Chocolate Cake

Not a very good pictures but do not judge the taste by its look. I made this cake for my youngest son during his kindergarten graduation last May. It’s one of the easiest cakes that you can prepare on any occasions. I am not going to make this entry any longer so here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

Cake:
Betty Crocker chocolate fudge cake mix

Frosting:
1 container Betty Crocker chocolate frosting

Topping:
1 jar of maraschino cherries
2 dozens kit kat wafers

Filling:
1 cup whipped cream
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. sugar

Red ribbon

Preparation

1. Prepare the chocolate cake according to its package direction.
2. While the cake is baking, prepare the filling.
3. Mix all ingredients for filling and set aside inside the fridge.
4. Let the baked cake cool completely before filling and frosting.
5. Carefully cut the cake into two layers.
6. Place the filling on top of the first layer.
7. Place the second layer on top of the first layer cake with filling.
8. Now you can start frosting.
9. Slowly arrange the kit kat wafers around the frosted cake.
10. Tie the red ribbon around the cake to hold it.
11. Top the maraschino cherries and you’re done.

SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE

I learned to make this recipe from my mother -in-law. Back in the Philippines, I only knew few recipes using sweet potato (boil, fry and grill). I am not a big fan of sweet potatoes until I have tried this one. It’s very simple and I am sure everyone in the family will enjoy this treat. You can only find this sweet especially during the holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas. And of course, you can always make this one anytime you crave for some tubers.

SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE

Ingredients

2-3 medium sized sweet potatoes (boiled or baked)
½ tsp. salt
1 can (8 oz.) evaporated milk
½ cup brown sugar
1/3 stick butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Toppings

½ cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecan nuts (or any nuts)
Marshmallows


Preparation

1. Boiled potatoes. Mash when cooked.
2. In mixing bowl. Add mashed potatoes, salt, milk, sugar, butter, egg and vanilla. Stir until combined.
3. Pour into a greased baking dish.
4. Cover with topping.
5. Bake in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees F for about 35 minutes. Enjoy!

Palitaw

Palitaw is supposed to be flat but I made mind round. I don’t know how to call this one, I guess still palitaw because I used the same ingredients and prepared it in the same way. This Filipino snack is one of my favorites,it reminds me of my childhood. Hubby and my eldest son are not too crazy about this snack for some reasons. I’m glad my youngest son found it interesting and yummy.

Palitaw

Ingredients:

1 cup sweet rice flour (I preferred Mochiko)
½ cup or less water
½ coconut flakes
½ cup white sugar
1/8 cup sesame seeds


Preparation

1. Boil water in a medium pot.
2. Make dough by mixing flour and water (spoon water slowly- it the easiest way to create a smooth dough. Try not to make a mushy, sticky or too dry dough).
3. Make the balls (1 inch in diameter).
4. Drop balls one by one into the boiling water (try to leave enough space for each ball so it don’t stick together).
5. The Palitaw is cook once they come up or float to the surface.
6. Scoop them out.
7. Roll each ball into the coconut flakes.
8. Skew them if you wish (like mine).
8. Sprinkle with sugar and sesame seeds before eating.

Enjoy!

Doughnut Holes

I’m pretty sure that you heard about this canned biscuit dough donuts and holes already. This recipe is perfect for those people who don’t have time to fool around in the kitchen. It’s delicious and very easy to make. My kid’s love these quick desserts. So next time you hit the frozen section, don’t forget to grab a can of biscuits.

You can stuffed your doughnut holes with jam or jellies or sprinkle and drizzle it with your favorites toppings.

Doughnut Holes

Ingredients:

Oil for frying
¼ cup sugar
1 canned of small buttermilk biscuit

Preparation:

1. Heat 2 inches oil in a medium pot.
2. Lay out the biscuits on a cutting board and cut each biscuit into two.
3. Form each biscuit into ball or round.
4. Fry them in the oil until golden brown.
5. Flip to fry the other side.
6. Drain on paper towels.
7. Then toss in the sugar.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

The kid’s enjoyed these easy to prepare and delicious chocolate cupcakes. I used the left-over butter cream for frosting that I have made during Zack’s birthday two weeks ago. Hey! If you have the money to spare then grab the finest cocoa powder you can find. One of the secrets of the melt in your mouth chocolate cupcakes is a good quality coco powder (that based on my experience). I have tried the cheapest or store brand coco powders and they can’t compare and I guess you all know the reasons why.

There are so many cocoa powders available out there and your choices are endless. But here is my short list of the Cocoa Powders that I like best:
Valrhona Cocoa powder, Hershey’s Cocoa powder, Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa, Ghirardelli unsweetened Cocoa.


Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, room temperature
1 ¼ cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
¾ cup All-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
12 muffin cups sprayed with cooking oil

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, beat the butter until soft.
3. Add sugar, beat about 3 minutes.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time beating until they are well combined.
5. In another bowl, place all dry ingredients. Stir until combined.
6. Add ½ of the dry ingredients to the butter, sugar, eggs mixtures. Beat it just to combine.
7. Add milk and vanilla. Beat
8. Add the rest of dry ingredients. Beat until combined.
9. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3’s full.
10. Bake for about 20 minutes or when toothpick inserted comes out clean.
11. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
12. And frost the top of each cupcake with your favorite frosting. You can add sprinkles or nuts or fruits, if desired.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Thumbprint Almond Cookies

I always grab a handful of almond cookies every time we eat out in a Chinese buffet. I always thought their cookies are so delicious. I like the sweetness and texture of it. My first attempt of baking these goodies was not very successful for some reasons. I have tried to make my second batch with a twist and it turns out really wonderful. Instead of almond cookies, I turned it into thumbprint almond cookies with grape and strawberry jellies. You can put anything that you like though.

click to enlarge

Strawberry Thumbprint Almond Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup strawberry jelly or grapes

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat oven 350 degrees F.
2. With an electric beater, cream together the shortening and sugar until fluffy.
3. Beat egg in a small bowl, reserve one tablespoon for brushing.
4. Add beaten egg, vanilla and almond extract to the sugar mixture until combined. Set aside
5. SIFT together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda onto a wax paper.
6. Add to the cream mixture. Stir until just blended. (Dough will be a bit crumbly but should hold together)
7. Form the dough into balls (1 inch in diameter).
8. Using your thumb or index finger, make deep indentation in center of each ball (be careful not to press too hard).
9. Spoon a jelly or jam into each cookie ball (do not overfill).
10. Place them 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
11. Get the 1 Tbsp. beaten egg that you reserved and with pastry brush, brush the top edges lightly.
11. Bake cookies about 10 -12 minutes or until slightly brown on the edges.

NOTE: You can add the jelly or jam before or after cooking. I add more jelly after cooking because it was not looking right.


ENJOY

Cinnamon Rolls

I made these cinnamon rolls not long time ago using the ensaymada dough. It was pretty good that the platter got sparkling clean after a day. I was too lazy to prepare the sugar frosting so we eat it as it is. It was super soft and delicious. I will try to make some cinnabon next time. I can’t find the recipe for this cinnamon rolls, it probably buried somewhere in my files. I will post it as soon I find it.

HOPIA

( CLICK TO ENLARGE)
Not a very good pictures but it will guide you in preparing your first hopia baking.

HOPIA LOVE ME TOO

I made my first hopia three weeks ago. Hopia is always been one of my favorite snacks in the Philippines. It’s pretty hard to find a decent hopia around here. I watched people made them before and I found the preparation a daunty task. I did a little researched on how to make hopia and so far the recipe below is the easiest and fastest one. I adapted two recipes from Manang and starbulletin.

Also, I used lard instead of vegetable oil that most people do for so many reasons. I like how the lard works in my dough. Based on my experience, it makes the crust flakier and tastier. You can buy lard almost anywhere in the grocery stores or you can make your own if you have all the time. I love the onion filling of the hopia but unfortunately I didn’t find any recipe for it. I used mongo paste and ube halaya that I have prepared previously for my fillings. This hopia is delicious and a very easy to make, so if you’re ready to savor another childhood favorite’s then get ready and grab the lard, flour, and everything that you needed.

HOPIA

Ingredients:

1 egg beaten for brushing later

Dough 1:

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup lard

Use your hands. Mix together until crumbly. Set aside.



Dough 2:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. white sugar
½ cup lard
½ cup water

1. Mix flour, sugar, and lard together until crumbly.
2. Add water slowly and form soft dough (soft but not sticky).
3. With a rolling pin. Flatten the dough onto the floured surface (1/8 inch).
4. Get the Dough 1 and distribute on top of the flatten dough 2 evenly.
5. Gently roll the two dough’s together.
6. Wrap tightly with cellophane wrap.
7. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes:
Pre-heat Oven to 375 degrees F.

8. Take the dough out and cut into pieces. 1- 1 ½ inches.
9. Make sure you’re filling’s are ready. I am not going to show you how to make filling’s yet. But you can use mungbean paste, red bean paste, ube halaya or anything that you can imagine.
10. Roll each piece into circle or you can shape it in anyway you want (I used rolling pin).
11. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center.
12. Gather edges of dough over filling and pinch together in the center.
13. Place pinched side down. Pat into a circle and flatten slightly.
14. Repeat procedure for all pieces.
15. Place hopia on an ungreased baking pan.
16. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the bottom are brown. (NOTE: the tops of hopia will still be pale or white).
17. Remove from oven. Brush each hopia with beaten egg.
18. Set oven to broil.
19. Bake hopia for about 1-2 minutes or until hopia tops are nicely brown. (NOTE: DO NOT WONDER AROUND WHEN BROLING YOUR HOPIA to prevent burning).


ENJOY!

Empanada

Please excuse the poor photo quality. I once again used my pocket camera in a low light. I really need to dig the boxes in the closet tomorrow and look for my canon rebel xti.

I was craving for the empanadas the other day and decided to make some. Empanada is also one of my favorite snacks. Every celebration (fiesta, birthday’s, Christmas and etc.) my mama and Lola always make this goodies to perfection. I like my empanadas without the raisins for some reasons. I am not crazy about the sweet taste very much.

Empanada

Filling:

1 cup small cube potato
1 cup small cube carrot
½ cup green peas
1 clove garlic, minced
½ onion, chopped
½ lb lean ground beef
½ cup water
Oil for frying
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté` onion, garlic until tender. Add ground meat until brown. Add potato, carrot and water. Cook until tender. Add green peas and cook for another minute or two. Season to taste. Set filling aside and cool completely before using.


Dough

I have tried several dough recipes to make empanadas but this dough by Latin Caribbean Food at About.com is one of the my favorites. It’s very easy and it taste just right.


* 3 cups flour (plus a little more for kneading)
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup cold water
* 1 egg
* 1 egg white
* 1 teaspoon vinegar
* 3 tablespoons shortening


1. In a bowl, beat the water, egg, egg white and vinegar together. Set aside.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the 3 cups of flour and salt.

3. Cut the shortening into the flour mix with a pastry blender or two butter knives. Make a well in the center of the flour mix and pour the liquid ingredients from the first bowl into the center.

4. Mix the wet and dry ingredients with a fork until it becomes stiff.

5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it just until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth.

6. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but never more than 24 hours.

Preparation:

1. Take your dough out from the fridge and place in a floured surface.
2. Roll the dough out into a 1/8 inch thick.
3. Cut the dough into circle with round cookie cutter or anything that you can think that you can use. (I used biscuit cutter, the biggest one).
4. Place filling in the center of the circle and carefully fold over the circle with filling to make a half circle.
5. Press the edges together to seal (you can either use your fingers or a fork).
6. Bake in preheated 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy!