Melt-in-the-mouth Chocolate Cake

Decadent.... addicting.. chocoholic's dream... only a few words that can describe this moist chocolate cake.  It is very much in demand during birthday parties and other special occasions!

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, unsifted
3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups cocoa powder, unsifted
2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
3 pieces eggs
1 1/2 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup corn or soya oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup boiling water

1.  Grease a 13x9x2 1/4 inch baking pan

2.  Combine all ingredients together except for boiling water.

3.  Beat at medium speed, about 3 minutes, then at high speed for 2 minutes.

4.  Add boiling water.  Blend well. (Resulting mixture has thin consistency).  Pour onto prepared pan.  Bake at preheated 350F oven  for 45 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and cool before inverting pan onto cake

rack.  Cool cake completely.

CHOCOLATE ICING:

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup unsifted cocoa powder

2  300ml cans condensed milk

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  In double boiler, over boiling water, melt butter and cocoa powder together.  Stir smooth ans free from lumps.

2.  Add slowly.  Using wire whisk, stir mixture continuously until thick and of spreading consistency.

3.  Cool icing before spreading on cake.

Guinataang Bilo Bilo ( Rice Balls with Coconut Milk )

Ginataan, alternatively spelled guinataan, is a Filipino term which refers to food cooked with "gata" - the Filipino word for coconut milk. Literally translated , ginataan means "done with coconut milk".  Due to general nature of the term, it can refer to a number of different dishes, each called ginataan, but distinct from one another. If gummy balls made of pounded  glutinous rice are added, it becomes a dish called bilo-bilo.

1 cup malagkit ( glutinous rice flour )

1 cup sugar

3 cups coconut milk. diluted with 1/2 cup water

1 cup sugar

2 cups large pearl tapioca (sago)

1 1/2 cups coconut cream

langka (jackfruit), cut in strips (optional)

1.  Blend flour and water and blend them into dough.  Shape into balls measuring 1/4 diameter. 

2.  In a large pot, bring coconut milk, sugar, and tapioca to a boil.  When tapioca turns transparent in color, add the rice balls.

3.  Add remaining pure coconut milk when the rice balls are soft and firm.  Boil for 5 more minutes.

4.  Serve hot.

Won Ton Cheese Sticks

It's perfect for snack! :)

1 package won ton wrappers (100 pieces)

1 large bar Cheddar cheese (500 grams)

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon cornstarch, plus additional for dusting

1/2 cup cooking oil

Sugar for dusting (optional )

1.  Put won ton wrappers on a clean plate or cutting board.  Slice cheese lengthwise into sticks and set aside on a clean plate.

2.  Pour water into a small bowl and add the cornstarch.  Mix water and cornstarch until smooth.

3.  Put a cheese stick diagonally on the center of two (stuck together) won ton wrappers.  Fold the opposite ends of the wrappers onto the cheese.  Fold pointed end of wrappers over then under the cheese.  Roll wrappers just until the tip.

4.  Mix together water and cornstarch.  Dip a tablespoon lightly into the water/cornstarch mixture and use this to moisten the tip of the wrapper.  This acts as a "paste" to seal the wrappers.  Fold the wrapper completely and press to seal tightly. 

     Repeat with remaining wrappers and cheese sticks.

5.  Put all the wrapped cheese sticks into a large tray or plate and wipe surfaces with clean paper towel.  Or dust lightly with cornstarch.

     Put frying pan on stove and turn on the burner.  Let heat one minute then pour in cooking oil.  Let cooking oil heat about one minute.  Put 4 to 5 pieces cheese sticks into the hot oil.  Let cook until bottom side turns brown.

     Turn cheese sticks over to brown other side evenly.

     Remove cheese sticks from pan and drain on paper towels.  Repeat with remaining cheese sticks.

     If desired, dust with sugar before serving.

Courtesy: Food Magazine

New Year's Eve Celebration

I celebrated New Year's Eve with my family at home. Firecrackers are not allowed here in Davao City so we just made noises through playing music so loud or using torotot ( horn ).  Here are some photos of the food we prepared during the New year's eve! ( All Rights Reserved )

1.  Assorted candies and chocolates

2.  Ginataang Bilo Bilo

3.  Oatmeal cookies and Brownies

4.  Embutido

5.  12 kinds of fruits

6.  Gelatin with milk

7.  Excellente Ham

8.  Ginataang hipon

9.  Matambaka

10.  Pansit Sotanghon

11.  Puto and Banana Cupcake

Let's eat! Happy New Year!

Soft Oatmeal Cookies

I made these oatmeal cookies yesterday and took  pictures of it.  I just saw this recipe in the internet so thought of trying it.. and it's chewy and yummy :)

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups cooking oats
raisins (optional)

1.  In a medium bowl, cream together butter, white sugar and brown sugar.  Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla.  Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, stir into the creamed mixture.  Mix in oats.  Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour.

2.  Preheat the oven to 375F.  Grease cookie sheets.  Roll the dough into walnut sized balles, and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.  Flatten each cookie with a large fork dipped in sugar.

3.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven.  Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

One Of My Mom's Specialty... EMBUTIDO

Embutido is one of my mom's specialty.  She usually prepare it during holiday season and for other special occasions.  It is a Filipino style of Meatloaf. 

EMBUTIDO

1 kilo ground lean pork

1 can vienna sausage ( half mashed, half for garnishing )

6 pieces finely chopped onions

3 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons pickle relish, pepper, vetsin

2 raw eggs

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup flour

sliced cheese or cut into cubes

1/4 cup catsup

raisins and sinsal

3 hard boiled eggs

Mix pork, vienna sausage ( mashed ), oniona, salt, pepper, vetsin, pickle relish, flour, cornstarch, cheese (cut into cubes), raisins, catsup and raw eggs.  Spread 2 cups (well packed) mixture on marinated sinsal ( marinate sinsal with calamansi, toyo and seasoning ), or foil.

Arrange hard boiled eggs, sausage and cheese.  Roll and wrapped in tin foil if baked ot in cheese cloth if cooked by steaming.  Add Knorr sauce for seasoning.  Bake in hot oven 400F for 40 to 50 minutes.

Popcorn Trivia

Popcorn pops because water is stored in a small circle of soft starch in each kernel. As the kernel is heated, the water heats, the droplet of moisture turns to steam and the steam builds up pressure until the kernel finally explodes to many times its original volume.

Corn was first grown about 7000 years ago in the highlands of central Mexico, and by the first century B.C. was a staple crop of all the agricultural peoples in the Americas. One of the first uses of corn kernels was for popping.

The oldest ears of popping corn were discovered in a bat cave in New Mexico; they are over 5,500 years old.

A shortage of baking flours after World War II forced breadmakers to substitute up to 25% of wheat flour with ground popped popcorn. Over the years, popcorn also has been used as an ingredient in pudding, candy, soup, salad and entrees. 

Popcorn was actually the first food to be microwaved deliberately. In 1946 Dr. Percy Spencer of the Raytheon Corporation was experimenting with a magnetron (a new type of vacuum tube) when he noticed that the chocolate candy bar in his pocket had melted. He was curious, so he placed some popcorn kernels next to the magnetron and turned it on - the popcorn popped. After experimenting with various other food items (including an egg that exploded!), he and Ratheon realized they were on to something and continued on to develop the first microwave oven.

Threading popcorn onto a string is a very common Christmas tree decoration during tough times.

The world’s largest popcorn ball weighed 3,415 pounds and was 8 foot in diameter and 24.6 feet around. It was unveiled in October 2006 in Lake Forest, Illinois.

The “Popcorn Capital of the World” is claimed by at least six mid-western states in the United States, but the majority of popcorn is grown in Nebraska and Indiana. Texas production is on the rise.

The Chinese have another method for popping popcorn. The corn is placed into a large cast iron container and sealed. It is turned over a fire on a rotisserie. When the pressure gauge indicates its ready, they remove it from the fire, put a canvas sack over the lid and release the seal. It makes a huge boom as all of the popcorn explodes at once. (see video below)

Kernels that do not pop at the correct temperature where they should are known in the popcorn industry as “old maids”. A popped kernel is known a “flake”. The flakes come in two shapes. They are either ball-shaped cauliflower looking balls with few wings called mushrooms, or they are butterfly flakes where they have protruding wings or offshoots. The butterfly flakes have a better mouth feel, but because the mushroom flakes are sturdier, they are the ones manufacturers tend to use in packaged popcorn. One cob can produce both kinds of kernels, but they have also developed corn varieties that produce 100% of one variety.

In the same way that Girl Scouts are known for selling cookies, the Boy Scouts are known for selling popcorn as their big fundraiser.

Courtesy of Hubpages

Pizza Kit

We tried this Pizza Kit this morning..... Just have to make the crust, then the pizza sauce and you can just add anything for the toppings... We chose ham and cheese with onions for the toppings... Yummy!

My Mom's Fruit Cake

It is a nice gift to our loved ones this Christmas.  We always have Fruit Cake here at home during the Holiday Season.  Try it!



FRUIT CAKE

1 cup butter

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

5 whole eggs

3 tablespoons molasses

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups cake flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon orange juice

3 tablespoons brandy

1 cup raisins

1 cup chopped nuts

1 cup glazed fruits

Cream butter and add sugar gradually.  Add eggs one at a time.  Add molasses.  Add flour.  Add the fruits, nuts, raisin mixture previously soaked in brandy and dredge with little flour.  Add vanila extract then pour on mold lined fruit cake pan.  Bake with a pan of water until done.  Brush with brandy over a week.



Beef with Oyster Sauce

It's one of the recipes we tried in our Caregiver class.

Marinate 1/2 kilo sliced beef sirloin in 1 tablespoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon oil for 1 hour.  In a pan, heat 1/4 cup oil then saute 6 stalks sliced leeks and 4 slices ginger.  Set aside.  In the same pan, stir-fry the beef until half-done.  Put back the leeks and ginger.  Add in 1/4 cup oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon water, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon rice wine and 1 tablespoon soy sauce.  Simmer until beef is tender.

Preparation time:  20 minutes
Cooking time:  20-30 minutes
Yield:  4-6 servings