Microwave Recipes: Two Minute Cupcakes

Happy Monday everyone! It's going to be a busy week ahead but for now we'll talk about the weekend that was. As you may have noticed, the blog has gone through some aesthetic changes (do you guys like it? I'm still on the fence). I'm kind of working the changes based on our new logo, care of Mr. Awesome.

Besides tinkering with the blog, the weekend also had me spending some time in the kitchen (surprise, surprise). Remember when I made those yummy, fudgy, microwave brownies? This time, I made something similar, but from scratch (woot woot)! It ended up like this-

Ain't that a thing of beauty?

My friend Jill (creator of the mouth-watering Chocolate Chip Cookie Surprise) sent over a recipe for quick and easy microwave mug cake. I used the recipe she sent over, but with a few modifications. Basically, I just upped each measurement because I think one egg is too much for such a small mixture.

Here's the recipe I used (my notes in parenthesis):

Microwave Mug Cake

• 4 tbsp flour (made it 5 tablespoons)
• 4 tbsp sugar (5 tbsps)
• 4 tbsp cocoa (I couldn't find cocoa powder so I used Ovaltine. Yes.)
• (a small pinch of salt)
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp milk (4 tbsps)
• 3 tbsp oil (3 1/2 tbsps)
• 3 tbsp chocolate chips (4-5 tbsp, the more the merrier)
• a small splash of vanilla extract (I don't have this so I ticked it off the list)
• large coffee mugs
• (several large cupcake cups)

Instructions:

Add dry ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips and mix again. Place cupcake cups inside the mugs (for form only), pour in the mixture until cupcake cup is about 3/4 filled (so there's room when it rises), and sprinkle some chocolate chips on top. Place the mugs inside the microwave and cook for 2-3 minutes on high.

I (a.k.a. kitchen noob) made these!

And as soon as you hear the bell on the oven, you're done! You now have freshly "baked" chocolate cupcakes ready for serving. Best eaten hot off the oven, or with ice cream, or with chocolate syrup (you know, from the Hershey's squeeze bottle you most likely have in your kitchen cupboard). 

The entire mixture is enough for 3 large cupcakes, if you want more, just double all the ingredients. They're so easy to make and perfect for those days you want a warm and gooey chocolate sweet treat but have only a few minutes to spare. (Next time, imma try mixing in Nutella!)

Microwave Recipes: Fudgy Brownie in a Mug

This fudgy, chunky, chewy, chocolate-y brownie goodness in a mug has earned a lot of ooohs, ahhhs and mmms just last weekend. People are clamoring for the recipe and have even requested for more. And I made it. In 3 minutes.

To pzl ignore the Chowking flyer in the background

So how can a kitchen noob make something this wonderful in the time it takes for one to finish a cup of coffee?

Well, I cheated. Kinda.

Betty Crocker's Hershey's Chocolate Chunk Supreme Brownie Mix

I bought this box of instant brownie mix a couple of months back and upon inspection of the kitchen shelves, found out that it was about to expire. The thing is, our oven was busted but I didn't want good chocolate to be put to waste. Mixing 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, 4 tablespoons of water with the brownie mix, I ended up with this gloopy mess. I needed an alternative.

Sometime ago, I remember reading a post about baking some flour and cocoa inside a mug to make instant chocolate cake using the microwave oven. Although I wasn't sure if it was going to work on a brownie mix intended to be baked in an oven, I had to give it a shot.

The rest of the mix

I brought out a couple of mugs and filled half the mug with the brownie batter, popped them in the microwave and guesstimated the cooking time to be 3 minutes. Soon as the timer was done, I took the mugs out (making sure to keep it away from my face lest it explodes) and stuck a toothpick in the middle to check if it was done. Not only was it done, but it was also beautiful.

Cut into squares and you'll have fudgy microwave brownies!

We tried it as soon as it cooled down and it was just so good. It was the kind of good that you'd have to close your eyes to savor the taste with every spoonful.

The brownie turned out to be slightly cakier than it would have been if it was baked in an oven but that turned out to be a good thing. The cake-slash-brownie was extra rich and chocolatey, and the hershey chunks made it even chocolatey-er (if there's such a term).

Fudgy Brownie in a Mug
1 Betty Crocker's Hershey's Chocolate Chunk Supreme Brownie Mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 tbsp water

I poured the rest of the batter in a glass container and set the timer on for 7 minutes. Just make sure you only fill half the container to make room for when the mixture becomes fluffy, otherwise, you'll end up with a rightful mess.