Late night baking with the Philips Airfryer

You know those pregnancy cravings? They were pretty bad in the first trimester. Then they disappeared during the second trimester. And now, with baby at 37 weeks, they have come back full force. While I craved spicy food earlier on, I have been hit by a serious need for chocolate the past two weeks. The hubby gets requests to drop by cafes to pick up chocolate cake for me. I have fork fights with my five year old when we share chocolate cheesecake. My poor Bible study group leader ends up being tasked to hunt for chocolate cake before group meetings. I sneak into 7-Eleven after bringing my kid to the PD to buy chocolate. Yes, those crazy chocolate cravings are pretty bad.

The cravings got so bad that one night, when I was up trying to declutter, I decided to bake because I really needed a chocolate fix, and Nutella spread on slices of banana was just not going to do the trick. So I baked a brownie. In my new Philips Avance XL Airfryer. It looks like this:

It is sleek and black, and boasts a larger capacity and heating power (1.2kg versus 800g, and 2100W versus 1400W) compared to the older airfryer models. I think one of the chief issues many had with the older models was that you couldn't fit more in it, something really important if you have a larger family to cook for! The basket measures slightly more than 21 cm across in width and depth, so it was perfect for my smaller baking tin:

So after all the mixing and stirring, in went the tin, and out came all these lovely chocolatey smells. And the brownie turned out pretty good, nice and crumbly without being too dry. 

I couldn't resist snapping a shot and posting on Instagram while waiting for the brownie to bake. One of the main responses I got was the question "you mean you can bake in the airfryer?". And of course, the answer is yes, going by the yummy brownie that resulted (which mostly has been eaten by yours truly at the time I'm writing this post).

We've also tried cooking home-made fries (Lil J simply LOVES his fries), as well as chicken wings in the airfryer. We've not done much deep-frying before the arrival of the airfryer, and I must say being able to cook stuff that usually requires deep-frying, but without all the grease that usually results is a huge plus point. That, and being able to use a lot less oil during the cooking process.

So you have this machine that helps you to fry those yummy fries and chicken wings with less oil, and allows you to bake as well. And grill, roast and gratinate. Quite a versatile kitchen helper, if you ask me! (Now if it could wash itself up, that would make it perfect. But then again, the basket is dishwasher-safe, so that's another plus point!)

Oh yes, and here's the brownie recipe (adapted from here) if you need a chocolate fix like me:

Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:
75g butter
75g semi-sweet chocolate
1 egg
60g sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
40g self-raising flour
25g chopped walnuts or hazelnuts

Steps:
1. Line small low-sided cake pan with baking paper and grease the sides.
2. Melt chocolate and butter together slowly in a saucepan. Allow to return to room temperature.
3. Pre-heat your airfryer to 180 Celsius.
4. Beat the egg with vanilla essence, sugar, and a pinch of salt, until light and fluffy.
5. Beat in the chocolate and butter mixture, and fold in the flour and nuts.
6. Pour mix into cake pan, and put it in the fryer basket. Set time for 20 minutes. (Enjoy the chocolatey smells meanwhile!)
7. Remove from fryer, and cool in pan before cutting into pieces.

~~~~~~~

An exclusive just for Mum in the Making blog readers:

Cook with Air today! Quote "Mum in the Making" and buy the Viva Digital Airfryer at $399 + $50 shopping voucher (Usual price: $459) and the Avance XL Airfryer at $479 + $50 shopping voucher (Usual price: $539) at the Philips Experience Showroom.* 

This promotion is valid from 1st December till 31st January 2014.

The Viva Digital Airfryer and Avance XL Airfryer are also available at regular prices, in leading electronics stores, departmental stores and supermarkets island-wide.

*Limited to 1 Airfryer per person (IC must be produced).

Philips Experience Showroom

Address: 620A Lorong 1 Toa Payoh Building TP4 Level 1 S(319762)

Tel: 6882 5800

Opening Hours: 

Monday to Friday: 9.00 am – 7.00 pm 

Saturday: 9.00 am – 1.00 pm. 

Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays.

~~~~~~~

Disclaimer: The Avance XL Airfryer was sponsored by Philips for purpose of this review. No monetary compensation was received, and all opinions (and chocolate cakes) are my own. You are welcome to come by to try some though, if there is any left that is!