I didn’t expect to meet another Masterchef Australia personality so soon after meeting the world famous Gary & George, Masterchef’s celebrity judges, late last year.

With good friends Usha, Anu and Pratibha, I was thrilled to watch Kate Bracks demonstrate 3 baked dishes.  Yes, the same Kate Bracks who won the Masterchef Australia 2011.  More than 300 Masterchef Australia fans gathered in the banquet hall of Marriott Hotel in Whitefield, Bangalore, to watch Kate Bracks in person.  What a cheer she got when she walked into the hall!!!  Her lively, energetic and entertaining way of showing us the 3 dishes had the audience in rapt attention.  Kate also answered questions from the audience.  She briefly narrated how she got into the Masterchef competition and how she places her family above all else in her life.

Marriott generously gave away many prizes to the lucky winners (the four of us were not on that list), while everyone present got a taste of Kate’s delicious Retro Coffee Cake and Chocolate Hazelnut & Raspberry Muffins. Yum!!

Here’s the recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut & Raspberry Muffins (makes 12) –
Ingredients –
300 g self raising flour
100 g hazelnuts, coarsely ground
300 g castor sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
250 g unsalted butter
60 ml hazelnut oil (or any other)
480 ml buttermilk
3 eggs
150 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
150 g fresh or frozen raspberries
30 g demerara or raw sugar
Method of preparation –

1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C
2. Line the muffin tin holes with paper muffin cases
3. Combine dry ingredients (flour, hazelnut, sugar, salt) into a large bowl
4. Melt the butter and whisk to combine it with the other wet ingredients (oil, buttermilk, eggs)
5. Pour wet mix over the dry mix and stir to combine (mixture should still look a little lumpy)
6. Gently fold through the chocolate, hazelnuts and raspberries
7. Spoon mixture into muffin cases until almost full
8. Sprinkle tops with sugar
9. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until cooked through and golden on top
10. Allow to cool completely then dust generously with sifted icing sugar

Enjoy the muffin, but don’t forget your exercise to burn it off!!