5 Minute Microwave Fudge Brownie by Kenrick Rhys Photography

Hi, I’m Kenrick Rhys and I am pretty stoked to be able to share my love for food with you all!  I’ve been good friends with Melissa and Simon for a few years now and was lucky enough to meet Courtenay (and Lydia) at the Picnic High Tea that they held.  I’m going to be sharing a couple of recipes while Melissa is on holiday.

I love good food, I guess I always have.  When I left school at 18, I trained as a chef and worked for a few years in various kitchens. I was usually in the entree and dessert section but another passion was baking, mostly breads and pastries.  When my wife and I sold everything and travelled around the world, I ended up working in a big international kitchen in central Amsterdam.  While there I also spent time developing my other passion, photography.  I carried my camera and took photos whenever I could.  We are now settled back in New Zealand and I am the name behind Kenrick Rhys Photography.  Check my wedding and portrait work out, and if you love it, I’d love to buy you a coffee and have a chat.

 

Today I am sharing a recipe that my Mum used to make, for a quick and easy, moist, American-style brownie.  It’s so easy I’d bet I could make it in 10 minutes from start to finish!

 

Ingredients:
100g butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
¾ cup flour
¼ cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder

 

Method:
Melt the butter in the microwave.
In a large bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla.  Sieve flour, cocoa and baking powder into the bowl.  Mix gently until just combined.
Pour the mixture into a microwave safe dish and place in the middle of the microwave.  Cook on high for 4 - 7 minutes depending on your microwave.
Let cool and sprinkle with icing sugar.

Kenrick’s Tips:

• The brownie should have risen and be not overly wet on top, although slightly moist on the sides.
• It may take a few attempts to get the cooking time perfect for your microwave power/wattage, but you will soon see how you like it.  I like my brownie soft and sticky so go for a lesser cooking time.
• I have successfully cooked this brownie in glass Pyrex dishes, silicon flan dishes, and plastic bunt pans.
• You can add chocolate chunks or buttons to this recipe, they will sink to the bottom during cooking.

Check out the Kenrick Rhys Photography website and like them on facebook.

Single Serve Cookie

It’s winter, some nights it’s just so cold and miserable that you crave comfort food but you don’t have the time (or can’t be bothered leaving your warm comfy spot on the couch) to make and then wait for something like a delicious batch of cookies to bake.  What if I told you that I had a solution? That you could be enjoying warm delicious cookie in under three minutes!?  This recipe is for a single serve cookie that you make in the microwave.  I hope you enjoy this little treat for one as much as me!  I have to thank Facebook for this idea, there was a picture with a recipe similar to below floating around but no instructions so I had a little play and this is what I came up with…

Ingredients:
25 grams of butter, melted
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
pinch of salt
⅛ teaspoon vanilla essence
1 egg yolk
¼ cup flour
2 tablespoons of chocolate drops

Method:
Melt butter in ramekin (bowl or cup).
Add sugars, salt, vanilla, egg yolk and flour to melted butter and combine using a large spoon.
Stir the chocolate drops through evenly.
Place ramekin in the microwave for 50 seconds.  Check it, then continue cooking and checking for up to 1 minute 20 seconds depending on wattage (I did mine for 1 minute 10 seconds in a 1000W microwave).
Allow to cool for a couple of minutes before digging in!

It’s that easy and so, so quick!  I think this would also be fabulous with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a delectable dessert, go on – spoil yourself, I know you want to.  Remember if you try this or any of our other yummy recipes you can leave a comment and let us know what you think.  We also love to see your photos – you can email them to bmtbblog@gmail.com or facebook us.

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

Want chocolate cake?  Want it now?  Try this…

 
An email got sent around school last week with this recipe.  I decided to save it and give it a try.  I’m thinking that this quick little cake would make an excellent last minute dessert served up with cream. It is super easy to make and quite similar to the mini steamed puddings I have posted about.

Serves 1 (well, probably 2!)

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
A small splash of vanilla extract
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)

Place the dry ingredients into a large microwave safe mug and mix well.  Add the egg, milk and oil, and mix thoroughly.  Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract and mix again.

Place into the microwave and cook for 2 and a half minutes at 1000 watts.  The cake may rise up over the top of the mug – this is normal.  Allow to cool a little and turn out onto a plate if desired.

Mini Steamed Self Saucing Puddings - made in the microwave

 
These Mini Steamed Puddings are easy to make and are so yummy!  This is a recipe I learnt while I was at intermediate school, so it is a really simple one and great to get kids involved in baking.  They are really quick to make, just a quick zap in the microwave and they are done.  Both jam and golden syrup make the perfect sauce, I really can’t choose which one I like best.  Either way, the puddings are a perfect hot treat on a cold Winter’s night.

 
Serves 2.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons jam or golden syrup
½ cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
25g butter
2 tablespoons sugar
½ egg (use a whole egg, halve later)
¼ cup milk

Method:
Wet the inside of two mugs leaving a splash of water in the bottom.  Add the jam or golden syrup.
Sift the flour and baking powder together in a medium sized bowl.  Rub in the butter and sugar to the flour mixture, to make a fine crumb.
Whisk an egg, then halve.  Add the milk and egg to the flour mixture and mix well.
Half fill the mugs with the batter. Cover with glad wrap leaving a small opening.
Microwave on high for 1 and a half minutes or until the mixture is springy to touch (time based on a 1100 watt microwave).
Stand for two minutes before turning out and serving.