Crepes

With this basic recipe you can make different variants of crepes.

My favorite is a simple one which I got to taste in Pier 39 Fisherman's Wharf, SF in a quaint crepe store. It only had melted Ghirardelli (since it is located just across the wharf) chocolate chips filling with a dallop of whipped cream on top. I made one and the photo is below.

** sweetened whipped  cream and sliced fresh fruits such as strawberries, kiwis, peaches

**nutella and sliced bananas

**melted chocolate chips

**and many more just let your creative juice flow

*** I used a crepe pan but you can substitute a teflon or non stick pan the size around 7 inches

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 whole eggs
1 cup fresh milk
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients in a blender or in a bowl with a wire whisk. Strain to remove lumps. Pour a little, approximately 1/4 cup of the batter into a slightly greased non-stick teflon pan. Swirl the batter on the pan to cover the whole bottom
Cook until the bottom of the crepe when you take a peek has golden brown blotches before you flip it over and cook the other side.

Makes approximately 14 (7 inch crepes).

**with melted chocolate chips as filling  and a dallop of sweetened whipped cream on top

**nutella and sliced bananas

 

Coconut Cupcakes

A subtle flavor of coconut in a cupcake. A taste of the East.

Best with coffee or tea.

3 cups cake flour, sifted

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature

2 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup coconut milk

8 large egg whites

1 1/4 cup shredded coconut

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line 2  standard size (12 cups) muffin/cupcake pans with cupcake paper liners. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter and 2 cups of sugar until light and fluffy , 4 to 5 minutes, using the paddle of an electric mixer  or just the beaters of a regular mixer. Stop to scrape sides of bowl. Beat in vanilla. With mixer at low speed, add  the flour, baking powder and salt (dry ingredients) in 3 parts, alternating with coconut milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat until well blended.

Transfer the mixture into a big bowl and set aside.

In another bowl, with  whisk at high speed, beat egg whites until thick but not dry. Add the 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff and glossy peaks form about 4 minutes.

Gently fold a third of the whipped egg white into the batter until combined. Gently fold in remaining whipped egg whites. Stir in shredded coconut.

Scoop batter into prepared muffin pans.Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until cupacakes are golden brown and cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.

Chocolate Crinkles

This is an easy cookie recipe that you can do with your kids, nephews, nieces, their playmates. You don't need an electric mixer.

You can also wrap them in artful packaging and sell or give way on Christmas.

This cookie is crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside.

I used to sell this when i was working in the bank.

I remember Eric, my office mate's son. Every time his mom would mention my name, he remembered the chocolate crinkles his mom used to buy from me. And he said it is the best :-).

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 large eggs

2 cups all- purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

**For beginners - melt the chocolate squares over double boiler. Set aside to cool.

With a baking spoon or wire whisk, mix the sugar, oil, melted chocolate, vanilla. Add in eggs one at a time. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until well blended. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Grease cookie sheets.

When dough is kinda firm and easy to handle, scoop a teaspoon of the dough and roll into a ball. Roll into the powdered sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on the greased cookie sheets. Flatten dough. Bake them immediately. Put the rest of the dough back to the refrigerator while waiting for the cookies to bake (if cannot be baked at one time). Bring it out to bake the next batch. 

Bake until the surface of the cookies have cracked, around 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets and transfer to cookie/cake racks to cool.

Leche Flan Cake

This recipe is challenging compared to the other recipes I have already posted, so i have uploaded photos that might help the beginners.  But I think it is worth the try especially  among my friends who live overseas (outside the Philippines).  The chiffon cake is soft and moist with Leche Flan, a very popular desert (almost staple in parties)  in the country where I live, as topping.

I used a round pan because I don't have a square platter to put the cake if I baked it in a 9 x 9 cake pan.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Caramel

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Melt sugar and water slowly over low heat in a teflon pan until it becomes light golden brown in color and develops a characteristic flavor. DO NOT STIR. Just swirl sugar in the pan. Pour into  9 x9 inch pan  around 3 inches high. Set aside.

Custard

1 big can evaporated milk

8 large egg yolks

1 big can condensed milk

 Combine the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and stir. Pour mixture onto the pan by passing through a strainer. Set aside.

Cake

3 1/4 cups cake flour, sifted

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

6 large egg yolks

3/4 cup water

1 1/4 cups egg whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 cup sugar

Sift together cake flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add the oil, egg yolks and water. Stir with a wire whisk until smooth. Set aside.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until wave effect forms,

add the sugar gradually and beat until stiff and shiny.

Add egg yolk mixture into the beaten egg whites using the a spatula.

Spoon the mixture over the custard mixture. DO NOT STIR.

Place the pan in a bigger pan filled with 1/4 inch hot water (baine marie method).

Bake for one hour or until done. (When a pick or cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean).

Run a knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the custard the the cake. Let cool.

Invert onto a platter.

Brownies

This recipe I snagged from Martha Stewart. I love it with chopped walnuts.



Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.


6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 cup dutch cocoa
6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Cook in double boiler until melted. Set aside.

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

Beat until frothy with whisk of mixer.
Add the chocolate mixture and

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

and mix until well blended.

You can add a cup of chopped walnuts.

Pour into greased and lined with parchment paper 8 x 8 pan. 
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until pick or cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.