Tokyo Vlog Part 2

So here’s part 2 of my Tokyo vlog. This part covers Day 3 & Day 4. To watch part 1 of the vlog click here.

Day 3: Lazy day with plenty of rest then went to Shibuya to find Hachiko and Shinjuku
Day 4: Packed day visiting Tsujiki Market, Akihabara and finally Ginza.

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Cheeky Chocolate Chip Banana Cupcakes – Breakfast ahoy!

I love baking. I love it even more than cooking. There is something very comforting about mixing together ingredients, popping them into the oven and smelling a deliciously sweet aroma of baked tastiness.

 

I had a go at making banana cupcakes with chocolate chips. Spending a good hour or two on the internet searching for a decent recipe which included all-purpose flour (plain flour) as this is the only flour I had left over from baking cookies. Usually the first time I try a recipe I will follow it exactly, the second time I will amend it to make it more of my own.  So here’s the recipe I used to make these yummy cakes.

Addictive Cheeky Chocolate Chip Banana Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cups of All Purpose Flour
• 2/3 Cups of Sugar (I used light brown sugar)
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Power
• 1/4 1 tsp Salt
• 3 Mashed Over-ripe Bananas
• 1 Large Egg
• 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter Melted (about half a stick of butter)
• 1/4 Cup of Whole Milk (full fat)
• 1/2 Cup of Chocolate Chips (I used Hershey’s as it was the only option, but you can also buy dark chocolate and crush into small pieces)
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract

 

Directions:

1) Pre-heat oven to 180 degree celsius. Mix together in a large mixing bowl flour, sugar, baking power and salt.

2) In a medium sized bowl mash bananas. I mashed them but left them a little chunky for texture. Beat in eggs, melted butter and milk. Add 2 tsp of vanilla extract into mixture and mix until combined.

3) Add banana mixture to the large bowl and carefully combine together. Try not to over mix as it does not need to be over smooth, this will give cupcakes a better texture.

4) Line a cupcake tray with paper cupcake liners (I didn’t have a cupcake tray so I just used 2 cupcake liners which kind of worked but best to use a cupcake tray!) and fill them with you mixture about 3/4 full to give them room to rise.

5) Bake for 15 – 20 minutes (or until tops are light golden brown). Timings will vary according to your oven.

6) Enjoy for breakfast or with a cup of tea in the afternoon!

 

Note:

I first tried this recipe with only 1 banana that was not over-ripe, I found the mixture quite dry. I realised that over-ripe bananas give the cupcakes a stronger banana taste and better consistency/texture, now I know why the recipe always state over-ripe! Try adding walnuts for more of a crunch.

Quick and Easy Snack – Can’t get enough of cheese!

I thought I would share a quick snack that goes great with soup (try tomato yum!). If you can’t get enough of cheese (like me) then try easy cheesy snack. All you need is a few simple ingredients:

 

Easy Cheesy Anchovy Toast – https://thinkitdreamit.wordpress.com

 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 Slice of Bread
• Olive
• Oil/Butter
• 1/2 Garlic Clove
• 2-3 Tinned Anchovies
• 1 tsbp of Grated Parmesan Cheese

 

Directions:

1) Drizzle a little olive oil or spread butter on the bread.

2) Chop 1/2 garlic clove and sprinkle on bread evenly.

3) Break up 2-3 anchovies and place on bread.

4) Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over bread.

5) Place bread in oven (or under a grill) at 180 degrees (celsius) for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is toasted.

6) Serve with you favourite soup, cream of tomato goes well.

 

Enjoy!