Nowadays when I want a souvenir I buy a Christmas ornament. They're small, portable, and it's ok if they're tacky, because most Christmas ornaments are anyway. And then there's the great night where you play Christmas carols and decorate the tree, and then all the ornaments remind you of all the places you've been.
But there was a time when my souvenir of choice was a mug--mostly notably during my travels in Europe. (Which, looking back on it, was one of the dumbest things I could pick! They are bulky, heavy, and easily broken, I'm not sure what I was thinking. But I digress.) I have mugs with Shakespeare on them and mugs with the London tube map and mugs from Greenwitch and Harrods and mugs with the Eiffel Tower and mugs from Annecy and I did have a mug from Brussels until it broke...
The problem with this collection is that I don't like coffee or tea, and I can only drink so much hot chocolate. So ninety percent of the time the mugs just sit uselessly in the cupboard, waiting to be broken. Until yesterday, when Ben emailed me a wiki for making CAKE in a mug. That's right. You mix the cake in a mug, microwave it, and 3 minutes later have a tasty, brownie-ish cake.
The end result is rich and chocolatey, a little bit chewy, and best devoured when warm. I wouldn't think it would keep very well, but I'm pretty sure the only reason you would even make a mug cake would be to consume it instantanesouly, so you should be safe. If you're having a frantic chocolate craving this will definitely fit the bill! It's possible I guess that you could eat the whole thing, but I'd recommend sharing, it's a substantial amount for one person.
One small note before sharing the recipe: make sure your mug is microwave safe. And if it was made in France, it probably isn't.
Chocolate Mug Cake
One large microwave safe mug
Cooking spray
4 Tbsp flour
9 Tbsp hot chocolate mix
1 egg
3 Tbsp water
3 Tbsp oil
Spray the mug with cooking spray. Mix the hot chocolate mix and flour in the bottom of the mug and stir in the egg until well combined. Stir in the water and oil, making sure that there aren't any pockets of dry ingredients.
Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Use hot pad to take mug out of microwave. Let sit 1-2 minutes, then spoon/scrape cake out into a bowl. I think it would be better topped with ice cream, but you could try it plain.
I used peppermint flavored hot chocolate, which added a flair that I liked. I think maybe adding a couple of drops of orange or mint extract to the batter would be a nice touch if you just have regular hot chocolate.
But there was a time when my souvenir of choice was a mug--mostly notably during my travels in Europe. (Which, looking back on it, was one of the dumbest things I could pick! They are bulky, heavy, and easily broken, I'm not sure what I was thinking. But I digress.) I have mugs with Shakespeare on them and mugs with the London tube map and mugs from Greenwitch and Harrods and mugs with the Eiffel Tower and mugs from Annecy and I did have a mug from Brussels until it broke...
The problem with this collection is that I don't like coffee or tea, and I can only drink so much hot chocolate. So ninety percent of the time the mugs just sit uselessly in the cupboard, waiting to be broken. Until yesterday, when Ben emailed me a wiki for making CAKE in a mug. That's right. You mix the cake in a mug, microwave it, and 3 minutes later have a tasty, brownie-ish cake.
The end result is rich and chocolatey, a little bit chewy, and best devoured when warm. I wouldn't think it would keep very well, but I'm pretty sure the only reason you would even make a mug cake would be to consume it instantanesouly, so you should be safe. If you're having a frantic chocolate craving this will definitely fit the bill! It's possible I guess that you could eat the whole thing, but I'd recommend sharing, it's a substantial amount for one person.
One small note before sharing the recipe: make sure your mug is microwave safe. And if it was made in France, it probably isn't.
Chocolate Mug Cake
One large microwave safe mug
Cooking spray
4 Tbsp flour
9 Tbsp hot chocolate mix
1 egg
3 Tbsp water
3 Tbsp oil
Spray the mug with cooking spray. Mix the hot chocolate mix and flour in the bottom of the mug and stir in the egg until well combined. Stir in the water and oil, making sure that there aren't any pockets of dry ingredients.
Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Use hot pad to take mug out of microwave. Let sit 1-2 minutes, then spoon/scrape cake out into a bowl. I think it would be better topped with ice cream, but you could try it plain.
I used peppermint flavored hot chocolate, which added a flair that I liked. I think maybe adding a couple of drops of orange or mint extract to the batter would be a nice touch if you just have regular hot chocolate.
P.S. I just realized when I typed up this recipe that I only used one tbsp each water and oil instead of three. Which (a) explains the chewiness, and (b) means I'm totally going to have to try this again!!
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