Torta Cebuano

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon  anise powder
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 can condensed milk
10 egg yolks
1-1/2 tablespoons baking powder

Boil sugar and water for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Combine flour and anise powder in a bowl. Pour in melted butter, prepared syrup, oil, condensed milk and egg yolks. Stir until smooth. Sift in baking powder. Pour into wax paper-lined “ensaymada” molds and bake at 350F for 35 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

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Leche Flan

Caramel
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Custard
1 can evaporated milk
1 can condensed milk
12 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine all custard ingredients. Stir lightly when mixing to prevent bubbles or foam from forming.

Put sugar and water in a saucepan. Caramelize in medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Pour into flan molds or custard cups, tilting the mold to make sure the whole surface (about less than 1 cm) is covered. The more caramel you pour into the molds the sweeter the leche flan.

Strain the egg mixture slowly while pouring into the caramel lined flan mold.

Put molds in a bigger tray/baking pan filled with water.

Bake in oven for one hour or until mixture is firm.

Cool before unmolding on a platter.

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Chocolate Dipped Macadamia Nut Shortbread Cookies

1 cup Butter
3/4 cup Powdered sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 cups Sifted flour
3/4 cup Chopped macadamia nuts
1 cup Milk chocolate chips, or 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1-1/2 teaspoons Vegetable shortening

In large mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually stir in flour until well blended. Stir in macadamia nuts.

Place dough on wax paper and shape into a roll two inches in diameter.

Wrap in paper and foil and chill at least two hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Cut roll into slices approx. 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Bake on non-greased baking sheet for 20 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Remove from oven; cool on wire rack.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl melt chocolate chips (microwave works well) and stir in shortening. Mix well. Dip one end of each cookie into chocolate mixture and place on wax paper.

Refrigerate cookies until chocolate hardens. Store in cool place.

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Auntie Anne’s Pretzels

1¼ cups warm water
1 tablespoon + ¼ teaspoon yeast
3¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Bath
4 cups warm water
½ cup baking soda
¼ cup melted butter

Salted
Kosher or pretzel salt

Cinnamon Topping
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a small bowl or cup. Let it sit for a few minutes.

Combine flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add water with yeast and vegetable oil. Stir with a spoon and then use your hands to form the dough into ball. Knead the dough for 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface. Dough will be nice and smooth when it’s ready. Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover it, and store it in a warm place for about 45 minutes or until the dough doubles in size.

When dough has risen, preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Make a bath for the pretzels by combining the baking soda with the warm water and stir until baking soda is mostly dissolved.

Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into eight even portions. Roll each portion on a flat non-floured surface until it is about 3 feet long. Pick up both ends of the dough and give it a little spin so the middle of the dough spins around once. Lay the dough down with the loop nearest to you. Fold the ends down toward you and pinch to attach them to the bottom of the loop. The twist should be in the middle.

Holding the pinched ends, dip each pretzel into the bath solution. Put each pretzel on a paper towel for a moment to blot the excess liquid. Arrange the pretzels on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. If you want salt, sprinkle pretzels with kosher salt or pretzel salt. Don’t salt any pretzels you plan to coat with cinnamon sugar. You will likely have to use two baking sheets, and be sure to bake them separately. Bake the pretzels for 4 minutes, then spin the pan halfway around and bake for another 4 to 5 minutes or until the pretzels are golden brown.

Remove the pretzels from the oven and let them cool for a couple of minutes. If you want to eat some now, brush ’em with melted butter first, if desired, before serving. If you want the cinnamon sugar coating, make it by combining in a small bowl. Brush the unsalted pretzels you plan to coat with a generous amount of melted butter. Sprinkle a heavy coating of the cinnamon sugar onto the entire surface of the pretzels over a plate. Munch out.

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Angel Food Cake

1 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cake flour, sifted
12 egg whites (the closer to room temperature the better)
1/3 cup warm water
1 teaspoon orange extract, or extract of your choice
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor spin sugar about 2 minutes until it is superfine. Sift half of the sugar with the salt the cake flour, setting the remaining sugar aside.

In a large bowl, use a balloon whisk to thoroughly combine egg whites, water, orange extract, and cream of tartar. After 2 minutes, switch to a hand mixer. Slowly sift the reserved sugar, beating continuously at medium speed. Once you have achieved medium peaks, sift enough of the flour mixture in to dust the top of the foam. Using a spatula fold in gently. Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.

Carefully spoon mixture into an ungreased tube pan. Bake for 35 minutes before checking for doneness with a wooden skewer. (When inserted halfway between the inner and outer wall, the skewer should come out dry).

Cool upside down on cooling rack for at least an hour before removing from pan.

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Chocolate Lava Muffins

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 stick butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
Butter, to coat muffin tin
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 cup vanilla ice cream
1 teaspoon espresso powder

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place a small metal bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. Melt the chocolate and butter in the bowl. Stir in vanilla.

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour and salt. Sift these into the chocolate and mix well with electric hand mixer. Add eggs one at time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next. Beat at high until batter is creamy and lightens in color, approximately 4 minutes. Chill mixture.

Coat the top and each cup of the muffin tin with butter. Dust with the cocoa powder and shake out excess. Spoon mixture into pan using a 4-ounce scoop or ladle. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes. Outsides should be cake-like and centers should be gooey.

While muffins are in oven, melt the ice cream in a small saucepan. Stir in the espresso powder. Serve over warm muffins.

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Cassava Cake #1

Cake
2 Lbs Grated Cassava
1 14 oz. Can Sweetened Condensed Milk (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping)
1 12 oz. Can Evaporated Milk
1 14 oz. Can Coconut Milk (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping)
1 13 oz. Can Coconut Cream (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping)
2/3 Cup Sugar
3 Eggs plus 3 Egg Whites
1 Cup Grated Coconut

Topping
3 Egg Yolks
1/3 Cup Reserved Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/3 Cup Reserved Coconut Milk
1/3 Cup Reserved Coconut Cream

Preheat oven to 325° F.

In large mixing bowl combine cake ingredients. Mix well. Pour equally into two large greased rectangular pans. Bake until top is no longer liquid (approximately 30 minutes). Mix topping ingredients well and spread evenly on the two cakes. Bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes. Cool cakes completely. Slice each cake into 24 equal squares.

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Olive Garden’s Stuffed Mushrooms

8-12 fresh mushrooms
1 (6 ounce) can clams (drained and finely minced, save 1/4 cup of clam juice for stuffing)
1 green onion, finely minced
1 egg (beaten)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon oregano leaves
1 tablespoon melted butter, cooled
2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon finely grated romano cheese
2 tablespoons finely grated mozzarella cheese (for stuffing)
1/4 cup finely grated mozzarella cheese (for garnish)
1/4 cup melted butter
fresh parsley (for garnish)

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Lightly oil a small baking dish.

Gently wash and stem mushrooms; pat dry (Save stems for another recipe).

Combine clams, onions, garlic salt, minced garlic, butter and oregano in a bowl and mix well.

Add Italian bread crumbs, egg, clam juice, mixing well.

Add Parmesan, Romano, and Mozzarella cheeses to the clam stuffing and mix well.

Place approximately 1 1/2 teaspoons of the clam stuffing mixture inside mushroom cavity and slightly mound (You should be able to stuff between 8- 12 mushrooms depending on the size of mushrooms).

Place the stuffed mushrooms in slightly oiled baking dish and pour 1/4 cup melted butter over the top of the mushrooms.

Cover and place in oven for about 35- 40 minutes.

Remove cover; sprinkle the 1/4 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese on top and pop back in oven just so the cheese melts slightly.

Garnish with freshly diced parsley.

Serve hot.

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Olive Garden’s Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip

2 (8 ounce) packages light cream cheese
1 (8 ounce) package parmesan cheese, Grated
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
2 cans small artichokes (chop finely)
1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon marjoram
red peppers, Crushed

Mix all ingredients together and place under a broiler until the dip browns, and is hot and bubbly.

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Salmon Rangoon

8 ounces canned salmon, flaked
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons teriyaki sauce
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon paprika, or to taste
1 green onion (spring onion, scallion) washed and finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 package wonton wrappers
4 cups oil for deep-frying, as needed

Combine the salmon and cream cheese. Mix in the remaining filling ingredients (up to the wonton wrappers) one at a time.

On a flat surface, lay out a wonton wrapper in front of you so that it forms a diamond shape. Wet the edges of the wonton.

Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of filling to the middle, and spread it out toward the left and right points of the diamond so that it forms a log or rectangular shape (otherwise the wrapper may break in the middle during deep-frying). Don’t spread the filling right to the edge of the wrapper. Wet the top 2 edges of the diamond, fold over to make a triangle, and press together to seal.

Keep the completed Salmon Rangoon covered with a damp towel or paper towel to keep them from drying out while preparing the remainder.

Heat wok and add oil for deep-frying. When oil is ready (the temperature should be between 360 – 375 degrees), carefully slide in the Salmon Rangoon, taking care not to overcrowd the wok. Deep-fry until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes, turning once.

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

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