christmas goodies!

For the past 5 years I have been baking my christmas gifts, this year..

..i made brownies, pecan pie bars, pumpkin truffles, its not a snicker but a chuckle bars, peanut butter balls, fudgeeo truffles, almond joy, lemon squares, pumpkin cake balls, nutter balls and nutella meringues! :♥)

turtle almond joy cheesecake

so rich and so good! i made this with my cheesecake recipe, caramel recipe and pecan pie filling recipe, also i spread nutella on the graham cracker crust and toasted coconut for the pecan topping! i love baking, bet these would be great as squares for my dream bakeshop! :♥) 

Edited: It was a hit when I served it at the new years dinner, also made chocolate cake and lemon pie that was good! It was a wonderful fun time! :♥) 

Nutella Meringue Cookies

These are so good, just like eating a ferrero rocher lol I do recommend not adding the fluff unless you want a sweeter cookie or just going to eat one! I personally dont like sweeter-er things! :♥)

1 cup powdered sugar

2/3 cup ground almonds 

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 large egg whites, at room temperature

4 tablespoons granulated sugar

jar of fluff and jar of nutella to spread 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a food processor, grind together the powdered sugar with the almond powder and cocoa so there are no lumps. Using a standing electric mixer and at slow-medium speeds, beat the egg whites until they begin to rise and hold their shape. While whipping, gradually beat in the granulated sugar until very stiff and firm.

Carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a flexible rubber spatula. When the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag.

Pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1/2-inch circles. Tap the baking sheet a few times firmly on the counter top to flatten the meringues, then bake them for 15 minutes. Let cool completely then remove from baking sheet.

To assemble, you match up similar sized meringues. Depending on size of meringues, spread 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of nutella on one cookie’s inside and fluff on the other side, and then gently press the matching cookie on top, forming a sandwich. 

You can store in an airtight container or in the fridge for at least one day before serving and the meringues can keep up to 5 days, after that they may be stored in the freezer up to 3 months!

Shortbread Stackers

I had some left over dark chocolate ganache so I baked some shortbread cookies from my "melt in your mouth" shortbread recipe, flattened them and smothered the bottoms with ganache then top another cookie and boom.. instant shortbread stackers, soo good :♥) 

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

Made Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes for the first time! You need patience when baking especially these bad boys because you have to have the cake and cream cooled down before you start assembly. Otherwise you get runny cream...even the next day :(  My cream filling turned out so beautiful.. until i assembled in the warm cakes. Lesson learned when making or even baking anything. No wonder there are blast chillers on TV! :♥)

Cream Filling:

4 Large Egg Yolks (save whites for the cake)

1 1/2 cups Milk (whole or 2%)

1/3 cup Sugar

2 tbsp Cornstarch

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

Whisk all ingredients together cold, then add to high heat until thickens (5-6 minutes) constantly whisking. I mean it, dont stop whisking or your eggs will cook and you have a lumpy mess. Switch arms if need be but once you put on the heat, dont stop whisking.. even for a second. It only takes a second to get burnt bottom and nasty lumps!

Cake/Cupcakes:

1 cup Sugar

1/3 cup Butter (melted)

4 Egg Whites

3/4 cup Milk

2 cups Cake Flour 

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Vanilla

1/2 tsp Salt

Mix all in a bowl, Pour in cupcake liners in muffin tin and bake on 350 for about 15-20 minutes or 35 minutes if you are making a cake not cupcakes.

Chocolate Topping:

1/2 cup Whipping Cream

Bag of chocolate chips 

Warm cream and melt chocolate in the cream. Top cake! :♥)

Coffee vs Tea

Fun facts! :♥)

http://greatist.com/health/why-coffee-and-tea-are-amazing-for-you/

Da Brownie!

I am totally in love with my brownie recipe! :♥)

Lemon Cheesecake Cookies

What do you do when you have left over lemon cheesecake squares? hehe I guess the real question is why  would you have left overs?  I suppose I could have frozen it but not when I was craving cookies! So I took  my favorite basic cookie recipe and cubed up the squares smaller and voila, lemony creamy goodness! :♥)

1 cup Butter 

2 Eggs

1 cup Brown Sugar 

2 1/2 cups Flour

1/2 tsp Salt 

1 tsp Baking Soda 

2 cups Lemon Cheesecake (cubed)

In a bowl, cream butter and brown sugar! Add in eggs, one at a time. 

Add flour, salt and baking soda and combine together well. 

Fold in the chopped lemon cheesecake. 

Spoon on baking stone or parchment line cookie sheet, 

Bake at 365 for 8-10 minutes or golden brown! :♥) 

Acorn Squash and Red Lentil Soup

1 large chopped Onion

1 cup chopped Carrots

1 tsp Roasted Garlic paste

1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 can Red Lentils

1 large roasted Acorn Squash (cubed)

1 box (900ml) of Vegetable Broth

A pinch or two each of Dried basil, oregano, thyme, black pepper, parsley and sea salt.

Heat oil in a large soup pot, and sauté the onion, carrots and garlic for about 5 minutes or until the onions are tender. Add lentils, squash and broth to the pot. Add the seasonings and let simmer for about 30 minutes.

I modified the recipe from http://www.eatingbirdfood.com/myrecipes/butternut-squash-and-red-lentil-soup/ to what I had available! :♥)

Lemon Cheesecake

When I made the Almond Joy Cheesecake I couldnt wait to make one in lemon! Lemony things have been a craving staple these days and wow.. pucker up cause these is soo good! 

Crust:

2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs

2 tbsp Honey

1/4 cup Butter Melted

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. 
• In a bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs and salt. Stir in melted butter  and honey until dry ingredients are lightly moistened. Press mixture into bottom of  9 x 13 pan.
• 
  
• Cream Cheese Middle:
• 3 packages of cream cheese
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 lemon (zest and juice)
• 1/8 tsp Salt
• 3 Large Eggs
• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and add in sugar until well combined and light. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl and beat again until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again. Beat in lemon zest and juice and salt. Pour filling onto crust.  Bake for 30 mins until done.
• 
  
• Lemon Topping:
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/4 cup Cornstarch
• 1/8 tsp Salt
• 2 large Lemons (zest and juice)
• 1/2 cup Lemon Juice (i like extra lemony taste)
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1 1/2 cup Boiling Hot Water
• 3 tbsp Chilled Butter
• In a medium pot, whisk up the sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon zest and juices with the yolks until well blended. Place on stove, on med heat; whisk in the boiling hot water and whisk until it thickens, remove from heat and add in chilled butter! Top on the cream cheese cake and chill for hours. Best the next day! :♥)

Eating Bird Food!

http://www.eatingbirdfood.com/myrecipes/

This place has a few pretty awesome recipes for healthy eating... i`m dying to try these! Click on the picture if you like to try them yourself! :♥)

Pumpkin Spiced Nutty Granola

Cinnamon Raisin Almond Butter

Spiced Banana Bread

No Sugar Added Apple Butter

Butternut Squash & Red Lentil Soup

Quinoa Leek Corn Chowder

The Green Elvis

Southwestern Quinoa

"Almond Joy" Cheesecake

mm mm What has chocolate, coconut and almonds with cream cheese? Like the candy bar "Almond Joy" and cheesecake? With the toasted coconut, crunchy almonds and a creamy center, You'll L♥VE this recipe of  "Almond Joy" Cheesecake!!  :♥)

• Crust:
• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• Filling:
• 3 packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar 
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup canned cream of coconut
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Topping:
• 1/2 cup canned cream of coconut
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• Toasted coconut
• Sliced almonds
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 350ºF. 
• CRUST: In a bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, coconut, almonds and salt. Stir in melted butter until dry ingredients are lightly moistened. Press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.  Bake for 10 minutes then set aside for filling!
• 
  
• FILLING: Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until well combined and light. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl and beat again until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again. Beat in vanilla, cream of coconut and salt. Pour filling onto crust. 
• 
  
• Bake for 1 hour, until filling is set but still a bit jiggly in center (it will firm up as it cools). cool on a wire rack for 1 hour
• 
  
• TOPPING: Pour cream of coconut and heavy cream into a saucepan and warm over medium-low heat until mixture is just simmering. In a bowl, pour mixture over chocolate and whisk until melted and mixture is smooth. Let it cool. Pour 1/2 cup to 1 cup topping over cheesecake, spreading. 
• 
  
• Garnish with toasted coconut and sliced almonds. Chill until chocolate mixture has set, about 10 minutes. Run a sharp paring knife around inside of pan; release sides. Slice and serve.
• 

Ciabatta Bread

This is a rustic rectangle like bread with big, airy holes in it and a crisp crust surrounding its soft interior. It requires a preparation of a starter which has to rise overnight. The remaining ingredients are then mixed with the starter and then rise for several more hours. This is my first time making it! Here is where I found the recipe! :♥)

For Starter (Biga)

1/4 teaspoon instant dry yeast
1 cup water, at body temperature
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

~For starter, mix yeast and water to dissolve. Mix in flour by hand and stir just until blended (no lumps). Mixture will be very wet and sticky. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. One cup of this mixture will be needed for the bread.

over 12 hours later

For Bread
1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
3 tablespoons 2% milk, at room temperature
2/3 cup water, at body temperature
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt cornmeal, for baking 

~Stir yeast and milk and mix in the bottom of the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add yeast, water, oil, starter and mix with the paddle until blended (or dough can be mixed by hand in a bowl with a wooden spoon).

~Switch to the dough hook and add flour and salt in, kneading on low speed for 2 minutes, then increasing to next speed up, kneading for 3 minutes. Slap the dough with your hand in the bowl, until it feels stretchy and springs back. Place dough into an oiled bowl, cover bowl with plastic and set in a draft-free, warm area to rise for about 60 minutes. The dough should have lots of big air bubbles visible when ready. 

not alot of airy bubbles but there are some there!

~Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll up into a cylinder (like you would for a loaf or bread), but then stretch and pull the flexible dough into a rectangle about 20 inches by 8 inches. Cut dough in half (so that each piece is about 10-x-4-inches) and place each on 2 parchment-lined baking trays sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover loaves gently with a slightly damp tea towel and let rise another 90 minutes.

I made buns from mine :)

Raising again, I was too impatient and only did 45mins

~Preheat oven to 425 F and place a baking tray upside down in oven to heat. Remove hot tray from oven, and slide parchment with bread onto hot tray and return to oven quickly. Spray tops of loaves with a little water, close oven quickly and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, spraying again with water after 10 minutes.

These were used for hamburgers! I didnt know how big they would get, so I could have made 8-10 buns instead of 6! Not bad for my first time but I think I'll follow the rising times of the recipe and not be so impatient. This recipe is sooo good, a keeper for sure! :♥)

Multigrain Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Finally a cool day where I can get my bread making done! Made raisin cinnamon for the first time! :♥)

I make all my bread by hand, no machine and this is my personal recipe that I love to use! I always triple it so I can make 3 loaves at a time. When I do that, sometimes I use 6 cups multigrain and 6 cups whole wheat flour.  I just added the cinnamon and raisins to one of the loaves for something different!

1 1/2 warm water

1 tsp sugar

 Mix together

add in 2 tsp olive oil

sprinkle 2 tsp quick rise bread yeast and sit for 10 minutes.

add in 2 cups multigrain flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup white flour with 1/2 tsp salt

knead, knead and knead some more (40-60 or read this article)

proof rise proof (1 hour)

knead knead

use the width of bread loaf pan, spread flat like a pizza but not thin, sprinkle with a lot cinnamon, raisins. Roll like you would cinnamon buns, shaping to the size of the bread pan.

proof rise bake 350 for 35 minutes

Best Banana Bread ..ever!

2 cups all-purpose flour 

1 tsp baking soda 

1/4 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup butter 

3/4 cup brown sugar 

2 large eggs, beaten 

2 1/3 cups mashed very overripe bananas 

1 cup walnuts

 Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease 9 x 5 loaf pan or use parchment paper!

 In large bowl, combine flour, walnuts, soda and salt. In separate bowl, cream together butter, vanilla and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. 

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Crunchy Peanut Butter Brownies

I'm addicted to this recipe, my no fail brownie recipe! You can do anything with it by adding all kinds of yummy goodies like marshmallows, nuts, chocolate chips, caramels, peanut butter!!

1/2 cup Butter (melted)

1/2 cup Coco Powder

1 cup Sugar

2 large Eggs

1tbsp Coffee

1 tsp Vanilla

3/4 cup Flour

1/4 tsp Salt

3/4 cup Crunchy Peanut Butter

In a medium bowl combine melted butter and cocoa and stir until cocoa is dissolved. Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs one at a time and stir until well combined. Stir in vanilla and coffee, flour and salt until you no longer see any flour (do not over mix). 

Place half the batter in 8x8 parchment lined pan then spread the crunchy peanut butter and cover with the remaining batter. Bake at 350. DO NOT OVER-BAKE -- your brownies will come out dry. Adjust time/temp accordingly for your oven. If you do the knife/toothpick test, it should come out with moist crumbs, not clean.

Dark Chocolate Ganache

1/2 cup Cream warmed up in a sauce pan and add in 1/2 cup dark chocolate pieces, stir until all melted! Top on brownies! :♥)

Lemony Lemon Squares

I'm REALLY loving the lemon lately!!

1 cup REAL Butter (NO Substitutes :D ..no no no)

2 cup Flour

1/2 cup Cornstarch

1/2 cup Powdered Sugar

1 large Lemon 

In a small bowl, zest the lemon. In a separate bowl, juice the lemon and take 2 tbsp of the juice for the dough. Set aside the remaining lemon juice for the filling below! 

Combine all ingredients with the lemon zest & 2 tbsp juice in a electric mixer stand until it has a smooth consistency!  Place in 8x8 parchment lined pan or a 6x9 and bake until golden on 375, about 10-12 minutes!

Filling 

1 cup Sugar

1/4 cup Cornstarch

1/8 tsp Salt

1 large Lemons (zest and juice)

1/2 cup Lemon Juice (i like extra lemony taste)

2 Eggs 

1 1/2 cup Boiling Hot Water

3 tbsp Chilled Butter

~In a medium pot, whisk up the sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon zest and juices with the eggs until well blended. 

~Place on stove, on med heat; whisk in the boiling hot water and whisk until it thickens, remove from heat and add in chilled butter! Pour on top of shortbread crust and chill for a few hours. 

Lemony Shortbread Cookies

love l♥ve love these! Best ever lemony shortbread cookie... ever!! :♥)

2 cup REAL Butter (NO Substitutes :D ..no no no)

3 cup Flour

1/2 cup Cornstarch

1 cup Powdered Sugar

1 large Lemon 

In a small bowl, zest the lemon. In a separate bowl, juice the lemon and take 2 tbsp of the juice for the dough. Set aside the remaining lemon juice, mixing in some powdered sugar for the icing drizzle. I just poured sugar in the juice until I got the consistency I wanted.

Combine all ingredients with the lemon zest & 2 tbsp juice in a electric mixer stand until it has a smooth consistency! Whip it up real good :)  

Line baking sheet with parchment paper, drop teaspoonfuls and bake for 12-15 minutes on 350 until light golden brown bottoms/edges, I recommend not over baking them! 

Cool on cookie rack and drizzle with lemon icing :♥)

mm coffee

Do you know how helpless you feel if you have a full cup of coffee in your hand and you start to sneeze? - Jean Kerr

I don't have a problem with caffeine. I have a problem without caffeine! -Unknown

Science may never come up with a better office communication system than the coffee break. - Earl Wilson

"The morning cup of coffee has an exhilaration about it which the cheering influence of the afternoon or evening cup of tea cannot be expected to reproduce." -Oliver Wendall Holmes Sr.

Forever: Time it takes to brew the first pot of coffee in the morning. -Unknown

Coffee Brownies

Craving chocolate and I see that little fairies put chocolate coffee brownies in my oven!! :♥) 

1/2 cup Butter (melted)

1/2 cup Coco Powder

1 cup Sugar

2 large Eggs

1/2 cup Coffee

1 tsp Vanilla

3/4 cup Flour

1/4 tsp Salt

1 bag Milk Chocolate Chips

In a medium bowl combine melted butter and cocoa and stir until cocoa is dissolved. Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs one at a time and stir until well combined. Stir in vanilla and coffee, chocolate chips, flour and salt until you no longer see any flour (do not over mix). 

Bake at 350. DO NOT OVER-BAKE -- your brownies will come out dry. Adjust time/temp accordingly for your oven. If you do the knife/toothpick test, it should come out with moist crumbs, not clean.

Dark Chocolate Ganache

1/2 cup Cream warmed up and add in 1/2 cup dark chocolate pieces, stir until all melted! Top on brownies