My first attempt at making my own cappuccino ;D

DON'T FORGET - as in DON'T FORGET to grind your coffee beans. I forgot to and the result (and feeling of stupidity) was too funny to even describe.

hmmmmmmmm...the smell of freshly ground coffee is just indescribable!!

of course, don't forget to pack it into the "thing" (bleh...don't even know what this is called).

can't wait...

come on!! froth already! it just took eons for the cream to froth. i have to call my brother to ask if i was doing it correctly.

finally!! It was exhausting but at least I made it myself. So I have to savor every drop of it. lol

Vanilla Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting

I will definitely try this out

Melting Moments

Here's another melt-in-your-mouth cookie recipe that I got from joyofbaking.com. You won't regret making and eating this really yummy treat. It's so easy to make, actually.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch (corn flour)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup Confectioners' sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Topping:

Confectioners' sugar, sifted

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least one hour or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350degF (177degC) and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

When dough is firm, form into 1-inch (2.54cm) balls and place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake for about 12-14 minutes or until the edges of the cookies start to brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, line another baking pan or tray with parchment or wax paper. Sprinkle about half of the confectioners' sugar onto the bottom of the pan and then place the slightly cooled cookies on top of the sugar. Put the remaining sugar in a fine strainer or sieve and then sprinkle the tops of the cookies (or you can just roll the cookies in the sugar.

These cookies store very well. Place in an airtight container between sheets of wax paper and they will keep a couple of weeks.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Apple Coffee Cake

I will create a label for recipes I wanna try, and this would be the first on my list. I saw this recipe from simplyrecipes.com.

I tried another Apple Coffee Cake recipe from momswhothink.com before. It was a very good recipe, but unfortunately I lost my copy. I went back to momswhothink to copy the recipe coz I was planning to bake that again. I was looking for it for almost an hour and I simply can't find it. It's very disappointing because that was a really tasty recipe. So I decided to find another same recipe, and found this instead. I just hope this will be as delicious as the first one that I've tried. Hopefully, I'll get to try this by April. : ) I can't wait!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup whole milk
1 medium Cortland or other baking apple, peeled and sliced

1. Set the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish with or pie pan a 4-cup capacity.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a bowl, combine 1/3 a cup of the sugar with the cinnamon, set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter with the remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Beat in the egg until blended. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk, beating until just combined.
5. Spread half the batter in the baking dish. Lay the apple slices on the batter so they just cover the batter (you may have to overlap some slices). Sprinkle the apples with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Spread the rest of the batter over the apples. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar on top.
6. Bake the cake for 25 minutes or until it is golden brown and apples start to bubble at the edges.

Serves 6

Chocolate Crinkles

Chocolate Crinkles is the ultimate chocolate cookie recipe for me. Oozing with gooey-ness and yumminess. The ideal chocolate crinkle is a little chunky on the outside, but very soft inside that it would practically melt in your mouth. Heavenly!!

I got this recipe from a Maya recipe book and after one try, I've been using and sharing this recipe like forever. No other recipe beats this.

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 1/4 cups cocoa powder

2 tsps vanilla

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350degF. Prepare baking sheets.

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients until well-blended. Form the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in Confectioners' sugar then put them on the baking sheets. Bake until cookie cracks on top. Center should still be soft.

Makes 3 dozens.

Cookie recipes I ♥ from my undergraduate days

Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe - pic by my bff Rhoda Avanzado-Phillips

Here are two proven and tested cookie recipes that was taught by my ND teacher. This is my ultimate favorite recipe of oatmeal cookies. The chocolate chip cookies are also delicious. I usually bake this for Christmas to give to family and close friends.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

(Mrs. Field's Recipe)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup salted butter, softened

2 large eggs

2 tsps vanila extract

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 300degF.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda and salt. Mix well with a wire whisk.
• In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, blend sugars at a medium speed. Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add eggs and vanilla extract, and mix at a medium speed until just blended. Do not overmix.
• Add the flour mixture and chocolate chips, and blend at low speed until just mixed. Do not overmix.
• Add the flour mixture and chocolate chips, and blend at low speed until just mixed. Do not overmix.
• Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer cookies immediately to a cool surface with a spatula.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozens.

OATMEAL COOKIES

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup refined sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup oats

1/2 cup chopped cashew nuts

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces

• Sift flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• Cream butter with sugar. Add the egg then mix thoroughly until well-blended.
• Add the flour mixture then the oats, nuts and chocolate pieces.
• Drop into oiled cookie sheet by teaspoon. Bake at 375degF for 20 minutes.

Leche Flan

This recipe has been in our family for as long as I can remember. I learned this from my mother and aunt.

Flan:

8 eggyolks

1 can condensed milk

1 big can evaporated milk

1 tsp vanilla

Syrup:

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water

Mix together all the ingredients for the flan and pass through a sieve for a smoother consistency.

Cook the sugar and water and let it boil for 5-10 minutes. Then let it cool down a bit.

Pour the syrup mixture in a molder then slowly pour the custard mixture on top. Make sure that the molder has a cover.

Steam this for about 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the custard comes out clean.

Chocolate Pudding

This recipe brings out memories of childhood. When me and my brother would hover over the stove while my mother cooks this for us. We would be fighting over who would get to have the laddle to lick off the pudding (coated all over).

1/4 cup cocoa, unsweetened

1 cup sugar

3 cups milk

1/2 cup all purpose flour

pinch of salt

• Put all ingredients in a saucepan.
• Cook over low heat stirring all the time until thick.
• Pour into molders to set.
• Spoon grated buko on top or eat as it is.
• Makes 6-8 servings

Angel Cake

My mom taught me this recipe way back when I was still in high school. It's been my personal favorite because with Angel Cake, you can never go wrong. It still tastes yummy by itself. Very light and fluffy. You don't have to put frosting or icing on it to make it more tasty. Actually, when I think about it, I can't really identify any frosting that would go well with it. I guess it's better off without any.

This cake only uses the egg whites of the egg. And since I don't want to waste the eggyolks (it uses around 8-10 eggs depending on the size), then I make the eggyolks into Leche Flan (Custard) which also uses around that much egg yolks. So it's still a win-win for me. : )

1 1/4 cups cake flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups egg whites

1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp almond extract

1 1/4 cups sugar

Combine flour and 1/2 cup sugar and sift together three times. Beat egg whites, flavoring and salt until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat until egg white form stiff peaks, but not dry. Add sugar 2 tablespoons at a time until sugar is well-blended. After last addition, beat until meringue is firm and holds stiff, straight peaks.

Place flour and sugar mixture in a sifter and sift about 4 tablespoons at a time over the entire surface of the meringue. Fold gently until blended. Push batter into an ungreased angel cake pan, careful not to stir it. Cut through the batter with a knife to break air bubbles.

Bake for 30-40 minutes in medium heat.

Mrs. Delfin's Best-selling Tarts

Still another recipe that I learned during my undergraduate days. This was shared by Mrs. Pinky Delfin who I consider as my mentor in baking. I didn't realize how flavorful raisins and walnuts are when mixed until I tried this.

Pastry:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Mix all the ingredients together. Divide into 24 small balls. Press individually into small muffin cups.

Filling:

3 tbsps. butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

Stir in:

1 egg, beaten

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped seedless raisins

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Put 1 scant tablespoon into each cup. Bake for 20 minutes.

Chocolate Cupcakes

This is another recipe that I've tried from Yummy Mag. It has always been a favorite among my friends and co-workers when I bring this to office activities and other gatherings.

The recipe said that Prep Time is only 15 minutes. After trying this out for a couple of times, it usually takes about 25-35 mins of prep time for me. Cook time is approximately 20 mins. And it makes around 24-30 cupcakes.

The original recipe is actually called Belgian Chocolate Cupcakes since it uses Belgian Chocolate. Since I can't find Belgian Chocolate anywhere in Dumaguete, I have to settle for normal bittersweet chocolate. But it's still yummy anyways, so I don't mind.

1/2 cup butter, melted

100 grams bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk

• In a small pan, melt butter. Stir in chopped chocolate and whisk until blended. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
• In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
• Add eggs slowly and beat until creamy. Stir in cocoa powder and vanilla.
• Add melted chocolate.
• Combine dry ingredients and stir into creamed mixture alternatively with milk.
• Beat until smooth (about 1 minute) then scoop into paper-lined muffin pans.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Cool before frosting.

For the chocolate ganache:

2 cups cream

400 grams bittersweet chocolate, chopped

• Put cream in a pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in chopped chocolate.
• Whisk until smooth.
• Cool until thick and use to frost cupcakes.

Only the best agents get the pizza ♥

Pizza meeting with Shenna, Jakeboi and Kay yesterday, Feb. 23, 2011. They won the number of research for the month of January. We had our goal setting for March and strategy planning as well.

We had pizza, chips and soda - unhealthy but soooo00 satisfying. Thus, no regrets! ♥

Buco Pie (2 crusts)

Basic Pie Crust

1 cup flour

1/3 cup shortening

2-3 tbsps. tap water

1/2 tsp salt

Add softened shortening, water and salt to 2 tbsps. of the measured flour. Stir with fork to form a paste. Add the rest of the flour and stir with a fork until just blended. This forms a barely moistened dough.

Gather the dough into a ball by placing on a sheet of waxpaper. Place a second piece of waxpaper on top of the dough and flatten with a rolling pin. To roll, always start from the center of the mound of pie dough, flattening dough in four directions to keep the shape to fit the pan.

To transfer pie crust dough to pie pan, lift off the top piece of waxpaper and fit the sheeted dough onto the pie pan; press to the bottom and sides of the pan so as to fit the dough snugly.

Filling:

2 cups coconut meat, in slivers

3/4 cup refined sugar

1/2 cup coconut water

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1/3 cup cornstarch

Blend ingredients together. Cook and stir continuously until thick. Pour in a pastry-lined pan. Top with the second crust. Brush with milk. Bake at 400 deg. F until brown. Serve cold.