What Really Matters Strawberry Chocolate Muffins

Yes, it is really true, today I have some muffins for you, which I like to call "What Really Matters Strawberry Chocolate Muffins". Indeed, this is quite a long name, but in a minute or so I will tell you why it had to be.
It's time to go adventuring again. However (some might be disappointed), this time we have to do without hat and whip. Now I have the chance again to particpate in a lovely blog hop: Sweet Adventures Blog Hop (short SABH). It is run by 84th & 3rd, Dining with a Stud, The Capers of the Kitchen Crusader and occasional guest hostesses (hm?). The latter one is the case now in July, where Swah from the blog "Love Swah" is hosting.
Here comes the theme: Sweet Surprise. Right away, then, here is my sweet surprise: What Really Matters Strawberry Chocolate Muffins (short WRMSCM, but ... eh ... who cares).

Where is the surprise? 

Catching up ... Tray Bake Plum Cake

There are still a few things to catch up with. I already planned some posts ... and that already for quite some times. For sure, I mentioned it before. In fact a few things I already cooked/baked, photographed and ... eh ... well, have also eaten up completely.
In an effort to catch up with a few things of those, I present you today the tray bake plum cake I had.

As I was checking up on my pantry what needed using up I came across this glass of plums and so things were set in motion.

Ingredients:

Cake dough:
125 g butter
125 g sugar
2 tbs vanilla sugar
4 eggs
250 g flour
2 tsp baking powder
 
1 large jar of plums (more wouldn't hurt)
A few splashes of plum liqueur (if you have)

Crumble to cover:
125 g butter
125 g sugar
2 tbs vanilla sugar
200 g sliced and ground almonds mixed
1 tbs milk

Method:
For the dough, cream the butter, the sugar, the vanilla sugar and the eggs.
Then add the flour and the baking powder. I used whole-wheat flour. Turn it all into a dough
Give the dough onto a lightly oiled or covered with baking parchment or both baking tray.
Place the plums on it ... without the juice. You have to get other ideas with that.
Sprinkle a bit of plum liqueur on the plums, if you like and/or if you have it.
Now, we don't want to forget the crumble.
You can already heat up your oven to 180 °C.
Melt the butter and then mix together all the ingredients for the crumble and then cover the plums on the cake with it.
Bake it for about 30 minutes, depending on the reliability of your oven.
Enjoy the cake!

Now the plums are gone and so is the whole-wheat flour. That were some of the things that needed to be used up. Well, I didn't need to buy any additional ingredients for everything was either leftover (the liqueur as well and I'm still working on using it up) or standard ingredients.
I guess that cake does well for the April Credit Crunch Munch pages on Fuss Free Flavours and Fab Food 4 All. This month Camilla from Fab Food 4 All is hosting. So, have a look.

Drink with me ... Piña Colada Dessert

Will you drink with me to days gone by? They won't come back. We are not the persons we used to be anymore. Time moves on. Things change - to good and to bad. However, it's not the time or place to ponder such things.
All the more so I am happy today to be able to do a live post again. I prepared a drink for you and me, took some photos and ... here we are.

Fine, it's not exactly a drink, but don't be fooled by the sounds or looks of it, for it is quite strong and I don't advice to still drive with your car or bike afterwards.

I'm glad to be able to join my favourite Blog Hop once more,     the Sweet Adventures Blog Hop. Just look what a lovely theme    we have this month: Cocktail Party! So it's time to get the equipment ready and shake it up again ... as in the days gone by (you wouldn't know, though).

We are having a Piña Colada Dessert then ... 

Ingredients (makes three - I just had three of those glasses):
4,5 sponge fingers
6 cl white rum
10 cl pineapple juice (or syrup)
4 cl cream of coconut or coconut syrup
4 slices of pineapple (fresh or from the tin)
6 cl pineapple juice (or syrup)
250 g mascarpone
3 tbs sugar

Shaking up:
A note before we start: If you just take the above mentioned white rum until the coconut syrup and add 2 cl of cream you can have a normal Piña Colada. However, that is not what we want to do right now.
Here we go then ...
Divide the sponge fingers among three glasses by breaking them (not the glasses) into smaller bits and pieces.
Get a cocktail shaker (or something else) and pour the rum, pineapple juice and coconut syrup into it. Give it a good shake. Maybe you can do a bit of fancy things by shaking behind your back, above your head or by throwing the shaker into the air and (hopefully) catching it again. Otherwise, you could just mix together the aforementioned ingredients thoroughly.
Pour a third of the almost Piña Colada into each glass (that, hopefully as well, you didn't break).

Our attention goes over to the mascarpone. Have a suitable vessel ready for it, where you mix it together with the 6 cl pineapple juice and the sugar. Keep stirring until all lumps have vanished.
Take the pineapple slices and cut them in half. Put three nice pieces to the side and cut the remaining parts of the pineapple slices into even smaller bits.
What then? You have guessed right, if you divide those pieces among the three glasses again and hang a half slice each across the rim of the glasses respectively.
Almost there. We just need to use up the mascarpone by pouring it over the pineapple pieces we just used. You know!

If you feel like decorating, go ahead ...
It was really nice having a drink with you. Had I simply a drink on my own, it wouldn't make such a good impression. Hopefully, you enjoyed your Piña Colada Dessert and didn't break any glasses or who knows what else.
What's on your mind now?