Mug Cakes *Chocolate*

We have all heard of mug cakes and probably have tried to recreate one in a moment of late night noshing or as a sweet tooth pacifier. The very thought of a mug cake ushers an autumnal... wintery feel. They appear easy, as long as you have a few pantry ingredients plus a mug and a microwave. Most of the recipes consist of chocolate. 

This cookbook offers 4 different types of mug cakes... chocolate basics, two-flavours, melt-in-the-middle and swirls. Regardless, all seem quick and easy. In a matter of seconds or a few minutes you have a sweet treat in a lovely mug. What more can be said about mug cake because basically it is cake! just cooked in a microwave rather than an oven. 

Mug cakes are for anyone and everyone and microwave cooking may be a bit unpredictable so having a trial and error attitude is best. Breaking away from the traditional chocolate mug cake, I wanted to share the recipe for  a White Chocolate & Raspberry mug cake with Matcha Green Tea. 

White Chocolate & Raspberry Mug Cake with Matcha Green Tea

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for 1 mug - 5 minutes (prep + cook) - 800 watts

Ingredients:

1 slice of butter 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick (30g/1oz)

6 squares of white chocolate (30g/1oz)

1 egg

2 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar

5 tablespoons s plain all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon matcha green tea 

Middle & Decoration:

5 fresh raspberries

In a mug: 

melt the butter with the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds (800 watts).  

Beat the mixture until smooth, then allow it to cool slightly. One by one, whisk in the egg, sugar, flour, baking powder and green tea.

Push 4 raspberries into the middle of the mixture. Cook in the microwave for 1 minute 40 seconds (800 watts).

Decorate with 1 raspberry. Allow to cool for 1 minute before eating. 

Although I still prefer to bake an oven cake, here was our attempt at the classic cocoa mug cake. No bad... quite spongy and chocolatey. I anticipate creating more of these in our future.    

Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Rose & Violet Hot Chocolate

Last night nothing was more comforting than making a mug or two of hot chocolate. I didn't want this to be just any hot chocolate so I reached for the Fortnum and Mason's No. 38 - Rose & Violet dark chocolate bar.  

It's about 70% cocoa solids which gave it a subtle rich chocolate taste without too much sweetness and a delicate hint of rose and violet. 

On the one side it looked like an ordinary chocolate bar except for the F and M scrolled on every other square however on the backside of the bar laid sugared rose and violet petals. Fragrant and exotic all at the same time. I luved chopping this up into little bits. The chocolate and the floral fragrance floated through the air. One had to try a piece. It was a melt in your mouth treasure of aromatic proportions.     

Once the milk was in the pan, about 2 1/2 cups, the chopped chocolate bar was added. Setting the temperature to a medium heat to gently warm the milk with the chocolate. Whisking to make sure that the chocolate melted slowly. Once the milk had become chocolatey and the right temperature was reached, it was ready to pour in mugs. Smooth and creamy. Fragrant and rich with a lovely cap of foam. The hot chocolate was ready to be savoured. Stay warm and enjoy your weekend! - JW