Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Bloggers Rendezvous & Best Chocolate Banana Muffins

Okay, as if you have not read enough of it, here I am, giving it a go too, hahaha. :D On this fine afternoon, 11 lady bloggers sharing a common passion, took the time & trouble, arriving from near and far, to rendezvous in MidValley's Madam Kwan restaurant. A meeting that one would not trade for anything. Being the only Singaporean, I did not feel left out at all. These ladies were warm like daisies and sunshine! It was only minutes that we finally clicked and the rest was pure enjoyment of nice company and food. So I could not agree more with the rest of the ladies that has already blogged about it, how great it was to meet up these new friends which in fact we have known each other for quite awhile online.
In the photo from the left : Tracie, Quinn, Joslynn, Reese, Myself, Swee San, Sonia, Elin, Getrude & Pei-Lin

First and foremost, thanks Quinn for taking the trouble to organize this gathering for us. Of course with everyone's effort, this meeting went smoothly. So I really have to thank everyone for their precious time and their gifts. Interested to find out more who is who and which blog is whose? Check it out below:
I believe I am the last person that blog about this event...last but not least! Anyway, do drop by the above blogs to check out their wonderful blogs. ;)
Just yesterday my FIL came home with a big bunch of already ripen bananas. Nothing wrong with that of course, just that with all that CNY cookies still "hanging around"...those bananas suddenly doesn't look all that attractive. Again I took the opportunity to turn this nutritious fruit into a delectable banana desert....and not letting it go to waste of course. I know, I know, another muffin recipe?!? I promise this is the last for this month, hahaha! :) But you know what, I made Chocolate Banana Muffins....one of the best I have ever made, serious! :D
Ingredients for Chocolate Banana Muffins (makes about 12)
250g unsalted butter, room temp
200g caster sugar

5 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

300g cake flour

1.5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
80g unsweetened cocoa powder

200ml fresh milk
300g very ripe banana flesh, mashed

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 ripe bananas, peeled and cut into 2 cm in length, dust in 1 tbsp of all purpose flour

Method:
  • Cream the butter and sugar together till light and fluffy.
  • Then crack in one egg at a time and mix well before adding another.
  • Add vanilla extract and stir well.
  • Sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Then add in 1/4 of this flour mixture into the egg mixture and mix well. Then add 1/3 of the milk in. Repeat this until all the flour and milk has been added in and mixed in.
  • Add in the mashed bananas and stir well. Then sift in the cocoa powder and again blend well. Lastly stir in the chocolate chips.
  • Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  • Scoop the batter in to the muffin paper liners to about 3/4 full. Then insert a banana wedge into the middle of the muffin. Repeat till all the batter has been used.
  • Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or till the tester comes out clean.
These muffins are so moist and tender, literally melt in your mouth once you bite into it. The cake is mildly sweet on it's own, but with the ripe bananas inside, it's perfect. As you might have noticed, I actually stuffed 2 chunks of bananas into the muffin before baking....the more the merrier! The bits of chocolates in the muffin also compliments the overall taste. This is best eaten when it is still warm. ;P Highly recommended, do try!

32 comments:

Pei-Lin said...

LOL! Nope! You're so wrong! I haven't blogged about it! Good that you're ahead of me now! (Aiya ... Stop calling me "camera pro" lah ... So paiseh ... ZzZz ...)

I've made muffins that were similar to yours lately. Hope I get to blog about them eventually, you know I'm darn slow at blogging. Sigh ...

It was really a pleasure meeting you up! I've heard so much about you, especially from my good friend Youfei. Oh, I do hope the gathering wouldn't be our first and last. Who knows, we may even have a Malaysian-Singaporean food bloggers conference in the near future! LOL!

Take care till then! Hope to hear from you soon!

Happy Homebaker said...

Great to read that you had a great time at the gathering, I am sure every one enjoyed themselves getting to know the person behind the wonderful blogs that we have been following :)
Your muffins look so good! The banana wedges stayed yellow even after baking! Mine always turn black if I use them for baking ^=^'

ReeseKitchen said...

Yum Yum ...Chocolate Banana Muffins..:) Love this! Will bake this and show you by end of this week...:) I like the banana in the middle, very interesting..:)

p/s: Just that I don't really want to use up the chocolate you bought for me...:(

youfei said...

Hi HBS,

You're tempting me!!! But I'm supposed to be on a diet!

haha =p

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Hi Pei-Lin,
Heehee...oopps! Almost forgotten about our Pei-Lin! Take your time! I am also super slow in my blogging...not like Reese! No paiseh...it's "公认“ that your photos always turn out very pro! ;)

Yeah yeah! It'll be a super duper idea to have a Malaysia cum Singapore food blogger gathering! Let's await for this great day to come! ;D Do take care too. ;)

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Hi HHB!
Yes yes, it was indeed a privileged to know the wonderful ladies behind those great blogs. Let's hope we will get to meet up soon with the next Singapore food bloggers gathering. :)
I guess the bananas stayed in the muffin batter while baking, so it did not get caramelized and turned "black". So do try out this trick of inserting them inside...it stays moist and yummy. ;)

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Hi Reese!
OKay ahh...must show me when you bake them this week. :) I can bet Cheryl will love it. Enjoy! Hey, don't worry about the Valrohna chocolate, I will help you buy some when I go over the next trip, how's that?

Hi Youfei,
My lady, you so petite and slim! If you go on diet...I have to go on hunger strike for a week! BTW, your good friend Pei-Lin has been all praise about you leh! So when are you ladies gonna set up a Sing-Malaysia food blogger gathering? Just thought I ask the "dynamic-duo" to take up this task, heehee. XD

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

so you are late this time, anyway, nice to know you and hope to see you soon. I like you add the extra banana wedges inside the muffin, look so yummy, great idea !

Honey Bee Sweets said...

The pleasure is all mine Sonia! You are right Sonia, the bananas does make the muffin taste more moist and tastier. :) Do try.

quizzine said...

The gathering seems so fun, wish I were there! And the choco banana muffins look so super-yummy and moisture, makes me feel so hungry now ;-)

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Hi quizzine,
Yeah! I wish you and the rest of the whole lot of Singapore bloggers were there too! It will be super nice to gather everyone Sing-Malaysia food blogger meet up. :)
The muffin is very nice...be sure to try it out. I'm sure little Zak will love it. ;)

Big Boys Oven said...

wow I felt naked when I saw the jewel hidden in the muffin, the banana! just so splendid to indulge into it! :)

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Hi BBO,
Hahaha...naked? Really?! Didn't know that "exposing" the bananas in the muffin can have such an "impact". Hope that feeling is in a good way though. :D Have a great day BBO!

ICook4Fun said...

Bee thanks for coming down all the way from S'pore for the gathering. It was nice knowing you. Too bad we didn't get to talk much. Hope we all can meet up again the next time. Keep of blogging and take care.

Kitchen Corner said...

Hi Bee,
Glad to know you have a good time with all the bloggers in KL. I'm sure that's the most enjoyable one as everyone sharing the same passion and interest. How I wish I could be in the picture!!
Beside, the banana muffins looks delicious. Banana and chocolate, what a great and classic combo :)

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Hi Grace,
You know at some point we were actually talking about you during the gathering. I told them if you were back in town (KL), it would be great to have you too! No worries, will keep you in the loop the next round yah? Maybe at the meantime we look forward to the Singapore one. :)

Kitchen Corner said...

Hi Bee,
Thanks so much for remembering me yea! Hope to catch up with you soon.

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Hi Grace...why would I ever forget such a nice & sweet lady like you. :) Yes, hope to catch with you soon...remember to bring those Jamie's brownies along, hahaha! *kidding*

petite nyonya said...

Okay, that huge chunk of banana in the middle blew me off! I love choc banana cakes, muffins, pancakes, crepes etc..you name it! Don't worry, I can't get enough about our bloggers' meet up coz it was very enjoyable! Yes, I miss Singapore (boohhooohhhooo), but the bad truth is, I'm actually far from gentle. Hehehe. Glad we got to meet up and I sure hope there will be a 2nd time!! :)

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Hi Joslynn,
Do try out this method of inserting chunks of bananas in the cake...it's yummy. ;) Do drop by Singapore when you and your lou kong have time. Let me know too ok. ;) Since we had such a blast, I bet we will definitely again...hopefully a Malaysia-Singapore food blogger meet up, then you have a better excuse to come!! Yeah!

Unknown said...

gathering looks fun!!!

the inserting of the banana into the muffin is such a great idea!! instead of mushing all the banana up

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Thanks Ann. But in fact there's double dosage of banana in these muffins! I added both mashed and also the whole chunk in it. ;)

Bakericious said...

It is so great that able to meet up and make friends that share the same passion and interest. Hope I will able to attend such event in Spore although I am very shy but so envy when seeing such gathering :P
Your muffins look so good and the the banana is still so yellow even after baking!

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Hi Bakericious!
Sure! You are most definitely invited if there's a blogger meet up in Singapore(Malaysia too if you willing to go the distance like me). ;) No need to be shy...everyone feels reserved at first, but we are all the same after talking to each other. ;)Do try the muffin, the kids love it. ;)

Christine said...

I been following your blog and your fellow blogger for awhile - now, I can match the name with the face - I don't blog but enjoyed all of the blogger creation - I am originally from Spore but lives in Houston Texas.

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Hi Christine!
Thanks for your constant support. ;) Actually I feel kind of "exposed" when the other bloggers decided to put the pics online. :P Anyway, glad that you enjoy our home creations. Do consider blogging though, it has brought me lots of good things ever since I started it. Why not blog about your life in Houston? Now not even the sky is the limit...;)Thanks for dropping a note this time, appreciate it. Have a great weekend!

Quinn said...

Bee Bee,

Thank you very much for meeting up with me. It was you and all other bloggers that turned up that made the event a successful one so thank you to you too!

And couldn't repeat enough what a bravo you are to travel all the way up from Singapore just to meet up with us. What an honour!

Till I see you again!

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Hi Quinn,
Actually, the pleasure is all mine! I wouldn't forgive myself if I were to miss this. ;) Thanks for taking the trouble to organize this and making it all possible. 3 cheers for Quinn "Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray!" Take care of yourself in your new work environment...looking forward to seeing more posts from you!

Anonymous said...

Hey! I have a question for you, it's kind of long, and I would like to email you. Do you have an email address?

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Hi Anonymous, you can start off by leaving a name, thanks. Also I feel it's alright to just leave the long question as a comment, I will answer it with my best knowledge. Cheers!

Anonymous said...

Hi, these look so yummy and I can't wait to try it. however, the '5 eggs' kinda scared me, do you think I can get away with just 4 eggs? thanks!- Jessie

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Jessie..gee, I'm not sure. You can definitely try but perhaps you should compensate with some milk? Good luck trying!