C is for Cookie, that's good enough for me!

Ok So I have been super busy *insert - lazy* and I apologise to all my fans out there ( a whole 3 at most^^)

So I was beckoned into the kitchen by my lovely hubby last weekend, waving a packet of M&M's above his head, doing some kind of rain dance.. or so I thought, actually he had just rescued said packet from the sticky hands of our son, and was actually trying to shake him off.
Our conversation went something like this;

Me: Whaaaaat are you doing?
Hubby: Bloody Benjamin had the M&M's
Me: Yes, well you did leave them on the table. He likes Chocolate you know.
Hubby: I know! But you have to make cookies!
Me: Have to make what?
Hubby: Mr Oh wants cookies.
Me: Mr Oh can make his own bloody cookies.
Hubby: But yours are the best in the whole world.
Me: *slapping myself in the face* Ok I will make cookies.
Huby: Can you wrap them individually?
Me: *One eyebrow raised*
Hubby: Oh and put them in a box.
Me: (*#(&^*&#*!&@ sigh.. Ok.

End of conversation.
There was also some crying involved from my son as he wanted to eat the whole bloody bag of M&M's but was super angry when he got 5!

So what actually transpired was this, hubby had been bragging about my baking skills to his work buddies, and they dared him to bring a box of cookies ( man he is gullible) And Mr Oh whom I have never met is hubby's GM thus had the athourity to make him do things, so he asked hubby nicely if I would make them some cookies. Chocolate chip cookies that is.

So I went about looking for a recipe that doesn't involve a shit load of butter, and found a very interesting vegan recipe from myrecessionkitchen
I will try this out this weekend, but I settled for a run of the mill normal chocolate chip cookie recipe ( which I can't remember which one I used) and made up 3 batches of these bad boys

Hubby: Why are they colourful?
Me: Ahhh, because I used the M&M's.
Hubby: They aren't crunchy are they?
Me: Ah, no. Did you want crunchy ones.
Hubby: *sigh* no these will do.
Me: * mentally slapping him around the head*

When hubby returned truimphantly from work he declared in his words
" They are the best ones ever had" ie. They were the best ones they had tasted so far.
I even got a text from one of his workmates's wife saying she had heard that I made great cookies and would like to learn^^
Definitely made my day

Crunchy Lemon and Poppyseed muffins.

So for the long weekend that we just had here in Korea I decided I must get rid of the lemons that have been sitting in my fridge for like years!! ( Well not years but a couple of weeks, maybe a month) So I was thinking.. Hmmm Lemon curd ( nope will make me fat..fat enough without it) Lemon cheesecake... Hmm no cream cheese ( plus alctose intorelant) bugger I though to myself, all the yummy lemon ideas either had shit loads of fattening goodness in them or tons of dairy products.
As I was sitting at the kitchen table I spied a plastic bag that my mum had bought over and it had a packet of cayenne pepper and a packet of poppy seeds. Then it hit me.. Lemon and Poppyseed muffins! ( Not Lemon and cayenne pepper muffins.. that would taste well...hmm not sure, may have to try that sour and spicy??)

So anyways off I went grating my lemon rind ( tis a bitch to do. If people can invent premade diced frozen coriander cubes, surely someone can pre grate freaking lemons!) adding flour, baking powder and sugar to my lemon rinds, and giving it a good ol shake about, then adding the liquids ( melted butter, eggs and soy milk and some extra lemon juice.. like so

Then gently folding the liquid into the dry like so

Cos if you mix it too well the muffins don't rise, they go all chewy and flat...And no one likes flat muffins do they^^

While they coked I made a glaze from the squeezed lemon juice and sugar, and when the muffins were perfectly cooked I brushed them ALL over with the glaze, and they kinda got crunchy when the sugar and lemon juice dried.

Now should I share the recipe or not? Hmmm that is the question is it not.
Fair enough I am in a generous mood, I used this recipe by Alison Holst ( fantastic woman!!) but tweaked it abit so here is the recipe

Lemon and Poppy seed muffins
2 cups self-raising flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup poppy seeds
2 lemons - zested and juiced
100g butter
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar

Method
Heat oven to 200C, with the rack just below the middle.

Put flour, sugar, lemon rind and poppyseeds into a large bowl.

Heat the butter until just melted. Add the eggs and the milk and beat
with a fork until combined. Tip the liquid into the dry ingredients and fold together until the flour is dampened. DO NOT beat till smooth.

Spoon mixture into 12 regular muffin pans which have been lightly butter or non-stick sprayed.

Bake for 10-15 minutes , or until the centres spring back when pressed. While muffins cook, squeeze the lemon juice and mix with the second amount of sugar (The sugar should not be dissolved).

Allow the muffins to cool in their pans for 3-4 minutes, then take them out and brush the lemon and sugar mixture everywhere. Cool on a rack

Enjoy!!

Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles

I was bored this weekend and was browsing my FB when I came across an notice about an event in Itaewon ( fund raiser ) and a couple of the women involved had a bake sale. I was looking at their pictures and there was a picture of this amazing looking Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles, so I thought.. best try them out!

I searced the web and found one on Punk Post Kitchen though I tweaked it abit, as I didn't have the ingredients..
So I used hot cake syrup instead of maple

lactose free milk ( yes I have found some!!!!)

and 고추가루( Dried chilli flakes) instead of cayenne.

The mixture is really thick, but fun to roll into shape. It's like the science experiment that involves warm water and cornstarch.. looks liquid but solid.
It's solid until you handle it and it kinda almost turns to a really thick goo if your not fast enough. Definitely fun!

Now I am one of those people who don't really like thick biscuits. I prefer my slim :) But I suppose no matter how thick or thin you make them they defintiely have a kick to them with the chilli!!

Hubby was nice enough to be a guinea pig, he said they were good, then I askedhim to tell me truthfully, then he told me he wouldn't buy them..ha .. well I think they taste ok and his friend thought they were great..so .. hmm may have to try them out on my friend
But hopefully you will enjoy them if you want something easy and different to make!