Tag Archives: food

Easy Waffles

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Waffles are great for breakfast or dessert.  Who can resist a warm,  fluffy waffle with chocolate syrup, whipped cream or blueberry jam?  Mmmmm…..

Makes about 4-5 waffles

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, warm but not hot
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  1. Preheat waffle machine according to manufacturer ‘s instructions
  2. Sift together flour,  baking powder,  sugar and salt
  3. Beat egg yolks lightly and whisk into flour mixture
  4. Add milk, melted butter and vanilla, mix well and set aside
  5. Whisk egg white in electric mixer until moderately stiff peak forms
  6. Fold egg white into batter until just blended ,  do not over mix
  7. Pour batter onto waffle iron and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions
  8. Serve warm with desired toppings

Whisking the egg whites and folding them back into the batter makes the waffles extra fluffy !

Sugar Cookies Cutouts

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This is a great recipe to make with kids. They can help cutting and decorating the cookies.

Makes about 3 dozens depending on size of cookies

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  1. Preheat oven to 400° F
  2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside
  3. Using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy
  4. Add egg, milk and vanilla, mix well
  5. Add flour mixture in 2-3 portions, mix until dough comes together
  6. Roll out 1/2 of dough at a time on parchment paper to about 1/8 inch thickness
  7. Cut with floured cookie cutters
  8. Sprinkle with sugar or decorate as desired
  9. Place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and bake for about 7-8 minutes or until edges turn light brown
  10. Cool for about 5 minutes on cookie sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely

Collect all the dough scraps and roll into a dough again to make as many cookies as possible.

Cranberries and Chocolate Chips Butter Cookies

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I like to make these cookies around X’mas time. They are great to share with others during the winter holidays.

Makes about 30

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup icing sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting
  • 1/4 cup self-rising flour
  • 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. Sift together self-rising flour, all-purpose flour and salt, set aside
  3. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter at medium speed until fluffy
  4. Sift in icing sugar, beat again until fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl
  5. Reduce speed to low, add in flour mixture in 2-3 portions
  6. Add vanilla and milk, mix until dough comes together
  7. Stir in chocolate chips and cranberries
  8. Place large tablespoonfuls of dough, on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches apart
  9. Bake for about 18 minutes, rotating trays half way through, bottoms of cookies should be lightly brown
  10. Let cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely
  11. Dust tops with icing sugar

You can gently roll each tablespoon of dough into balls with hands, then press down to shape cookies before baking

Tapioca Pudding

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This is a very yummy Asian dessert. 

Makes about 4 servings

  • 75 gm small tapioca pearls
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 1 tablespoon custard powder
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • 50 mL evaporated milk
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 20 gm unsalted butter
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F
  2. Soak tapioca pearls in water for 30 minutes, drain well
  3. Cook pearls in large pot of water on medium heat, stirring constantly until pearls turn clear
  4. Rinse pearls with cold water, drain well
  5. Add custard powder and egg in 1/2 cup of milk, mix well, set aside
  6. Heat evaporated milk and the other 1/2 cup of milk in microwave for about 45 seconds, add sugar and butter, stir until melted, let cool for about 5-10 minutes
  7. Slowly add milk mixture (#6) into egg mixture (#5)
  8. Heat the above over medium heat in a non-stick pot, stir constantly until thickens
  9. Stir in tapioca pearls
  10. Pour mixture in ramekins, about 3/4 full
  11. Place ramekins on baking tray half-filled with water and bake for about 20 minutes.

The custard should have a texture of thick creamy soup before baking.

Egg Tarts

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This is a very easy recipe and they taste just like the ones you get from the Chinese bakeries.  Enjoy ! (It was my daughter’s idea to make a happy face with the tarts !)

Makes about 16

  • 3 eggs
  • 60 mLs evaporated milk
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 150 mLs hot water
  • 1 teaspoon custard powder
  • 16 frozen pastry shells, 3″ (store-bought )
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. Melt sugar in hot water, let cool
  3. Whisk eggs well
  4. Whisk in evaporated milk, custard powder and sweet water until smooth
  5. Place pastry shells on cookie sheet
  6. Strain mixture and pour into pastry shells
  7. Bake for about 22-25 minutes or until middle of custard pop up slightly

You may need to thaw pastry shells for a few minutes before baking, please follow instructions on box. Don’t let custard pop up too much or it will drop and become wrinkly when cooled.  

Hot Chocolate with Marshmallow

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This will sure warm you up on a cold snowy day.

Makes 2 servings

2-3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups of milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
15-20 mini marshmallows

1. Heat milk in pot or microwave oven
2. Stir in cocoa powder and sugar
3. Add vanilla extract
4. Add marshmallows on top. Enjoy!

Steamed Egg Custard

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I inherited the “cooking gene ” from my mom and of course,  her cooking is better than mine…. Well,  except this one!  She said my egg custard is smoother, thanks mom!

Makes 2-3 servings

2 eggs
1 cup of milk
4 tablespoons of sugar

1. Beat eggs well with fork
2. Warm milk in microwave for about 30-40 seconds
3. Stir and melt sugar in warm milk, cool slightly
4. Mix eggs with sweet milk
5. Strain mixture into bowls, cover tight with aluminum foil
6. Steam for about 12 minutes. Serve warm

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

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My daughter and I worked together to get the taste right, even my son, who normally doesn’t like sweet things finds them yummy !

Makes about 16 muffins

  • 150 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 2  and 3/4 cups self-raising flour
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 and 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 and 1/2 cups chocolate chips
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F
  2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder and baking soda, set aside.
  3. Using an electric mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy
  4. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix
  5. Add half of the flour mixture, then half of the milk and mix.  Then add the other halves and mix all together, scraping down sides of bowl
  6. Stir in chocolate chips
  7. Pour batter in lightly greased muffin paper cups to about three-quarters full
  8. Bake for about 20 minutes
  9. Let cool in muffin trays for about 2 minutes, then transfer to rack and cool completely

Batter is slightly runny and lumpy.  Check if muffins are done by putting a toothpick in the middle, it should come out clean.

Chocolate Brownies

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This recipe was taste tested by my son’s friends and it was a thumbs-up !

Makes about 18 squares

  • 100 g unsalted butter
  • 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. Line 12 inch x 4 inch loaf pan or pan of your choice with buttered parchment paper
  3. Melt butter, chocolate and cocoa powder in a bowl over a pot of simmering water, let cool for about 5 minutes
  4. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside
  5. Using an electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, mix together sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until pale at medium speed
  6. Add chocolate mixture, mix until blended
  7. Add flour mixture until well blended, make sure you scrape down sides of mixing bowl
  8. Pour batter in pan, about 1 inch in height and bake for about 35-40 minutes
  9. Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then cool completely on rack and cut into squares

Brownies can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.  Check if brownies are done by inserting a tooth pick in the middle, it should be slightly sticky but not too wet.

Super Easy Pancakes

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Pancakes are very easy to make and homemade ones taste so much better!  My daughter loves to make and eat them.  It’s a good recipe to get the kids involved. Just watch those little hands around hot and sharp objects.

Makes about 12 pancakes

  • 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 and 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  1. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt
  2. Mix together eggs, milk and vegetable oil
  3. Add milk mixture slowly to flour mixture, mix well
  4. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter onto a lightly oiled non stick pan or griddle over medium heat
  5. Cook about 1-2 minutes until bubbles begin to form on top
  6. Flip pancake over and cook for about 1-2 more minutes or lightly brown
  7. Serve with butter, maple syrup or your favorite jam