I’m not in the mood for a lengthy introduction today so I’ll spare you the trouble of scrolling down several paragraphs before you hit the recipes. Bagels were on my try-at-least-once list and I’m kinda proud I did. You won’t find them as exciting till you decided to make them yourself, from scratch. I’m pretty sure you won’t unless you are a fan or you are curious about how they are made. And no, these are not donuts!

POPPYSEED BAGELS

Ingredients:

1 sachet [10g] instant yeast

1 tbs caster sugar

1/2 cup lukewarm water

1 cup lukewarm milk

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

2 tbs caster sugar

1 tbs poppy seeds

Method:

  • Combine yeast, sugar, water and milk in the bowl of your stand mixer until yeast dissolves. Cover bowl.
  • Leave it for 10-15 minutes in a warm place until mixture starts frothing. Sift flour, sugar and salt in another bowl.
  • Carefully fold in dry ingredients into yeast mixture at low speed using dough hook attachment until flour is hydrated.
  • Let mixer run for about 10 minutes until a soft ball of dough is formed. Cover and leave to prove for 1 hour until doubled.

  • Now turn out dough on a lightly floured surface.
  • Knead until smooth and divide dough into small balls.
  • Flatten slighlty and make a hole in the centre of each.
  • Enlarge hole using fingers until it is about 1/3 size of bagel.
  • Place bagels on a lined baking sheet and cover with clingfilm.
  • Leave for second proving for 45 minutes until very puffy.

[Recipe from The Australian Women’s Weekly]

  • Bring a large pan of water to the boil and drop 2-3 bagels at a time in boiling water. Cook for about 1 minute on each side.
  • Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a baking sheet, greased and lined with aluminium foil, also greased.
  • Sprinkle bagels with poppyseeds or leave them plain if you wish. Bake at 300 oF for 20-30 minutes until golden.
  • Cook on wire rack. Makes 12 large bagels. Best eaten fresh.

The second recipe is a keeper, probably one of the best banana muffins I know. If you are looking for a light cakey muffin with lotsa banana flavour and an occasional chocolate chunk, your search ends here. Recipe adapted from my Braun food processor manual.

BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

Ingredients:

3 large ripe bananas

2 eggs, room temperature

3 tbs unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 pinch salt

3/4 cup + 1tbs flour

1 tsp baking powder

1tsp baking soda

100g dark chocolate

1tsp caramel extract

Method:

  • Preheat oven to 350 oF. Line muffin pan with paper cups.
  • Mash bananas in a puree. Cover and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until creamy.

  • Add eggs and caramel extract. Then add banana puree and mix. Fold in flour, baking powder and baking soda.
  • Mix well and lastly stir in coarsely chopped chocolate.
  • Spoon batter into muffin pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.