White Chocolate and Vanilla Muffins

Those of you who read my post about Apple Muffins with Nutmeg and Cinnamon might remember I mentioned white chocolate muffins recipe back then. They were one of the first muffins I’ve ever made and, even though I tried lots of different muffin recipes since that time, they have remained my favourite. I love their delicate structure and wonderful white chocolate flavor perfectly balanced with the addition of the lemon peel to the batter. I had never baked anything with white chocolate before this recipe, so it actually made me discover how delicious white chocolate can be when used in baked goods. The original recipe for the muffins comes from : Le codron Bleu Home Collection: Muffins. The addition of vanilla to the batter as well as the icing are my own ideas. Enjoy!!!

White Chocolate and Vanilla Muffins

Makes 12

DRY INGREDIENTS:
380 g flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
125 g caster sugar
200 g white chocolate

WET INGREDIENTS:
2 eggs
375 ml milk
1 teaspoon lemon peel
½ vanilla pod (reserve the other half for the icing)
160 g butter, melted

WHITE CHOCOLATE ICING:
200 g white chocolate, roughly chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
½ vanilla pod

1. Preheat the oven to 210°C (410°F). Grease or line muffin pan with paper muffin cups.
2. Sift all the dry ingredients except white chocolate into a large bowl.
3. Chop the chocolate roughly. Add to the dry ingredients.
4. Split half of the vanilla pod lengthways, scrape out the seeds.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Add the lemon peel and vanilla seeds.
6. Pour the egg mixture and melted butter into the bowl with dry ingredients. Stir with a metal spoon to combine. Do not over mix!!!
7. Spoon into the muffin pan filling ¾ full.
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean.
9. Let cool slightly before removing from the pan. Serve warm or cold with the white chocolate icing.

WHITE CHOCOLATE ICING:
Break the white chocolate bars into pieces. Melt with olive oil and vanilla seeds in a heatproof dish over a pan of simmering water. Spread over cooled muffins. Let the icing set slightly before serving.

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Recipe in Polish/Przepis po polsku:
Muffinki z białą czekoladą

Lime, White Chocolate and Coconut Muffins

These muffins are really irresistible; they're fragrant and very refreshing with a subtle taste of coconut and intense sweetness of white chocolate cut by the tart flavor of lime. The coconut provides a nice contrasting structure to the melting white chocolate, while the lime flesh gives the muffins some extra moistness. All these together make a delightful combination of textures and flavors. The recipe for these has been adapted from Grab Your Fork food blog. The original version can be found here. Enjoy!!!

Notes to the recipe: Malibu can be substituted with another coconut liquour.

Lime, White Chocolate and Coconut Muffins

150g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
40g caster sugar
100g white chocolate, chopped roughly
1/2 cup desiccated coconut

1 egg
100ml milk
2 tbsp Malibu
50g butter melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 lime

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C (390 F).
2. Grease or line 12 muffin cups.
3. Grate the zest of the lime and set aside.
4. Cut the outer pith from the lime and then carefully slide the knife under one membrane and gently remove a segment of lime flesh. Continue until all lime flesh has been extracted into a bowl for later use.
5. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar, coconut, and white chocolate. Make a well in the centre.
6. In a separate large mixing bowl, mix together the egg, milk, vanilla and Malibu. Stir in lime flesh and rind.
7. Pour the egg mixture and melted butter into the well. Mix quickly just until the ingredients are combined, taking no more than 15 seconds as over-mixing will prevent them rising.
8. Spoon into the muffin pan filling ¾ full.
9. Bake for 20 minutes .

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Recipe In Polish:
Muffinki limonkowo-kokosowe z białą czekoladą

White Truffle Cake

I made this cake first for my husband’s birthday two years ago when he wasn’t my husband yet. He loved it and asked for it again this year. This time I’ve decided to improve the recipe slightly by adding vanilla seeds to the truffle. The result was absolutely delightful!!! I’ll never make this cake without adding vanilla again. If you don’t have vanilla bean, use vanilla extract instead, but do not skip on it. This is sooooo much better with vanilla in it!!! Even though the main ingredient in this cake is white chocolate, the cake is not over-sweet. The sponge cake is fluffy and tender with a subtle taste of white chocolate, while the truffle resembles a cheesecake and combines two wonderful flavors –delicate sweetness of white chocolate and intense vanilla flavor.

White Truffle Cake
Recipe source: Bellefontaine, Jacqueline Chocolate, adapted

For the sponge cake:
2 eggs
4 tbsp caster sugar
5 ½ tbsp all purpose flour
50 g (1 3/4 ounces) white chocolate, melted

For the topping:
300 ml (1 1/4 cups) heavy cream
350 g (12 ounces) white chocolate, broken into pieces
250 g (1 1/4 cups) cream cheese or quark cheese
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

To make the sponge cake:

1. Grease an 8 inch (20 cm) springform pan and flour the base.
   
2. In a bowl, beat the eggs and superfine sugar with an electric mixer for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is very light and foamy and the whisk leaves a trail that lasts a few seconds when lifted.
   
3. Sift the flour and carefully fold in with a metal spoon.
   
4. Fold in the melted white chocolate.
   
5. Pour the mixture into prepared pan and bake in a preheated oven at 350 F (180 C) for 25 minutes or until springy to the touch.
   
6. Cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Return the cold cake to the pan.

To make the truffle:

1. Place the cream in a pan, stir in vanilla seeds
2. Bring to a boil, stirring to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
3. Remove the pan from the heat, add the white chocolate pieces, and stir until melted and combined.
4. Allow to cool, then stir in the cream cheese.
5. Pour the mixture on the top of the cake and chill for about 3-4 hours.
6. Remove the cake from the pan and transfer to a serving plate. Decorate.

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Recipe in Polish:
Torcik z białą truflą

Lemon White Chocolate and Pistachio Cake

This is a wonderful cake, light, tender and very moist. The sweet taste of white chocolate is a perfect complement to the refreshing flavor of the lemon. Besides, white chocolate pairs incredibly well with pistachios; It makes just a perfect combination of textures and flavors, elegant and absolutely delicious!!!

The inspiration for the cake comes from Chatelaine magazine, the August 2007 issue. In the original recipe (which you can find here), it was actually called a loaf and was made without chocolate at all. Since I wanted to make a cake rather than a bread, I decided to add some white chocolate to the recipe. It adds extra sweetness and provides a little bit of richness to the cake.

Note's to the recipe: I like pistachios with white chocolate most. If you aren’t into white chocolate much, you can use milk chocolate instead. If you decide to omit the chocolate completely, add 1/2 cup of sugar more to the batter for the right sweetness. This cake will keep well at room temperature 1 day, refrigerated up to a week or frozen up to 2 months. Enjoy!!!

Lemon White Chocolate and Pistachio Cake

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 lemon
1 cup (250 ml) coarsely chopped shelled pistachios
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar + 1/4 cup for the glaze
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup (150 ml) milk
100 g white chocolate, roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Grease lightly a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a medium bowl stir flour with baking powder and salt. Grate peel from lemon, then stir in. Coarsely chop nuts.
3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth.
4. Gradually beat in 1 cup (250 ml) sugar until well mixed, 2 minutes.
5. Gradually add the eggs and beat well until light and fluffy.
6. Add the dry ingredients alternating with the milk.
7. Add chocolate and nuts and mix until ingredients are just combined. Do not overmix.
8. Pour batter into pan, bake until deep golden brown and a cake tester or skewer inserted into centre of loaf comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, squeeze 3 tbsp (45 ml) juice from lemon into a small bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup (50 ml) sugar. It won't completely dissolve.
10. When loaf is baked, remove pan to a rack. Using a cake tester or skewer, immediately poke several holes in top of loaf. Brush or drizzle half of lemon glaze over hot loaf. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove the loaf. Carefully turn upside down. Evenly brush or drizzle remaining lemon glaze overtop.

Przepis po polsku:
Ciasto cytrynowe z białą czekoladą i pistacjami

Banana Cherry and White Chocolate Cupcakes

The recipe for these tasty banana cupcakes comes from Nigella Lawson's How to be a Domestic Goddess. As most of Nigella’s recipes, these are incredibly easy and quick to make. They’re best warm, either fresh from the oven or heated in the microwave. When they get cold, the only thing you can actually taste in them is banana. The other flavors are barely palpable even though I’ve increased the amount of dried cherries (the recipe below includes the change). Heating brings the subtle flavor of chocolate and cherries out of the cupcakes and makes them taste really delicious!!!

Banana, Dried Cherry and White Chocolate Cupcakes

Makes 12-14 cupcakes

125 g unsalted butter
200 g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ripe bananas
4 tbsp sour cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
300 g plain flour
80 g dried cherries, roughly chopped
50 g white chocolate, roughly chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) / gas mark 4
2. Grease or line 12 muffin cups.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then, off the heat add the sugar, vanilla and bananas, mashing them with a fork in the pan.
4. In a separate bowl, lightly beat eggs a fork, add the cream, then fold them into the melted butter, sugar, and banana mixture.
5. Add the baking soda and the baking powder and stir in.
6. Add the flour, cherries, and white chocolate. Mix gently with a spoon just until the ingredients are combined.
7. Spoon into the muffin pan filling ¾ full. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden on top.
8. Remove the cupcakes in their paper to wire rack and leave to cool lightly.

Przepis po polsku:
Bananowe babeczki z suszonymi wiśniami i białą czekoladą

White Chocolate Bounty

The inspiration for today’s recipe comes again from Dagmar’s food blog. A few days before Christmas, Dagmar posted a wonderful Homemade Bounty recipe that I really wanted to try. I didn’t want my bounties to be the exact copy of the chocolate bars available in shops though. The original Bounty bars are covered either with milk or dark chocolate (this one is harder to obtain in Poland thought). I came up with the idea of using white chocolate instead. Another adjustment I’ve made was adding vanilla extract to the coconut filling. The result was absolutely delicious!!! White chocolate, coconut and vanilla is absolutely divine blend of flavors!!! The coconut filling came out a little softer than the one in the original Bounty bar, but it didn’t influence its wonderful taste.

White Chocolate Bounty
( based on Dagmar's Homemade Bounty recipe)

200 g unsweetened shredded coconut
100 ml heavy cream
70 g icing sugar
70 g unsalted butter
1 tbsp vanilla extract
200 g white chocolate

1. In a big bowl combine coconut and icing sugar.
2. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over low heat ,stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted. Add vanilla extract. Pour the mixture over the coconut and sugar. Stir until all the ingredients are well combined.
3. Using your hands, shape little balls of mixture. The balls will be a little hard to form, try to do it by pressing small amounts of mixture together.
4. Place the balls on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
5. Melt the white chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot, not simmering water or in the microwave. Using a toothpick dip each ball in the warm melted chocolate, place the balls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in the fridge for 30-60 min to allow the chocolate harden before serving.

The bounties should be stored in the refrigerator.

Przepis po polsku:
Bounty w białej czekoladzie

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

I’d been asked to make a cheesecake for a family feast. I wanted to make something different from traditional heavy cheesecakes we usually eat in Poland. I opted for a White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake. Combining raspberries and white chocolate always tastes heavenly. So, does in this cake. The sweetness and mildness of white chocolate balance perfectly with the tartness of the raspberries. The only thing I would change is the crust which turned out rather tough. I think it would work out better without white chocolate addition. I’ll try that next time.

The recipe originally comes from The Australian Women's Weekly 'Cheesecakes, Pavlovas & Trifles' but I’ve found it translated into Polish on Galeria Potraw which is my favorite Polish food forum.

Some minor changes I’ve made to the recipe:
1. I added vanilla sugar to the cheese.
2. I substituted digestive biscuits with Petit Beurre ones (they’re easier to obtain in Poland).
3. I baked my cake for about 60-70 minutes instead of 90 minutes as the recipe says.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

FOR THE CRUST:
200 g digestive biscuits
90 g white chocolate
80 g unsalted butter

FOR THE FILLING:
½ cup cream (30% fat)
200 g white chocolate
250 g mascarpone cheese
250 g quark cheese
¼ cup caster sugar
1 pouch vanilla sugar
3 eggs
2 egg whites
250 g raspberries

Line the bottom of 23 cm springform pan with aluminum foil. Using a food processor or blender, process the biscuits to fine crumbs. Melt the chocolate and butter together over low heat, stirring constantly. Combine with the crumbs. Press into the bottom of the springform pan with the back of a spoon. Put into the fridge for about half an hour to set.

Preheat the oven to 160C (320F).

Put the cream in a heavy-bottomed pan. Bring to boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Break the chocolate into little pieces and add to the cream. Stir with a spoon until the chocolate and cream are smooth and the chocolate is melted. Set aside to cool slightly.

Beat together the mascarpone cheese, quark cheese, sugar and vanilla sugar until smooth, then add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the chocolate mixture beating until well-combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to sniff peaks then fold into cheese mixture.

Pour the cheese filling into the chilled biscuit base. Gently press 250g of the raspberries into surface. Bake for 1-1 ½ hours. Cool in oven with door ajar. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Przepis po polsku:
Sernik z białą czekoladą i malinami