Decadent Chocolate Muffins

 

Chocolate lovers look no further than these decadently dense and spongy morsels that will wholeheartedly satisfy any chocolate or semi sweet craving you may have. The rum flavouring adds a more indulgent rich flavour than the usual comforting sweet vanilla and the chocolate chips gives it an extra colossal chocolatey-ness with every bite. 

Decadent Chocolate Muffins

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1 and 1/2 cups self raising flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 and 1/3 cups milk

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon rum or vanilla extract or 1 tablespoon dark rum

2/3 cup semi sweet dark chocolate chips

extra chocolate chips for decorating

icing sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a 12 cup muffin tin with baking paper liners or silicone baking cups. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk the self-raising flour, cocoa powder, and brown sugar together. Add the chocolate chips and stir together.   

Add the milk, olive oil and rum extract to the flour mixture and stir until well combined and smooth. 

Divide the batter evenly between the 12 lined cups. Sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top of each muffin. 

Bake on the centre rack in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. 

Once baked remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Once completely cool sprinkle with icing sugar to decorate. 

 

Notes: Since there are no eggs in this recipe you can easily use a milk alternative and vegan chocolate chips, if you wish. 

 

Pineapple Coconut Cake

 

A remarkably moist and dreamy summertime cake with a rich flavour and a slight sweet pineapple tang that is lusciously tropical with every slice.    

Pineapple Coconut Cake

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2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed 

1/2 cup coconut sugar

2 cup shredded or flaked  coconut 

2 eggs

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup light olive oil

1 - 2 teaspoons rum extract

1 can pineapple rings, drained

2 tablespoons coconut sugar, for sprinkling on top

shredded or flaked coconut, for sprinkling on top 

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). 

Lightly grease and flour an 8 - inch round cake tin. Line the bottom with baking parchment, ensuring that the parchment paper goes up the sides.

Place the drained pineapple rings on paper towel and lightly pat dry. Set aside. 

In a large bowl combine together the flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, coconut sugar and shredded coconut. Create a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add the eggs, coconut milk, olive oil and rum extract, mix all the ingredients together until just blended and smooth. 

Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin. Place the pineapple rings on top, however you wish and then sprinkle with coconut sugar and shredded coconut. 

Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes or until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. To prevent over browning, cover the cake with aluminum foil for the remainder of the baking time. Allow to cool before slicing.

Notes: 

The shredded or flaked coconut can be sweetened or unsweetened, it's your preference, keep in mind if choosing sweetened coconut the cake will be more sweet. You can replace the brown sugar and coconut sugar with white sugar, again, it really comes down to preference, I find that the brown sugar and coconut sugar offer a more rich caramel flavour. 

Coconut flavouring may replace the rum flavouring. If you do not have coconut milk, cannot find it or do not wish to use it, then just use regular milk instead. 

You can add chopped pineapple pieces or tidbits to the batter if you wish. 

You may also replace the all purpose flour with self raising flour, just omit the baking powder and salt from the recipe. 

El Presidente Cocktail

Apparently this cocktail was created during Prohibition at the Vista Alegre in Havana. The original version was quite sweet however we found this version to be bittersweet and a more acidic version with the fresh citrus juice and a very muddled orange.  

El Presidente Cocktail

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makes 1 cocktail

1 slice orange

splash of freshly-squeezed lemon or lime juice

1 1/2 oz white rum

3/4 oz orange curaçao

1/2 oz French dry vermouth

dash of Grenadine

In the bottom of a cocktail shaker, muddle the orange slice with the lemon or lime juice. Add the rum, curaçao, vermouth, grenadine, and ice and shake well. Strain into a small cocktail glass. 

Notes: we did not have any white rum therefore we ended up using a darker rum we had on hand. 

Stay safe and have a good weekend everyone!  - JD 

Cream Puff Cocktail

This light and airy drink is quite unique and is one I would never gravitate towards. It  tasted as though it was missing a bit of flavour. Like it needed something to revive the blandness. A different beverage to try, if only once!  

Cream Puff

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makes 1 cocktail

2 oz Rum

1 oz Sweet Cream

1/2 teaspoon powdered sugar

Shake well with cracked ice and strain into 8 oz highball glass. Fill with carbonated water and stir. 

Have a great weekend everyone! - JD

Smoky Ginger Ale

We stumble upon this, Fever Tree's, Smoky Ginger Ale at our local shop. It was an interesting find with a very distincted smoky flavour. Add a bit of rum and you have one lovely cocktail.   


Hope everyone is enjoying the week and the some what warmer temperatures. - JD 

The Devil Martini

Still in the swing of all things Halloween with this strong and fiery cocktail. It will definitely ignite the fires within! 

The Devil Martini

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makes 1 cocktail

2 oz Dark Rum

1/2 oz Dry Vermouth

blackberries

black sugar

Stir and strain the rum and vermouth into a chilled martini glass that has been rimmed with sugar. Garnish with blackberries. 

Notes: you may use black olives instead of the blackberries and may replace the black sugar with red or orange. 

Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Coconut Fruit Clusters

These chocolate fudgey coconut clusters are not too sweet however they indulge in a rich chocolate almond flavour with just a hint of rum. Fudgey, chocolatey, fruit cakey whichever way you want to describe it these are simply luscious.

Coconut Fruit Clusters

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makes approximately 30 clusters

5 cups sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup chopped dried fruit

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2/3 cup dark cocoa powder

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 tablespoons dark rum

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons almond extract

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Set aside.

Combine the coconut, chopped fruit mix, condensed milk, cocoa powder, melted butter, rum, and almond and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking tray.   

Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until just set. Remove immediately from the baking tray and allow to cool completely on wire racks. Repeat until all mixture has been baked.  

Notes: Your dried fruit taste may vary however I used a pre-chopped dried fruit mix which consisted of dried dates, cranberries and apricots.  

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Was a warm one in E-town and seems like the warmer temperatures will continue.  - JD 

Red Rum

This dark, spicy and spooky cocktail is perfect for Halloween or anytime one is in the mood for something dark and suspiciously delicious!    

Red Rum

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makes 2 cocktails

1 orange

Angostura Bitters or any bitters that has a reddish tinge 

4 oz dark spiced rum

Ginger beer

2 whole cloves

Cut two round slices off the orange. Making sure that the slices are slightly smaller than the rim of the glass you are using. Squeeze a little bit of the juice from the sliced orange into the bottom of each glass. Add a dash of bitters. Add two ounces of rum into each glass; top with a handful of ice. Fill the glasses, almost to the top, with cold ginger beer. Stir gently. Place the pointy end of one clove into the centre of each orange slice; and gently place the orange slice, with the clove side up, on top of each cocktail. Before serving add generous dashes of bitters on top of the orange slices. Serve.  

Notes: the sliced orange is supposed to resemble a pumpkin and the dashes of bitters is supposed to mimic blood. 

It has been one of those weeks. Have a lovely weekend everyone! - JD  

Caribbean Tropical Fruit Loaf

If you to serve something a bit different this holiday weekend, you may enjoy this super moist and deliciously crumbly Tropical Fruit Loaf. I found this recipe in a pile of recipes I seem to be hoarding. It came for the Guardian newspaper therefore the measurements are in grams you will need to do some conversions or if you have a scale, all the better to put that kitchen scale to use, will make it easier for measuring the ingredients. 

Caribbean Tropical Fruit Loaf

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350g dried tropical fruit (mango, banana, papaya, pineapple)

50g caster sugar

200ml white rum

40g crystallized ginger

half a teaspoon allspice

175g unsalted butter, softened

175g caster sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

50g corn flour

200g plain flour

A handful of toasted coconut curls

Soak the fruit in the rum, sugar and about 200ml boiling water for as much as 3 days and as little as overnight.

Preheat oven to 150ºC/300ºF. Prepare a loaf tin about 10cmx20cm, by lightly buttering and flouring it. I also lined the tin with baking parchment paper.

When it comes to making the cake - drain the fruit, keep the liquid, and roughly chop or blitz in food processor - however do not over blitz into small pieces.

Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then add the eggs, one by one until totally incorporated. 

Sift the baking powder, flour and cornflour together and fold into the batter (butter mixture). Now turn in the chopped fruit, leaving a little to sprinkle on top of the cake. 

Tip in the mix, sprinkle over the remaining fruit and put int the middle of the oven on a tray. 

Cook for about 1 hour, until it passes the skewer test and as that's happening reduce the remaining rum syrup on the hob in a little pan to a loose glaze.

Fold in the coconut curls into the brown sticky syrup and then once you've taken the loaf from the tin, spoon gently over the top.

NOTES: I didn't have any crystallized ginger so that was omitted. Also I did not chop the soaked fruit as I like larger pieces of fruit. I added grated orange rind to the batter. And to punctuate the rum flavour I added a dash of rum flavouring. I used British mixed spice as I had no allspice. Cornflour, sometimes in British baking it means cornstarch, however reading the recipe a few times and placing it into context I understood it to be actual cornflour not cornstarch or cornmeal. 

As far as the baking time... you may have to allot for more time. I followed the recipe, 300ºF oven for 1 hour, however found that the loaf was not ready and did not pass the skewer test. Back in the oven it went for another 30 minutes and after that another 15 minutes. The loaf baked for the recipes' initial 1 hour plus an additional 30 minutes plus another 15 minutes equalling 45 minutes; making the total baking time 1 hour and 45 minutes in a 300ºF oven.

And because I felt like it... when the loaf was slightly cooled, with a toothpick I gently poked the top of the loaf and squeezed the juice from half of an orange over the top and then made a simple drizzle icing to go over the the top rather than the syrup that was stated in the recipe.

Have a great long weekend everyone! - JD 

Buttery Walnut Biscuits

The rum and walnut flavour create a rich biscuit and the dark chocolate just furthers the richness. You could omit the chocolate and serve them plain with a cheese selection, if you wish. However,  I like to crumble a bit of blue cheese over the top of the chocolate laden biscuits before serving. Which make these very rich and decadent for this time of year. 

Buttery Walnut Biscuits

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1 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon rum extract/flavouring

1/2 cup caster sugar
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

2 cups flour

good quality dark chocolate, melted for drizzling on top

Preheat oven to 350ºF. 

In a large bowl combine the butter and rum extract. Blend until smooth. Add the sugar, walnuts, and flour and blend until combined. You can use you hands, if you wish. The dough maybe a bit crumbly; not to worry as the warmth from your hands will be able to form the dough into walnut size balls. Place the dough rounds on a baking tray. Press down gently with a floured fork or the bottom of a smooth glass. If the edges crack just tidy them up the best way you can. Homemade biscuits should not look like manufactured ones!  Imperfections are fine. 

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. They should be set but not brown. The bottoms however maybe nicely brown, that is fine. When done remove, from the oven and while the biscuits are still on the baking tray, gently press down with the back of a lifter or spatula. Let set for a minute then remove to wire racks to continue to cool.

Once completely cooled. Melt the dark chocolate and drizzle over the top of each biscuit. Let the chocolate set before serving. 

Hope everyone had a good weekend. Extreme temperature/weather was in effect... nothing like -40ºF to put a pep in your step! Stay warm! - JD   

The American Flyer

If you like a cocktail with a bit of a kick then the American Flyer is one you have to try. It makes for a refreshing tipple at the end of a busy week and one to the start a relaxing weekend.  

The American Flyer

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Makes 2 drinks

3 oz Jamaican rum

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon simple syrup

Champagne, to top up

Place the rum, lime juice and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Pour into wine glasses and top up with champagne. 

Have a good weekend everyone! - JD 

The French Pirate

Who doesn't want to be a pirate and a French one at that. This is a lovely weekend... anytime cocktail to be enjoyed by many.  

French Pirate
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1/2 oz orange curacao liqueur

1 oz dark rum

champagne

In a fluted champagne glass, add the orange cacaco and dark rum; top up with champagne. Cheers! 

My husband was the hand model so that you may see the colour of this cocktail. It is quite and interesting one. 

Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Plum Pudding Pie

This cookbook reminds me of a present. With it's shiny gold dust jacket to it's top, side and bottom edge gold gilt and even the Christmas pud evoke all the brightest and warm things of the season. It's hard not to stare in wonder of Plum Pudding Pie: a Cook's Book of Christmas and be marveled at what delicious recipes that are inside. This cookbook has over 200 classic Christmas recipes. Everything to make your holiday breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner or dessert traditional for years to come.

The five chapters are simply broken down into Starters, Mains, Sides, Sauces and Stuffings, Drinks and Desserts. Each chapter offers many delights that will tantalize all the  sweet and savoury flavours of Christmas.

One recipe I have my eye on is the Chocolate Rum Mousse. I won't be making it for Christmas however I will be making this dessert for New Years Eve. Christmas will be enjoyed with my mincemeat tarts, rum balls... with real rum!, shortbread and of coarse Fortnum's King George Cake. The recipe seems very straight forward and I will share it with you now. - JW 


Chocolate Rum Mousse   
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250 g (9 oz or 1 and 2/3 cups) chopped dark chocolate
3 eggs
60 g (2 1/4 oz or 1/4 cup caster (superfine) sugar
2 teaspoons dark rum
250 ml (9 fl oz or 1 cup) cream (whipping), softly whipped

1. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Half fill a saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and place the bowl over the pan, making sure it is not touching the water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool.

2. Beat the eggs and sugar in a small bowl for 5 minutes, or until thick, pale and increased in volume.

3. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Using a metal spoon, fold in the melted chocolate with the rum, leave the mixture to cool, then fold in the whipped cream until just combined.

4. Spoon into four 250 ml (9 fl oz or 1 cup) ramekins or dessert glasses.
Refrigerate for 2 hours, or until set. 

Hot Chocolate

This one will warm you up on a winter's night. Here is my recipe for a very satisfying hot chocolate. So grab a throw, a book and when this is done you'll be curled up with this in no time.

First take whatever dark chocolate bar you have and with a very sharp knife chop it into bits.

When all chocolate is chopped. Divide the chocolate equally amongst cups. I was making two cups so I chopped half of a 85% dark chocolate bar and then added approximately 2 tablespoons of chopped chocolate in each mug. Essentially you are dividing the chocolate between the two mugs. Then on top of the chocolate I added a teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Mixing the chocolate and cinnamon together.

Once the chocolate and cinnamon have been mixed add 2 ccl of good quality rum.

Mixing together. You should have a bit of a chocolate paste. After this point put two cups of milk into a saucepan and heat on the stove until hot. Whisking frequently.

When the milk is hot remove from stove. Being careful add 2-3 tablespoons of milk into each mug. Blending together. This makes the chocolate paste even more smooth and helps melt the chocolate. Just a quick note adjust your measurements and chocolate to suit the size of mug or cup you are serving it in.

When all is smooth and the chocolate is just about melted add the remaining hot milk into each mug. Give a stir and enjoy! - jw