chocolate mousse is prepared with egg yolks, whipping cream and dark chocolate. The egg yolks are beaten to light and fluffy. Then, tempered into the half of the heated whipping cream. Finally, the grated chocolate is added. The other half of the whipping cream is beaten to stiff peaks and then folded in the egg chocolate mixture. The mousse is then chilled and served.

But here, in an eggless mousse, there are no eggs and the grated chocolate is melted with fresh cream. This is then left at room temperature. In the meantime, the whipping cream is beaten to stiff peaks, and the melted chocolate ganache is folded to attain a light and fluffy chocolate mousse. I have not added any extra sugar, as the whipping cream had sugar in it. I have used dark chocolate in the recipe, but you can always use semi sweet or milk chocolate to make the same. Give this a try and enjoy with your loved ones!!

Preparation time ~ 10 minutes

Cooking time~ 3 minutes

Author ~ Julie

Serves ~ 4-5 serving bowls

Ingredients

dark chocolate  200 gms

whipping cream 1 cup

fresh cream 1/2 cup

vanilla extract 1/2 tsp

salt a pinch

grated chocolate 2 tbsp (garnish)

Method

• Melt the dark chocolate using double boiler method (add water in a bowl and add the grated chocolate with fresh cream in another bowl. Place on top of the boiling water and keep stirring to avoid chocolate freeze. Melt the chocolate until smooth and use). Mix well until smooth, add the pinch of salt and vanilla extract.
• Whip the cream in a glass bowl until light, fluffy and soft peaks. To this, add the prepared ganache at room temperature and beat until stiff peaks.
• Refrigerate the prepared mousse for 2-3 hours, or pour in smaller servings and refrigerate.
• Grate the dark chocolate on top and garnish with a cherry and serve chilled.

NOTES

* 1 cup whipping cream, yields 2 cups whipped cream.

* You can use whipping cream instead of fresh cream, too.

* Use chilled bowls and beater blades for whipping cream.

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* Pineapple Mousse

* Cherry Tartlets

* Tiramisu(eggless)

* Vanilla Panacotta 

* Pineapple Cobbler

* Banana Pudding with vanilla Wafers

* Citrus Pudding
* Amrakhand (Mango Shrikand)

* Dates Pannacotta 

* Mango Ice Cream

* Butterscotch Pudding

* Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cups

* Mini Cherry pie

* Chocolate Cheesecrackers Pudding

Veg Fried Rice | Vegetable Fried Rice (without sauces)

Fried rice is one of the quickest recipes that I would say you can prepare in no time. I do make egg fried rice or veg fried rice as they do with sauces. However, these days I have started to make this veg fried rice without any sauces. The difference that I felt is that this rice has no sauce flavours and this rice needs a side like Gobi Manchurian to pair with. Otherwise, texture wise the rice is fluffy, healthy and delicious for a quick fix meal. 

If you like fried rice and don't like using sauces, then this the right choice. You may even scramble two eggs in this and whip up an egg fried rice without sauces. As we were observing lent before Easter, so I avoided eggs in this recipe. Julienne cut the veggies so that it gets cooked faster and use an anodized pan or an iron wok to prepare fried rice. Use cooked cooled rice or refrigerated leftovers to prepare fried rice, otherwise the texture will be mushy. Try and enjoy !!

ONE POT MEAL IDEAS:

• Spinach-Corn Rice
• Mexican Rice 
• Neychoru (Malabar Special)
• Vegetable Pulao
• Achari Chana(Kadala) Pulao
• Carrot Rice
• Kashmiri Pulao
• Quinoa Veg Pulao
• Paneer Pulao
• Tawa Pulao
• Quinoa Veg Khichadi

Watch the full recipe video-

Preparation time ~ 15 minutes

Cooking time ~ 15 minutes

Author ~ Julie

Serves ~ 4-6

Ingredients

for cooking rice

basmati rice 2 cups

water 3 cups

salt

for making fried rice

capsicum/ green bell pepper 1/2 cup thin sliced  

cabbage 1/4 cup thin sliced

beans 1/4 cup thin sliced

carrots 2 thin sliced

garlic chopped 2 tbsp

pepper powder 1 tsp

garam masala 1/2 tsp

salt to taste

oil (any neutral) 3 tbsp

Method

• Wash, rinse and soak rice for 20 minutes and then cook in a pressure cooker. In a pressure cooker, add the water and salt. Bring to a boil, add the rice and cook for 10 minutes or till water gets absorbed and rice is cooked and fluffy. Transfer the cooked rice to a plate and leave to cool.
• In the meantime, heat oil in a pan and add chopped garlic. Sauté until lightly crisp. To this add chopped cabbage and beans. Then add sliced carrots and capsicum, sauté again for 2 minutes.
• Then, add the pepper powder and garam masala. Mix well. Add the cooked rice and gently mix the rice with the sautéed veggies. Give a quick toss and simmer for a minute covered on lowest flame. Finally, serve warm with any manchurian of your choice or just tomato ketchup.

NOTES

* You can add a sliced onion too.

* If you wish to make using sauces then, add a tbsp of light soy sauce and  1.5 tsp of chilli sauce for this measure. Omit adding pepper powder and garam masala in that case.

* If you have left over cooled rice, then can use that to make fried rice, which is easier.

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VEG SIDES

* Soya Manchurian

* Mushroom Manchurian

* Baby Corn Manchurian

NON-VEG SIDES

* Chilli Fish 

* Chilli Garlic Prawns

* Baked Sausage Manchurian

* Chicken Manchurian

* Hot Chilli Gobi

* Chilly Chicken 

* Beef Chilli