Caramel Cupcakes

Using one basic recipe, I made several variations and came up with one that I called Caramel Cupcakes.  By substituting granulated sugar with muscovado sugar, the batter smelled caramelly and when baked the cupcakes tasted like caramel cake.  I used one ounce cupcake mold and one ounce ice cream scoop to make equal distributions.  Let me know how yours turned out.

Caramel Baby Cupcakes

Makes 12 regular size cupcakes or 

38 mini cupcakes

180 gm all purpose flour

    6 gm baking powder

    2 gm salt

115 gm butter

200 gm muscovado sugar

2 large eggs

125 ml milk

1/2 teaspoons vanilla

- Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line pan with paper liners.

- Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

- Cream butter and sugar.

- Add eggs one at a time until well blended.

- Alternately add in dry ingredients and milk, ending with dry ingredients.

- Stir in vanilla.

- Divide into pan.

- Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

- Cool in pan for 5 minutes.

- Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

Happy Baking!

Home Baked Bread

The last time I baked bread was when I attended a special course on baking at the Asian Baking Institute under Chef Bejar.  As a special student, I got to choose the time and date when I would take the class on a one-on-one basis.  With all the ingredients and equipments at my disposal, my pandesals were perfectly soft, my loaf breads crusty on the outside and soft on the inside and my hopia squares were to-die-for, not to mention my enseymadas, spanish breads and cheese rolls.

This time, using a recipe I found on the internet (http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/11/04/homemade-bread-cheap-delicious-healthy-and-easier-than-you-think/) I tried to replicate my previous success.  To my disappointment my pandesals were compact and my bread was on the heavy side.   I blamed my yeast, which I found out too late, was to expire this month.  And perhaps my rusty elbows which probably needed some greasing.

Both breads were delicious, albeit on the compact side and it made the house smell like a bakery.   I found out there are people who prefer compact breads and some people who prefer the fluffier breads.  I belong to the latter and therefore will continue to experiment until I have my perfect bread.

I find weighing my ingredients more convenient to measuring, therefore I will list the ingredients in both.

HOME-MADE BREAD

60 ml   (1/4 cup)         milk

21 gm   (5 teaspoons) sugar (or 1-1/2 tablespoons)

  5 gm   (1 teaspoon)   salt

21 gm   (5 teaspoons) butter (or 1-1/2 tablespoons)

  7 gm   (2 teaspoons) active dry yeast (or 1 package)

240ml  (1 cup)             warm water

300gm to 420gm (2-1/2 to 3-1/2 cups) flour

cornstarch or nonstick cooking spray (just to prevent the dough from sticking to the pan)

For a detailed instruction with pictures, check out:

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/11/04/homemade-bread-cheap-delicious-healthy-and-easier-than-you-think/

Happy Baking!

Patio Guernica Restaurant

I remember when Guernica used to be located near the Remedios Circle. It was a special treat when I was invited to dine with the adults then. I would watch in awe everytime the waiter prepared the Ceasar's Salad by the table, rubbing the garlic along the inside of the wooden bowl, mashing the anchovies, separating the eggs and slowly pouring in the oil to the yolk while beating. He then tossed in the greens, coating each leaf with the dressing and finally, a sprinkle of bacon bits, cheese and croutons to crown the "Ceasar".

Then the waiter would bring in the paella, whether it's a Valenciana or Marinara, I would try them both. Even the Negra. I was an adventureous eater even way back then.I remembered having the gambas and the mushrooms as appetizers but the Paellas and Ceasar's Salad would alway be my favorite.

Today, Guernica's under new management and a new home. Taking into consideration the mall location, the ambiance's almost the same, old world with a modern twist. The Ceasar's Salad preparation was a joy to watch and the Paella Valenciana was as delicious as I remembered.

I would definitely come back and be invited again to dine with, now, the seniors.

Patio Guernica Restaurant

2F South Wing 

SM Mall of Asia

Bay Blvd. Pasay City

Floating Island Restaurant

Floating Island Restaurant is the place to eat when I'm in Makati Medical Center, whether it's for a check-up or visiting, lunch or dinner. It used to be located on the 3F, "floating" above the ramp towards the lobby entrance. Today, it's on the 1F of the new wing, all brown woodsy interior with Lavazza coffee station by the entrance.

My favorite dish was the Crispy Pata (Deep Fried Marinaded Pork Knuckles) with kalamansi soy sauce. The skin was super crackly and the meat fall-off-the-bone tender. Eaten with steaming hot rice, perfection.

I had lunch with my mom and two aunts. All seniors. All watching their cholesterol level. No Crispy Pata for lunch.

Spying around what others were eating, I saw a dish of vegetables in saffron colored sauce and bagoong on the side. Kare-kare! vegetarian version, pescetarian with the bagoong. But I'm not a vegetarian nor a pescetarian but I would definitely order this Vegetable Kare-kare again. With another order for take-out.

Floating Island Restaurant
1/F Makati Medical Center
Amorsolo St.
Legaspi Village
Makati

Cookie Monster

Made a batch of choco chip cookie using The Ghirardelli Chocolate Cookbook recipe. It was delicious but I decided to max the choco level and added cocoa powder to the batter and lessen the sugar content.

My version was sinfully chewy and chocolatey. Perfect with a glass of cold milk or freshly brewed coffee. Another success with kids, teens, adults and seniors.

I called my version Chocoholic Choco Chip Cookie.

Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chip Cookie

Makes 48 cookies

2-1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated white sugar

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chips

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

Beat butter with the white and brown sugar until mixture is creamy and lightened in color, about 4 mins.

Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed until incorporated.

Gradually blend in flour mixture into creamed mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

Drop by the tablespoonful onto ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until cookies are golden brown.

Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

Store in airtight containers at room temperature for up to a week.

*Substitute Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips for the Milk Chocolate Chips

Cream Puffs

At the insistence of my dear sister and cousin, I finally made cream puffs. Those crisp, round, hollow choux pastry filled with ice cream, sweetened whipped cream or vanilla pastry cream (creme patissiere), and drizzled with spun sugar, chocolate syrup or just a dusting of confectioner's sugar.  

Some say the choux pastry shells look like small cabbages.  In French choux means cabbage, hence the name choux pastry.  Panterelli, head chef to Catherine de Medici (an Italian who married France's Henry II) is credited by food historian as the inventor of choux pastry and it has been the base for many desserts like eclairs and profiteroles.

I made my cream puffs with vanilla creme patissiere topped with caramelized sugar.  My shells puffed up crisp and hollow with very minimal soft dough inside, which can be taken out to give more space for the filling.  The vanilla creme patissiere was smooth and creamy with just the right hint of vanilla, from the vanilla bean not extracts.  Except for my disastrous sugar syrup which did not turn into glassy crytal sugar.  I must say my attempt was a success, the cream puffs dissappeared in minutes.

Cream Puffs recipe from the www.joyofbaking.com