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.

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 ?!?!