Tag Archives: food

Savory Phyllo Wraps

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This is not a sweet treat, but I got approval from the tiniest sweet tooth in my house (my daughter) to post it. You can actually put any fillings in them, salty or sweet.

Makes about 8

  • 4 sheet phyllo pastry, thawed
  • 1 large baking potato
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon garlic and herb cream cheese spread
  • 4 tablespoons milk
  • 4 to 6 strips of bacon, cut into small pieces
  • Seasoning salt, to your taste
  1. Cook bacon in non-stick pan over low to medium heat until crispy, put on paper towel to drain
  2. Peel, cut potato into big chunks and put in boiling water, cook until tender, about 20 minutes
  3. Drain and mash potato, add 1 tablespoon of butter, milk, cream cheese and seasoning salt, mix well
  4. Add bacon into mashed potato
  5. Preheat oven to 350°F
  6. Place 1 sheet of phyllo sheet flat, brush lightly with remaining melted butter, put a second sheet on top and brush again with butter. Repeat with 2 more sheets of phyllo
  7. Cut phyllo stack into 8 squares, (about 6 inch x 6 inch each), place each piece into a muffin cup, spoon filling into cup, fold edges over and press gently
  8. Brush top with butter
  9. Bake for about 20 minutes or until slightly golden brown

When cooking the bacon, you can save the bacon fat and mix it into the mashed potato instead of the butter.

Fruit Juice Jello

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I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like jello, even my dad likes them !  You can enjoy them without adding any artificial colours or flavours.

  • 4 cups pure fruit juice (mango, grape, apple, etc)
  • 4 envelopes or tablespoons of unflavoured gelatin powder
  • Honey or sugar to sweeten if needed
  1. In a large bowl, sprinkle gelatin powder over 1 cup of fruit juice, let sit for a few minutes
  2. Heat the other 3 cups of juice over medium heat until boil
  3. Pour boiled juice into gelatin mixture and stir until gelatin completely dissolved
  4. Add honey or sugar according to your taste if needed
  5. Pour into molds or small cups and put in fridge until set, overnight or about 3 hours, enjoy!

Try to use sweeter juices like mango or pear, so you don’t even need to add sugar.  Dip bottom of molds in warm water for a few seconds for easy removal.

 

No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

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These cookies are not the most good-looking ones, but they are surely chewy and tasty!

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 and 1/2 cup quick oats
  1. Melt butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat
  2. Add milk, sugar and cocoa powder, stirring constantly until smooth
  3. Heat until boil for 1 minute
  4. Remove from heat, mix in vanilla extract
  5. Stir in oats
  6. Place tablespoonfuls on baking sheets or trays lined with waxed or parchment paper
  7. Cool in fridge until hardened, about 1 hour, enjoy! 

The cookies are best kept in the fridge.

 

Cinnamon Swirls

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These treats are yummy and super easy to make !

Makes about 30

  • 1 box of store-bought frozen puff pastry (two 10 inch x 10 inch sheets), thawed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/8 cup ground cinnamon
  • 1 egg, beaten
  1. Preheat oven to 400 °F
  2. In a bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon
  3. Brush pastry sheets with egg and sprinkle with sugar mixture
  4. Cut each sheet into 5 inch x 1 inch rectangular strips
  5. Twist each strip and place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 1 inch apart
  6. Bake for about 10 minutes until golden
  7. Cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes then transfer to racks to cool completely

You can adjust the ratio of cinnamon to sugar according to your taste, I use a 1:4 ratio.

Triple Chocolate Cookies

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I am a chocoholic,  but even if you are not, I am sure you will enjoy this recipe.

Makes about 2 dozens

  • 75 g unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
  1. Preheat oven to 350 °F
  2. Sift flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder together, set aside
  3. Using an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together at medium speed until fluffy
  4. Reduce speed to low, add eggs and vanilla extract
  5. Mix in flour mixture in 2-3 portions until blended, scrape sides and bottom of bowl   
  6. Stir in chocolate chips
  7. Place rounded tablespoons of dough on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart
  8. Bake for about 13-15 minutes
  9. Let cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer them on wire racks to cool completely

 

Easy Sponge Cake

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Makes about 12

  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup self-rising flour
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  1. Preheat oven to 350 °F
  2. Sift flour, set aside
  3. Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk eggs and sugar at medium speed until pale and slightly creamy
  4. Add vegetable oil and vanilla extract
  5. Fold in flour gently in 2-3 portions.  Batter is slightly runny.
  6. Brush paper muffin cups with vegetable oil and pour in mixture
  7. Bake in muffin tins for about 16-18 minutes

 

Mini Carrot Cakes

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For the cake

Makes about 12 

  • 1 and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 and 1/2 cup grated carrots
  1. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together, set aside
  2. Using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, beat eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla extract at medium speed until well blended
  3. Add flour mixture in 2-3 portions
  4. Stir in grated carrots
  5. Pour batter into slightly greased muffin cups and bake for about 20-22 minutes
  6. Transfer to racks and cool completely
  7. Put cream cheese icing on top

For the cream cheese icing

Makes about 2 cups

  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 2 and 1/2 tablespoons cream cheese at room temperature
  • 2 cups icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  1. Using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy
  2. Add icing sugar in 3-4 portions, beat well in between each addition, cream until light and fluffy
  3. Add vanilla and mix until smooth

Scrape down the sides and bottom of mixing bowl to make sure ingredients are well blended.  Check if cupcakes are done by putting a toothpick in the middle, it should come out clean.   Add a few drops of food coloring to icing if needed for decorations.

 

Milk Bread (Tang Zhong Method)

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This Asian method with the water roux or Tang Zhong makes the bread sweeter and softer.

Makes 2 loaves

For the water roux or Tang Zhong   (makes about 250g)

  • 1/3 cup bread flour
  • 1 cup water or milk
  1. Stir flour into water or milk
  2. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly until thicken, cool and set aside

For the bread

  • 5 cups bread flour   (white or whole wheat or mix of your choice)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 3 eggs (2 for the bread and 1 for egg wash)
  • 1 cup milk
  • 60 g unsalted butter, melted and cool slightly
  • 4 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 250 g water roux or Tang Zhong from above
  1. Warm 1 cup of milk in microwave for about 40 seconds
  2. Put yeast in warm milk, wait until bubbles start to form on top
  3. Stir together flour,salt and sugar
  4. Using an electric mixer with dough attachment, add eggs, milk with yeast, Tang Zhong and melted butter into flour mixture, blending after each addition
  5. Blend until a dough is formed
  6. Take dough out from mixer, knead with hands on a floured surface until smooth and stretchy
  7. Divide dough in half and put each half in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap
  8. Let rise until double in size, about 60 minutes. You can speed up the process by putting the doughs in the oven (NOT preheated ) with a small pot of hot water on the lower rack. The warm and moist environment makes the doughs rise quicker )
  9. Punch and press air out of doughs
  10. Divide each dough into 4 equal parts. Row each part flat and row them back in rolls
  11. Put 4 rolls each in slightly greased and floured loaf pans, wrap with plastic wrap, let rise until rolls reach top of pans, about 20 to 30 minutes. You can use the same speeding method above
  12. Preheat oven to 350 °F
  13. Brush tops of doughs with egg wash
  14. Bake for about 28 minutes
  15. Let cool in pans for 5 minutes, then cool completely on rack before slicing
  16. Can be kept in air tight containers for about 5 days

 

Buttermilk Biscuits

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This is not really a sweet treat but is equally delicious !

Makes about 12

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk
  1. Preheat oven to 425° F
  2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt
  3. Using a pastry blender or a knife, cut in butter until the mixture resembles bread crumbs
  4. Add buttermilk and stir with a fork to form a dough
  5. Bring and knead dough together with hands on a slightly floured surface
  6. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces
  7. Roll and pat each piece into round “patty”, about 1 inch in thickness
  8. Bake on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper for about 13 minutes or until slightly golden

They taste best when serve warm with butter.  You can make them into cheesy biscuits by adding 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.

Rice Crispy Squares

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Makes about 24 squares

  • 50 g unsalted butter
  • 4 cups mini marshmallows
  • 5 cups crisp rice cereal
  1. Melt butter over low heat in a non-stick pan
  2. Stir in marshmallows until melted
  3. Remove from heat
  4. Stir in rice cereal until coated
  5. Pour rice cereal mixture in 13 x 9 inch pan lined with parchment paper
  6. Place another sheet of parchment paper on top, press firmly and evenly
  7. Cut into squares when cooled