Wednesday, September 29, 2010

5 minute chocolate mug cake

I first came across this recipe a couple of years ago and it has become one of my favourite desserts, because it is so ridiculously quick and easy to make and it uses basic pantry ingredients. Tonight I decided to add some raspberries to the mix and I don't think I'll be able to eat it without them in future. The raspberries took it to a whole new level of delicious-ness :) It reminds me of the gorgeous chocolate coated raspberries that my lovely cousin has brought me, all the way from beautiful Tasmania. My only regret is that we didn't have any icecream to go with it! As the name suggests, it's intended for cooking in a mug. However, I find at least half of the mixture spills over and all over the microwave turntable when cooking. So I now use a 1 litre capacity pyrex dish to cook it in. The recipe easily serves 2 people.
In the photo below, the cake looks a little dry - I can assure you it wasn't :)
The recipe...
5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake
4 tablespoons self raising flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons melted butter (or oil if you prefer)
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract


1 large coffee mug or microwave safe bowl
Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips and raspberries (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high). The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

Junkmail origami

It's school holidays here. Unfortunately we happen to be without a car for 3 weeks, 2 of those weeks being school holidays - AAAARGH!!! It actually hasn't been too bad, until today. Everyone started getting cabin fever. Anyone who knows me, knows I don't make quick decisions lol. Well today that all changed. After argument #547 this morning, almost without thinking I grabbed the pile of junk mail I'd pulled from the letterbox earlier and my big origami book and gave it to my 2 bickering wonderful children. I don't know why I hadn't thought of using junkmail for origami before - it saves them from taking all the paper out of my printer. I showed them how to fold the top edge diagonally across to the side edge and tear off the extra strip at the bottom with a ruler - to make a square. My 7 yr old made the boat (pictured above) and decided to test it out in the bathroom sink. The great thing about that is 1. he has lots of fun with it, 2. it gets all soggy and has to be thrown out - what a shame ;) I love keeping things my children make, but all mums with small children know you can only keep so much!