Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am not a cookie person and the only cookie I like are the chewie ones. So when I came across this recipe, I immediately wanted to try it. Turns out that it is easy, took less than 10 mins to prepare and another 15 in the oven.  Obviously totally delish when it is hot!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

150 grams chcocolate, cut in chunks

Preparation:

1. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Mix well.

2. Add in salt and baking powder until just combined, then fold flour. 

3. Add chocolate, mix until combined.

4. Take one tablespoon of dough, make into a ball and place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. 

5. Repeat with the rest of the dough, giving 2 inches between each dough ball. 

6. Bake at 180C or until surface is not shiny and the chocolate has melted.

 

Bechamel Sauce

Bechamel sauce is a white thick sauce that you could basically use for everything: layerings in lasagna, base for alfredo sauce, cream soups, gratins and anything that requires a savory cream. Here is a simple recipe that works all the time. 

Ingredients:

60 grams butter

1/3 cup flour

3 1/2 cups milk

1 cup grated gruyére or mozzarella

Salt & pepper

Nutmeg

Preparation:

1. Melt butter in a sauce pan and add flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.

2. Slowly add milk, stir continuously until it thickens.

3. Add cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir continuously until the cheese disolves. 

4. Use immediately or wait to cool and store in fridge. It will keep for 24h. 

Marmalade

Depending on where you live, it may be cheaper and more efficient to buy a jar of marmalade than make it yourself. However, I like making our own jams and jellies because I can control what I put in it especially the sugar and preservatives.

For this recipe, the amount of sugar will depend on the quality of the oranges, the type of sugar (I noticed in the US the sugar is not as sweet as in Asia and Europe, so we need less here) and your personal preference. It is always best to start with half the sugar called in the recipe and then add on.  I use brown sugar but you could substitute for white granulated sugar.

Ingredients:

5-6 medium size oranges

1 lemon, zest and juice

1 stick cinnamon

6 cups water 

750 grams brown sugar

Canning jars - sterilized in boiling water

Small plate - freeze

Preparation:

1. Cut orange into half and slice it really thin (1/8 inch).

2. Boil oranges, lemon, cinnamon and water in a big pot. Once boil, simmer at low heat, covered, occasionally stirring. Simmer until oranges are very soft and can break easily with gentle pressure of a spoon. 

3. Turn the heat to medium high, slowly add and stir in sugar. Stir continuously until liquid becomes thick. 

4. Take 1 tsp of the liquid and put on the frozen plate. Tilt the plate and if the liquid is runny, it is not ready. 

5. Once marmalade is done, transfer into canning jars and keep in refrigerator. It can lasts up to 1 month.

Pound Cake

An all time favorite, really lovely to have with tea or coffee in the afternoon. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 170C. Grease a loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

2. Cream together butter and sugar. 

3. Add eggs and whisk until light and fluffy.

4. Mix in yogurt.

5. Add all dry ingredients. Mix until combined. Do not over mix.

6. Pour in loaf pan and bake for about 50 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Chocolate Ganache

This one is easy peasy. Just make sure you man the stove.

Ingredients:

120 grams chocolate chips

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 tsp butter

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan, heat heavy cream until just below melting point.

2. Add heavy cream to the chocolate chips. Let sit for 1 min.

3. Stir and add butter. 

4. Done and use immediately. 

Cupcake Bouquet

This is my latest craze. I love this cupcake arrangement because it is easy and makes the cupcake presentation so pretty. I made this twice and at both times people thought it was a real flower bouquet. Try to decorate the table with real flowers of similar colors and voilà, you have a pretty table decoration. 

Materials needed to assemble the bouquet:

Styrofoam ball (I use a half ball, 25cm in diameter)

Pot for a plant (20cm diameter)

Glue 

A box of toothpicks

A bag of marbles or 2 pounds of uncooked bag of macaroni

40-45 cupcakes (depending on size)

Colored buttercream (3-4 colors for effect).

Steps:

1. Fill the pot with bags of marble pr macaroni to stabilize the bouquet.

2. Glue the styrofoam dome on top of the pot. Let dry.

3. Take a toothpick and stick it where you want your cupcake to be. Each cupcake requires 2-3 toothpicks. 

4. Repeat #3 and arrange as such so your cupcakes will resemble a flower arrangement. 

5. Once done, start piping buttercream frosting on your cupcake. You can do small pointy stars so it can look like carnations or do a whole rose. Have your frosting a bit stiff to prevent it from dripping off your cupcake. 

Your pot with styrofoam dome will look something like this. Make sure you properly fill the pot with heavy non-toxic materials so that it remains stable.

Be prepared as the cupcake bouquet will be heavy once all is done. 

Rainbow Cake

This cake is a fun one. All you need is your basic vanilla cake recipe and 6 types of food coloring. Remember to allocate plenty of time if you only have one baking pan or if your oven cannot fit multiple baking pans at once. Always buy food colorants that are from a trusted brand. 

For every layer, split the basic vanilla cake recipe into 2 and put 3-4 drops of food coloring, mix and bake as usual. 

Put a thin layer of buttercream or whipped heavy cream in between layers and stack the slabs of cake. When you are not ready to stack, always ensure you cover each layer with plastic wrap to prevent the cake from drying.

Decorate the outside of the cake as you wish. Here I just put whipped heavy cream all around, cookies and chocolate sprinkles. 

Strawberry Cheesecake

The first time I made cheesecake was 25 years ago when I was still in college in Salt Lake City, Utah. Eversince it has become my default dessert if I run out of ideas or if I need to bake something quick.

Ingredients:
Crust:
1.5 cups  graham cracker, mashed
3 tbs sugar
1/3 cup  butter, melted

Pie:
2 pkg.  (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1tsp vanilla
2 eggs

Strawberry sauce:
5 tbs strawberry jam
2 tbs orange juice

Whipped cream:
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbs powdered sugar

Directions
1. Heat oven to 325°F.

2. Crust: Mix graham crumbs, sugar and butter. Press onto bottom of 9-inch pan.

3. Pie: Whip cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and eggs. Pour over crust.

4. Bake for 55 min or until center is almost set. Loosen cake from rim of pan. cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours before decorating.

5. Sauce: mix jam and juice until runny. If you don't get the glace consistency, add more juice, 1 tsp at a time.

6. Whipped cream: beat at high speed heavy cream and sugar until stiff. Refrigerate before using.

Basic Vanilla Cake

So here's my basic vanilla cake. Easy, simple, yummy and turns out well every time.  This is my "go-to" recipe if I need a quick cake to decorate. 

Ingredients:

4 eggs

100 grams granulated sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla extract

100 grams all purpose flour

50 grams butter, melted

Preparation:

1. Beat eggs, sugar, vanilla until well mixed. 

2. Add flour, butter. Mixed well. 

3. Add baking soda and baking powder right before baking. Do not overmix. 

4. Bake at 170C until a bamboo skewer comes out clean. 

Reza's Birthday Cake

I I really wanted something different for Reza's birthday. I was travelling for the past 2 weeks and did not have time to browse and order a cake. So I went online for ideas and decided to try this one out. It was incredibly easy! All you had to do was bake 2 basic vanilla or chocolate cakes of your choice (Reza preferred vanilla), layer it with strawberry glace, pour chocolate ganache over it, arrange the Kit Kat bars around the cake and pour a whole 330gram M&M bag all over the top. And that is really it!

The boys absolutely loved it and the party was a hit 💝

Recipes for the basic cakes and chocolate ganache that I used for this cake are in this blog too.

Easy steps on how to assemble the cake:

Salted Caramel Sauce

I love caramel and I love anything caramel. So when I came across this recipe, I thought I have died and gone to heaven 😜.  The sauce is absolutely heavenly, rich, buttery but not too sweet because it is balanced with the salt. Take care when cooking and it is best to always use mittens. 

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar

90 grams butter (6 tbs), cut into chunks

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp salt

Preparation:

1. Melt sugar in medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly with wooden spatula.

2. Add butter, chunk by chunk, take care as it will splatter. Stir until dissolved.

3. Add heavy cream. Also take care as it will splatter. Stir and boil for about 1 minute. 

4. Remove from heat, add salt and stir until dissolved. Cool.

5. Keep in tight-lid jars in refrigerator. It can keep for about 2 weeks. Take small portions and warm up before serving.

Banana Bread

This is banana bread is a favorite in my household. The boys absolutely love it and the bread stays moist for almost a week. You can make it into cupcakes but I think the best is still in a loaf. 

Ingredients:

125 grams unsalted butter, room temp

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

4 ripe bananas, mashed

2 tbs milk

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour, sieve

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 170C. Line a loaf pan 

with parchment paper.

2. Cream butter and sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla extract. 

3. Add bananas and milk, whisk well. 

4. Add all remaining dry ingredients and mix together until just combined. Do not overnix. 

5. Bake for about an hour or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. 

No-Ice-Cream-Maker Ice Cream

I am really not into gadgets and so obviously I do not own an ice cream maker.  However, this recipe is so easy to make and turns out delicious every time! You can add whatever flavor, cookie or crumble you want. Add plenty, and you will have one delicious treat you can't stop eating ☺️☺️☺️

Pictured here is my Salted Caramel Speculoos Ice Cream. Check out this blog for the Salted Caramel recipe.

Ingredients (for the basic ice cream):

250mL heavy cream

200 grams sweet condensed milk

Preparation:

1. Whip heavy cream until stiff. 

2. Add sweet condensed milk and continue to whip until fluffy.

3. Add flavors/fillings of your choice. This can be chocolate chips, oreos, caramel, cookies or just keep it as plain vanilla flavor.

4. Transfer into a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 6 hours. 

Orange Chiffon Cake

This is one of the easiest and quickest recipes I have known for a chiffon cake. Its texture is similar to an angel food cake, but not as gooey.

Ingredients:

100 grams (minus 1 tbs) all purpose flour

1 tbs corn starch

25 grams granulated sugar

75 mL milk

60 grams vegetable oil

5 egg yolks

1 orange, zest only

7 egg whites

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

100 grams granulated sugar

5 drops orange food coloring

1 tbs concentrated orange juice

Preparation:

1. Sieve flour, mix flour with sugar. Mix milk with oil. Add milk/oil to flour/sugar. Mix thoroughly.

2. Add egg yolks and orange zest. Set aside.

3. Whip eggs with cream of tartar and salt until it rises. Add sugar little by little and continue to whip until stiff.

4. Fold in egg whites mix into the flour mixture. 

5. Take a third of the mixture, separate into a bowl, add coloring and orange juice. Mix.

6. Add colored mixture into the white but only mix once.

7. Pour mixture into an unbuttered bundt cake pan. Ensure there is no grease before pouring the mixture.

8. Bake for about 60 mins at 170C or until a stick comes out clean. 

9. Cool immediately inverted on a bottle. Let cool thoroughly before serving.