Apple Spice Bundt Cake and Thanksgiving

Marx foods Mystery Box

Red, Yellow, Red, and Blue?

I’m know to procrastinate on multiple things in life like cleaning, deciding what to cook for dinner, and making decisions.  I try not to with any food challenge i participate.  The key word is “try” because i tend to brain storm for most of the month, debate when is a good time to get the ingredients, than loaf around until I’m motivated.  I actually got stuck with this challenge.  Ray of Work with Ray, Oggi of I Can do That, and Chef Theodore of Chef by Day, and Boyet of Reel and Grill picked a very unique twist.  A dish must contain blue, yellow, white, and red.  We had to use a natural food color which was not easy to figure out what to do.  I even made my own blue dye out of red cabbage.  I had no idea what to do with it and I don’t think anybody would appreciate a Puto (rice cake) with a hint of cabbage.   It took the the whole month to finally decide what to do.  Want to hear what i came up with?   Pianono filled with blueberries, strawberries, cool whip (sorry i had 3 tubs in the freezer and i was in need of using it) and mango.  I used my pianono recipe from a past post.  The Daughter has been bugging for a cake for a week now so why not kill two birds with one stone.  She did look for a birthday candle because she thinks every week is her birthday.  I have no idea why,  she is probably wanting stuff.

One of those Days–Maybe week

Farmers Market, much needed Chocolate, Book Review, and even a Recipe

Happy Birthday Mom!

Saturday was  The Mother’s Birthday.  She turned the big 6-0!  Initially, we were suppose to fly out to California but instead we threw a party here.  Instead of having the party at my house, we went with a restaurant.  I couldn’t have a party and not make something.  We (meaning The Mother) wanted something edible.  At first we were going to do mini sumans (sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves) but The Mother had other ideas.  We couldn’t decide on one kind but instead we made three different favors.  I even found mini steamers and I also had extra mini Chinese take-out containers from my wedding (and that was 3 years ago).  I made chocolate-mocha  and san rival flavor macarons.  The Mother made food of the gods.  For those that doesn’t know food of the gods, it is kinda like a fruit cake bar but with just dates and walnuts.  We also made cassava suman instead of the rice version.  I actually ran out of glutinous rice so we made do with the cassava I picked up. 

2nd Annual Blogger Bake Sale

Canonigo–A deconstructive Braso de Mercedes

Cotton Soft Japanese Cheesecake and Another Wonderful Cause

Tea Party for a Cause

Lets takeover the top 9!  Foodbuzz and Kelly Ripa is challenge each of us to have a tea party for Ovarian awareness.  For each tea party posted, Foodbuzz will donate 50 dollars to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.  Come and visit Kelly’s Website to help support the cause. 
It took me a couple of days to figure out what I wanted to make.  I had so many ideas but I decided to do an Asian inspired tea party.  It was mainly because I had the ingredients and I had some of the dishes partially made.  I also took this opportunity to practice my croissant recipe. 

Monkey Bread and some Recognition

Kulinarya February–Pineapple Upside Down Cake and Chocolate Pan de Sal

This month theme is Aphrodisiac Filipino Food in the celebration of Valentine’s Day.  Our lovely host is Pia.  I was difficult for me to figure out what to make.  I wanted to make something with seafood but a few people (The daughter) is allergic and another (The Husband) just won’t eat it.  I settled for making a dessert. 

Plain Cheesecake

 

 

I have a very strong sweet tooth.  If I had the choice, I would pick dessert over having a regular meal.  But there is one dish, I’m just not a fan of.  Probably because all the cheesecakes I had was a little too thick for me.  I like a light, fluffy cake.  I figured I would try it again but I found a technique of separating the eggs instead of putting whole eggs into the batter.  It made the cake softer and lighter.  This is now my go-to recipe. 

Plain Cheesecake

Crust

2 Cups of Crushed Graham Crackers

1/4 – 1/2 Cup of Melted Butter

4 Tsp of Sugar

* If desired – add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg

Filling

24 oz of Cream Cheese

1 Cup of Sugar

6 Eggs Separated

2 Cups of Sour Cream

1 Tbs of Vanilla

3-4 Tb of Flour

Direction

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
2. First make the crust by placing the graham crackers, sugar, and if you would any additives into a food process.  Pulsate the mix until it is well incorporated. 
3. Slowly add the butter until it becomes moist and you are able to pinch the crumbs together and it sticks.  Don’t make it too sticky.
4. Take this mixture and press it into a prepared spring form pan.  I actually made bars instead so I used a deep baking pan. 
5. Bake the crust for about 15-20 minutes until it becomes stiff.
6. While it is baking, start mixing the filling. 
7. Mix together the sugar and egg yolks until becomes fluffy using a medium speed.  slowly add the cream cheese.
8. Once that is fully incorporated, add the sour cream and vanilla.  Set aside.
9. Place the egg whites into another bowl, start whipping until it has reached soft peaks.
10. Slowly fold in the egg whites and flour into the egg-cream cheese mixture.
11. Once it is fully incorporated, pour into the cooked graham cracker crust and bake for 40-50 minutes until it is set.
12. Let it cool than Serve. 

*Fruit would go really well with this. 

Pantry Clean Out Challenge Week 4

I know I have been slacking on my self-inflicted challenge but it has been an insane couple of weeks.  Let's recap on our last episode, I am currently up 4 points.  For this challenge, I actually have extra weeks to work on these ingredients but I did not use all the ingredients.  

Week 3 ingredients:

Dried Figs - I did make fig jam +1
Semolina Flour - I did not use it -1

Whole wheat spaghetti - I made spaghetti with my version of eggplant parm+1
Coconut - Coconut sponge cake with a mango mouse +1
Imitation cream cheese - I cheated and used this for a cream cheese frosting +1

Total: +7

Week 4 Ingredients
Semolina Flour
Can of Cranberries
Vienna Sausage (we always have a stock of this stuff)
Tempura Batter
Chocolate Chips

Spaghetti with meatballs and eggplant parm

Coconut sponge cake with mango mousse

Week 3 Pantry Clean out Challenge and A Misadventure at the same time.

 

 

Another week, another week to attempt to reduce the amount of stuff I stored in my pantry.  This week I actually got a chance to cook everything....I WIN!  I was good and actually planned out what I was going to make instead of just winging it (like normal :D).  Thank you for the kind words from my last failed attempt.  It got me motivated to try to clean out the pantry.  I even was able to use a few other stuff I had stored away :D.  I also used one of the ingredients twice.  Good for me :D 

 

Here is my working ingredients

Dried Apricots - Cookies (Misadventure)

Corn Flour - Cake and Cookies (Misadventure)

Ginger Bread Cookie mix - Cookies for The Daughter

Chickpea - Mexican Stew

White Chocolate Chips - I actually didn't have any in the house so I used semisweet - Cookies (Misadventure)

At the start of the week -4

Dried Apricots, Corn Flour, Chocolate Chips - + 5

Corn Flour - +1 (I added another point since I used it twice)

Ginger Bread - +1

Chickpea - + 1

End of the week +4

 

Week 4 Ingredients

Dried Figs

Semolina Flour

Whole wheat spaghetti (I have 4 packages.....4!)

Coconut (I believe I have a whole tree my pantry.  I have no idea where all of them came from either)

Imitation cream cheese (Let's just say, I was making a lot of cheesecake and for some reason I got the wrong one, OK like 24 boxes of the wrong kind.  Did you know groceries won't let you return them after you bought them 10 minutes prior)

 

These are my ingredients and hopefully I'm sticking to it. 

 

 

Here are some pics and maybe a recipe on what I make :D

The Daughter Making Ginger Bread cookies with The Husband

 

 I actually made homemade Marshmallow Fondant that I got from Cake Journal.  You will never go back to regular fondant! 

 

I made a Victoria Sponge cake created by Nigella Lawson that was shared by Tomayto Tomaaahto.

Could you figure out what I'm trying to make? 

 

It is Rocket from Little Einstein.  I totally have to improve on my free hand work.  The Husband even helped me put it on the cake (That was not a pretty sight).  But it was a great attempt for my first time carving :D.

 

Here is my Misadventure!  Cookies are not my Enemy!  I can't get it right no matter what I do.  I don't get it.  Any suggestions?

 

I just stuck it in here because I thought it was a cute picture :D 

Guava Bundt Cake (+1 Point)

As part of my Pantry Clean-up Challenge, I figured I'll start calling it this.  I had a whole block of guava paste that is in dire need of being cooked.  I searched so many recipes and I settled on a guava bundt cake from a Hawaiian education website. 

 

Guava Bundt Cake

(Adapted from The University of Hawaii System)

Ingredients

1 1/2 Stick of Butter

1 Cup of Sugar

2 Cups of Flour

2 Eggs

1 Tsp of Baking Powder

1 Tsp of Vanilla Extract

8-10 Oz of Guava Paste

*Pinch of Salt (my add)

 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven at 350 F.
2. Take the butter and start creaming it in the mixer.  Slowly add the sugar a little at a time.
3. Once that is fully incorporated, add the eggs one at a time than the vanilla.
4. Shift the flour, baking powder, and salt into the wet ingredients.
5. Microwave the paste for a minute or two to soften.  Add the paste to the mixture.  (The original recipe stated to put slices of the paste in the middle of the cake but I preferred if it was mixed through out.)
6. There may be chunks but that is OK.  Pour the mixture into a prepared bundt pan.
7. Cook for 45-60 minutes or until the cake is fully cooked. 
8. Slice and Serve :D

 

 

 

*PS I realized I was suppose to use corn flour and not corn meal this week so I'm -1 for the pizza.

I Scream for Ice Cream....Cake

Growing up, I was always lucky enough to have huge birthday parties.  The brother wasn't always lucky due to our allergies.  But one constant we did for The Brother was to have an Ice Cream Cake.  Since he was here from California I figured I'll make him one.  It allowed me to use my chocolate chips (+1 point).  So I made a chocolate-peppermint (I ran out of mint extract) ice cream on a olive oil cake with cookie crumbs.  Through when I was uploading my pictures from my camera, I realized, I didn't take a picture of the cake.  The cake was in a shape of a cowboy cake so I copied one from my friend's pictures from the party. 

 

I used a wonderful recipe from Fork Spoon Knife for her Chocolate Olive oil cake. 

Ingredients

1-2/3 cup flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup good chocolate pieces (I just used regular semi-sweet)

1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs, room temperature

1/2 tsp salt

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup hot water

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Sift together the dry ingredients into a small bowl
3. Melt the cocoa and chocolate in the hot water and set aside to cool for a bit.
4. Add oil to the melted chocolate, make sure it is fully incorporated.
5. Add the vanilla extract and eggs and whisk well until it thickens.
6. Add the wet mixture to the dry slowly, beating well to incorporate.
7. Pour into prepared cake pan (I larger pan than suggested so it was actually not as thick) 
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cake is fully cooked.
9. Place the cake in the refrigerator to be cool enough for the ice cream.

 

Peppermint Ice Cream

(I adapted this from Brown Eye Baker)

 

Ingredients

2 Cups of Heavy cream, divided

1 1/2 Cups of Whole Milk

3/4 Cup of Sugar

A pinch of salt

4 Egg Yolks

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla extract

1 1/2 Teaspoon of mint extract (I used peppermint)

3 Drops of Green Food Coloring

1/2 Cup of Chocolate Chips (I like Chocolate so I used a whole bag about 8 oz)

 

Directions

1. Warm only 1 cup of the heavy cream, the milk and sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan.  Make sure the heat is at medium-low and stir occasionally.
2. Take the other cup of the heavy cream and place it in a large bowl.  Set a mesh strainer over the bowl. 
3. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks and than slowly pour a little of the warm milk mixture into the bowl to temper the eggs. 
4. Once the eggs were warmed up, add it back into the saucepan.
5. Continue the cook the mixture at a medium heat while continually stirring the pot. 
6. Once the mixture thickens, pour the mixture through the strainer with the other cup of cream. 
7. Fully incorporate the mixture and the cream. 
8. Add the extracts and the food dye.
9. Chill the ice cream fully in the refrigerator (I had to do this twice because the first time it was too warm).  I would say let it sit over night.
10. Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker. Let it run.

     

Assembly

1 Sleeve of Oreos (Crushed)

 

Directions

1. Take the a pan about 8x13 and line it with wax paper or saran wrap so it it will be eaiser to life the cake.
2. Smooth out the ice cream on the bottom.  ( I start with ice cream first)
3. Spread the cookie crumbs on the top.
4. Place the cake over the crumbs and press down to make sure it sticks.
5. Freeze night.
6. You should be able to life the lining to release the cake.
7. Decorate how you would like.  I used a chocolate ganache instead of using whipped cream. 

This is how I carved it.  BTW IT was quite hard :D

 

If you could see the cake :D  It is a cowboy boot.  The Brother wore them all the time as a child.  Those are my little nieces and my Kid Brother.

 

All the cake was gone within a 1/2 an hour.  I was able to take a picture before the last piece was gone.

I had to stick one picture of The Daughter.  She ate all of Daddy's piece.  BTW there is only pictures of my child eating since that is all she does.

Blueberry Sugar Muffins

I can't seem to get enough of the sugar donut muffin.  This is my their attempt at them and they came out much better.  It turned out more muffin like instead of a donut but it ws as good.  I was actually in California when I made them.  This is how maybe more posts I have to do :D.  It was more dense than my initial batch.  Mainly the kids was eating it.  The Mother just looked at me weird when I made it.  Obviously, she is not a donut person. 

 

Blueberry Sugar Muffins

(influenced by Baking Bites)

3/4 Cup of Sugar

1 Egg

1 1/2 Cups of Flour (All purpose)

2 Tsp Baking Powder

1/4 Tsp Salt

1/4 Cup of Vegetable Oil

1 Cup Milk

1 Tsp of Vanilla Extract

2 Tbsp of Melted Butter

1/2 Cup of Dried or Fresh Blueberries (I used Dried)

Sugar for Rolling

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a large bowl, beat together sugar and egg until light in color.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt. Pour into egg mixture and stir to combine. Pour in vegetable oil, milk, vanilla extract and blueberries
4. Divide batter evenly into 12 muffin cups lightly greased, filling each about 3/4 full.
5. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. While muffins are baking, melt butter and pour remaining sugar into a small bowl.
7. When muffins are done, lightly brush the top of each with some melted butter, remove from the pan and roll in sugar. Cool on a wire rack.

  

 

Pianono

When I was younger, there was this wonderful Filipino bakery.  Unfortunately, it closed around the time I graduated from high school (oh the memories).  One of the pastries we would always get is the Pianono.  This is a jelly roll filled with a custard cream and sprinkled with sugar.  It has always reminded me of a pancake.  I don't know why either, I have weird association to food and music.  There are many versions of this recipe.  I am still experimenting with my variation but I stumbled upon Kusina ni Manang version.  I liked how she used simple ingredients and the outcome was very similar to the one I had as a child. 

Yield: 1 Servings
Ingredients

    6 Eggs Separated
    6 Tbl Sugar
    6 Tbl Sifted flour

    Cream of Tartar

 

Directions

1. First beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until it is stiff. 
2. Than slowly add the sugar a tablespoon at a time.
3. Beat the egg yolks and than add them to the egg whites at a low speed.
4. When it is completely Incorporated, remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the flour, a tablespoon at a time.
5. Pour into a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper. 
6. Bake for 15 minutes at 400F.
7. Let the cake cool and place it on a cloth (I used a towel covered in sugar) or parchment paper. 
8. Remove the original paper lining.
9. Spread your favorite custard or jam frosting over cake and roll.

Mocha Roll

One of The Mother's most popular request was her mocha roll.   It is pretty much a coffee flavored Swiss roll.  The filling was a butter cream.  You could use any butter cream you would like.  Just use instant coffee to flavor it.  The beauty of this cake was how light it was and super soft.  Personally, I'm not a fan of the American butter cream that uses powder sugar but this version isn't too bad. 

Ingredients

1 Cup Sifted of All-Purpose or Cake Flour

1 Cup Sugar

1/4 Tsp Salt

3/4 Tsp Baking Powder

1/4 Tsp Baking Soda

6 Egg Separated

2 Tsp Instant Coffee Melt in 1/2 Cup of Milk

1/4 Cup of Milk

1/4 Tsp Cream of Tarter

 

Directions

1. Mix together the dry ingredients: Flour, Salt Baking powder, Baking Soda, and only 1/2 Cup Sugar
2. In a separate bowl, mix the 6 egg yolks, the coffee mixture, and the remainder of milk.  This could be done by hand or by a mixer.
3. Add the dry ingredients with the egg/coffee mixture and than set aside.
4. In a different bowl, whisk the 6 egg whites with the cream of tarter until it because fluffy with stiff peaks. 
5. Add the remainder of sugar slowly until it is completely incorporated.
6. Gentle fold in the other mixture until it is completely Incorporated. 
7. Pour the mixture into a greased lined jelly pan.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until it is brown. 
9. While that is making, make the filling and prep the counter for rolling. 
1. Rolling: Take a towel and sprinkle sugar until it is the size of the cake.
2. Follow the directions below for the filling.
10. Take the cooked cake and place the cake over the sugar area on the towel, bottom side up.
11. Remove any wax or parchment paper if used.
12. Spread the filling throughout the cake.
13. Slowly but tightly roll the cake using the edges of the towel.
14. Trim off the ends.

 

Filling

Ingredients:

1/2 lb of butter

1/2-1 cup of powder sugar

2 Tsp of Instant Coffee dissolved in 1/4 cup of water.

 

Direction

1. Cream the butter in the mixer at a medium speed.
2. While the mixer is still running, slowly add the powder sugar, 1/4 cup at a time.
3. Than add the coffee mixture.
4. Continue to mix the items until it is fully incorporated and has a fluffy texture.