Ciao Bella!

Delicious and delightful cupcakes. I got the recipe from Yummy mag. If you have very short patience, then don't even attempt to try this. Preparing this recipe involves a lot of patience because pressing the crust into the liner alone is really time-consuming, plus you have to roll each cupcake into the graham cracker crumbs after adding the frosting. However, you won't regret the result. Too yummy to even describe.

Crust:

1 cup crushed graham crackers

t tablespoon melted butter

Cupcake:

3 cups cake flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 bar cream cheese, softened

2 cups white sugar

1 cup oil

1/2 cup strawberry yogurt

3/4 cup buttermilk (I just used Alpine evaporated milk)

5 eggs, separated

1 tsp vanilla

zest of 1 lemon

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 bar cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into chunks

juice of half a lemon

Topping:

1 can strawberry pie filling

1/2 cup crushed graham crackers

1. Line two 3-ounce cupcake pans with cupcake liners.

2. Make the crust: In a bowl, mix butter and grahams. Place a spoonful of the mixture in each liner; press down with fingers. Place in the freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.

3. Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 300 deg F. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

4. Beat the cream cheese at medium speed. Add the sugar. Beat at high speed fro 10 minutes or until smooth.

5. Lower the speed and blend in the oil, yogurt, buttermilk, egg yolks and vanilla. Increase speed for about 5 mins to get a smooth mixture.

6. Lower the speed and gradually mix in the flour mixture. Do not overbeat.

7. In another bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Gently fold it into the cake batter.

8. Take out cupcake pants from the freezer and fill with batter, about three-fourths full. Bake for 20 to 25 mins. Cool cupcakes on a wire rack.

9. Make the frosting: In a mixing bowl, beat powdered sugar and cream cheese on low speed. Increase the speed and add the butter and lemon juice. Beat until smooth. If the consistency is too soft for spreading, chill for at least 30 minutes.

10. Using a flat metal spatula, smear frosting on each cupcake. With a handful of crushed grahams in your hand, gentry roll the sides of the frosted top against your palm. Top with strawberry pie filling.

Makes 30-36 cupcakes for me.

Butterscotch Bars

2 eggs
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1 tbsp. corn syrup
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped cashew nuts

Prepare oven to 350 deg. F. Grease a 13x9x1-inch rectangular pan. Set aside.

Beat eggs until foamy. Add in sugar, vanilla, margarine, and corn syrup. Beat until creamy. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the egg mixture. Blend well. Stir in nuts. Spread batter on prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until top is light brown. Cut into bars while hot.

Makes 24-30 pcs.

Food For the Gods

1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup coarsely chopped pitted dates
1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 cup walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.
2. Grease and line a 13x9x2-inch rectangular pan.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
4. Take 1/2 cup of this mixture and dredge date. Set aside.
5. Cream butter until soft and fluffy. Add granulated and brown sugar and blend well. Add eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition. Fold in the flour mixture and dates into the creamed mixture. Add walnuts; stir to completely blend batter.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes. Lower heat to 300 deg. F and continue baking for 30 to 40 minutes longer.
7. Cool slightly then cut into bars. Individually wrap with a cellophane or colored foil.

Cookie Monster

Picture by my bff Rhoda Avanzado

This is a moist and creamy chocolate cake with natilla filling and bittersweet frosting - a very popular chocolate cake recipe here in Dumaguete City that most cake shops sell. Some would add boiled icing to pipe around the edges or to decorate it.

I'm only posting the ingredients because this is just a one-bowl method type of recipe.

Cake
Sift together:
3 cups cake flour
2 1/2 - 3 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa
1 1/4 tbsps. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 cups milk (or 1/2 cup evaporated milk and 1 1/2 cups water)
1/4 cup butter
1 cup cooking oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs

Chocolate Frosting:
7 tbsps. cocoa
4 1/4 tbsps flour
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp. coffee
1/4 cup butter (optional)

Natilla Filling:
1 can condensed milk
1 cup eggyolks
Dissolve:
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup water

Boiled Icing:
6 pcs. eggwhites
1 1/2 cups refined sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
2 tbsps. glucose
6 tbsps. water

Ma'am Pinky's Fruit Cake

My ND teacher taught us this simple and delicious Fruit Cake recipe. I'm not really a fruit cake fan, but this recipe changed my mind. I only eat fruit cake if I bake it using this recipe. The taste of brandy is not too strong and you can taste more of the cake and less of the brandy, which is actually perfect for me.

Soak in 1/4 cup brandy (Emperador) overnight:
1 cup glazed fruit mix
1 cup raisins

Cake:
1 cup walnuts
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (Anchor)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 tbsps. molasses
8 eggyolks
2 whole eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Sift three (3) times:
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsps. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 cup red cherries
1 tsp.orange extract

Glazing for Fruit Cake:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tsps. brandy

1. Beat or cream butter and brown sugar for 10 minutes.
2. Add molasses and extracts. Blend well.
3. Add egg yolks and whole eggs one at a time.
4. Mix the dry ingredients into the fruit mixture and be sure all fruits and nuts are coated with the flour.
5. Pour the batter into the fruit mixture and mix well with hands.
6. Bake on pans lined with brown paper on medium heat at 250 deg. F.
7. Baking time is 1 to 6 hours, depending on size of baking tins.

Glazing for Fruit Cake:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tsps. brandy

1. Boil sugar and water until 200 deg. F then remove from fire.
2. Add the brandy.
3. Brush on cake.

Note: Wash the raisins with boiling water then rinse with tap water, 3-4 times. Drain before measuring. Soak all the fruits with brandy except the nuts for at least 24 hours.

Layered Potato Bake

Tried this recipe from Yummy mag. It didn't turn out as it should after baking for about 35-40 mins. It was too watery and the potato slices were still too hard despite being sliced too thinly. So we cooked it over the stove for like 10-12 mins and the sauce finally thickened and potatoes has softened. Be careful though, the sauce might burn and stick to the pan. You have to continually stir it.

It was delicious! Can't get enough of it.

Recipe:

Peel and thinly slice 4 medium potatoes. Using a fork, mash half of a Maggie Chicken Bouillon Cube. In a bowl, mix 2/3 cup all purpose cream, 1/2 cup grated cheese, and the mashed chicken cube. In a baking dish, layer potatoes and cream mixture alternately until done. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. F oven for about 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Serves 1 to 2.

I wonder how it would taste with sweet potatoes ?!?!

Favorite Carrot Cake

2 cups white sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsps. baking soda
1 1/2 tsps. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
3 eggs
1 cup dessicated coconut
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup walnuts
1 cup buttermilk

• Sift three times all dry ingredients.
• One-bowl method.
• 350 deg. F for 1 hour.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2-4 cups confectioners' sugar

Moist Brownies (Mrs. Delfin's Recipe)

2 cups butter
2 cups cocoa + 3 tbsps
1 tbsp oil
4 cups sugar
2 tsps vanilla
6 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
nuts

1. Melt 1 butter with cocoa and oil over low heat.
2. Beat 1 cup butter then add sugar and vanilla.
3. Cream well. Add eggs.
4. Add cooled cocoa.
5. Beat well then add flour, salt and nuts.
6. Bake for 45 minutes.

Black Forest

I've tried this recipe a couple of times and it can do without the Chocolate Filling. However, the walnuts in the filling do add some crunch into it. So it really depends - if you love nuts then put in the Chocolate Filling.

Cake:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 tsps. baking soda
3/4 cup margarine/butter
4 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsps. vanilla
4 eggs

Syrup:
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
3 tbsps. Kirsch or brandy

Chocolate Filling:
2 100-gm bars milk chocolate
3/4 cup butter
3 tbsps. confectioners' sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream Filling:
2 250-gm packs whipping cream
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
Maraschino cherries

1 100-gm bar milk chocolate for decoration

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.
2. Grease and line four 9-inch round layer pans. Set aside.
3. Combine the first 8 ingredients in a mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes.
4. Add eggs one at a time beating continually until completely blended.
5. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Cool slightly then remove from pans; transfer onto wire racks and cool thoroughly.
7. In a small saucepan, prepare syrup by blending sugar and water together. Bring to a boil. Lower flame and simmer for 1 minute.
8. Remove from fire and stir in Kirsch or brandy. Set aside.
9. Prepare Chocolate Filling: Melt two bars chocolate over double boiler. Cool. Cream butter; beat in melted chocolate; add confectioners' sugar; continue beating until smooth. Stir in nuts.
10. Beat whipping cream until thick. Gradually add confectioners' sugar and continue beating until smooth and fluffy. Set aside.
11. To Assemble: Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Brush top of cake with syrup. Spread half of the chocolate filling. Sprinkle some nuts. Top with another layer of cake, again brush top with syrup.
12. Spread half of the cream filling. Sprinkle with more nuts and some cherry slices. Repeat procedure for the last two cake layers. Cover the top and sides of the cake and the remaining cream.
13. Decorate with chocolate curls and cherries. Chill until ready to serve.

Custard Cake With Macapuno

A proven and tested recipe.

Caramel:
1 cup sugar
1 cup sweetened macapuno

Custard:
1 big can evaporated milk
8 eggyolks
1 can condensed milk

Cake:
3 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
6 eggyolks
3/4 cup water
1 1/4 cups eggwhites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
3/4 cup sugar

1. Caramelize sugar in two 9x9-inch baking pans.
2. Arrange sweetened macapuno in the pans. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 325 deg F.
4. Combine the ingredients for custard in a mixing bowl and stir.
5. Divide mixture into two and pour into the prepared pans by passing through a strainer. Set aside.
6. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add oil, eggyolks and water. Stir with a wire whip until smooth. Set aside.
7. Beat eggwhites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add sugar gradually and beat until stiff. Fold in eggyolk mixture into the beaten eggwhites.
8. Divide batter into two and pour over custard mixture in the two pans; do not stir.
9. Place each pan in a bigger pan 1/4 filled with water (baine marie).
10. Bake for about 1 hour or until done. Slightly cool.
11. Run a knife continuously along inner sides of pan and invert pan onto serving platter.

Serves 16-20 per cake

Mango Cream Cake

I misplaced the instructions for this recipe. What I found was just the ingredients. When I make this, I figure out how to prepare it which is fine because the cake is prepared like Chiffon Cake, and the rest are easy to figure out. Anyway, it can be determined just by looking at the ingredients.

Cake:
6 eggs, separated
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup sugar

Mango Filling:
3-4 pcs. ripe mango, sliced crosswise into 1/4" strips
1/4 cup mango jam
2 tbsps. light syrup

Mango Frosting:
1 tbsp. unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup water
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup mango ice cream

Topping:
1 tbsp. kalamansi or lemon juice
3 ripe mangoes, sliced crosswise into 1/4" strips
1/4 cup shredded white gulaman
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup mango juice
1 1/4 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in
1 tbsp. water
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Lasagna

This recipe is also from my SUND days. I learned a lot of good recipes from my teachers in Silliman U.

Tomato Meat Sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2/3 cup onion, chopped
1/2 kilo beef round, ground
200 gm ground pork
4-6 tbsps. white wine
2 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1-2 cups beef broth or hot water
1 cup tomato sauce

Heat olive oil and butter. Brown the garlic, add the onions. Cook gently until soft. Put in the ground beef, ground pork, wine and spices. Allow to cook for a while then pour in the beef broth and tomato sauce. Simmer gently for 1 hour or until thick. Set aside. A little flour may be added to thicken the sauce. Prepare the Bechamel Sauce.

Bechamel Sauce:
1 cup butter
2/3 cups flour
3 cups hot water
3 cups evaporated milk
2 tsps. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cups grated cheese

Melt butter in a pan. Blend in flour, gradually stir in hot water and milk. Cook until bubbly. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Boil 6 cups water with 2 teaspoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Drop in pasta verde (about 6 pieces at a time). Bring back water to a rolling boil before dropping more pasta. Plunge pasta in cold water when cooked. Dry on a towel. Grease a Pyrex dish with butter. Pour about 1/3 of the Bechamel Sauce. Arrange a layer of pasta. Spoon in Tomato Meat Sauce and sprinkle generously with cheese. Repeat. Bake at 350 degrees F until top is golden brown. Let stand about 5-10 minutes to set layers. Serve.

Langkasoy Tarts

I got this recipe from my undergrad (nutrition and dietetic) days. It's a really delicious recipe with its not-too-sweet filling and flaky crust. But you just have to be careful not to over-knead the dough or else the crust will be rubbery. Ideally, it should be flaky.

Filling:
1/2 cup + 2 tbsps. brown sugar
3 tbsps. water
1/3 cup chopped langka
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup + 2 tbsps. condensed milk
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour dissolved in
2 tbsps. water
3 eggyolks
1/3 cup chopped cashew nuts

Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk

Boil water, sugar, water, langka and butter. Add milk. Boil until thick. Add dissolved flour, eggyolks and cashew nuts. Cook until of spreading consistency. Cool.

In a bowl, sift together flour, sugar and salt. Cut shortening and butter until mealy. Add enough milk to bind the dough. If dough is dry, add some water.

Divide dough into balls then pass to fit sides and bottom of the tart molds. pre-bake at 375 deg F for 5-10 minutes. Put 2 teaspoons of filling on every crust. Return to oven and bake until set.

Cool then wrap in cellophane.