Mmmmmm...

chocolate meringue kisses




I decided to make meringues because I had egg whites leftover from the custard recipe. I chopped the walnuts too small, I think larger pieces give it more of a chewy texture. These are really addictive. I eat one and I can't stop.. even though I'm not a huge chocolate fan. It's a little too sweet for my liking, again I need to learn to put less sugar.


ingredients:

1 cup icing sugar
3 egg whites, stiffly beaten
1/2 cup crushed saltine crackers
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 oz of semisweet chocolate chips


directions:

Preheat oven to 325°F.

1. Fold sugar into stiffly beaten egg whites alittle at a time.

2. Add the crackers, nuts and vanilla and fold in gently.

3. Drop mixture into cookie sheet

4. Bake for 12 minutes.

Labels: Baking, Recipes

custard tart




I decided to try something different. I realize I have been making the same cakes.. well using the same ingredients and such. I opted to make custard tarts this week after trying the sweet Nova Era ones. I also really like eggtarts. I found a great recipe for Portuguese egg tart online, though I decided to go with this the recipe that my sister got from my aunt. I use a bit of both recipe. The recipe that my sister had called for already made tart shells, though I decided to use the Portuguese egg tart recipe and make my own tart shells with puff pastry.
I personally found the pastry salty and the custard very light and yummy. My mom enjoyed it. She has claimed 5 tarts and she's bringing them to work to share with her coworkers. She would only take the baked good that shes enjoys... otherwise they will be left sitting on my kitchen table until I decide to finish it.
My rolling pin decided to disappear this morning. I ended up using my HAND to roll out the dough and let me tell you.. it sucked! hehe


ingredients:

397g puff pastry
4 egg yolks
5 tbsp icing sugar
500g whipping cream


directions:

Preheat oven to 300°F - using muffin trays

1. I decide to divide my puff pastry into 24. Though depends on how thick you would like your crust. Mine was a little thin... so maybe make 18-20 next time. Roll out the dough to fit into muffin tray.

2. In a large bowl whisk together egg, sugar and whipping cream.

3. Pour combine ingredients into tart shells.

4. Bake until brown.

Labels: Baking, Recipes

chocolate chip crumb cake




I printed this recipe ages ago, but I never got around to trying the recipe.
It's toooo sweeet. I always forget to cut down the sugar on Rose Reisman cakes... too lazy.
I'll write more later. hehehe


ingredients:

8 oz smooth 5% ricotta cheese
1/3 cup vegetable oil or butter
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup low-fat yogourt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

FILLING
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon


directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray a 9-inch Bundt pan with cooking spray.

1. In a large bowl or in a food processor, beat together ricotta, oil, and sugar, mixing well. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well.

2. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda; add to ricotta mixture in batches, alternating with the yogourt, mixing just until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour half the batter into prepared pan.

3. To make filling: In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon. Sprinkle half over the batter in the pan. Add remaining batter and top with remaining filling.

4. Place pan in the centre of the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the centre comes out dry.

5. Let the pan cool on a wire rack. After cake has cooled, sprinkle with icing sugar, if desired.

**Recipe was from Rose Reisman.

Labels: Baking, Cake, Recipes

phyllo apple cheese pie





I was craving apple pie. Apples were on sale at Dominions this week, but stupid cashier overcharged one of my apples. I decided to buy 3 different kinds for variety.
This was not a successful apple pie. The looks and presentation are horrible, though taste is not bad. I'm not use to cheese in my pie, but it tastes pretty good. I don't enjoy working with phyllo. My phyllo still looks really pale to me. I didnt have any vegetable spray, so that might have been a problem. I also used a toaster over, so the top got really burnt.. meaning I had to over it with foil therefore the bottom was not able to turn golden brown.
It may not look pretty, but it tastes pretty good. =)


ingredients:

CHEESE MIXTURE

3 oz light cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup smooth 5% ricotta cheese
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla

APPLE MIXTURE

4 cups diced peeled apples
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
6 sheets phyllo pastry
Vegetable spray


directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with vegetable spray.

1. In a food processor, combine cream cheese, ricotta cheese, sugar, egg, flour, and vanilla; purée the
mixture until it is smooth.
2. In a bowl, stir together apples, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
3. Place two sheets of the phyllo in a prepared pan, letting the excess hang over sides. Spray with
vegetable spray. Place two more sheets in the pan, arranging them so the excess falls over different
sides of the pan from first two sheets. Spray. Place the last two sheets of the phyllo in the pan.
Place the apple mixture in the pan. Pour the cheese mixture over top. Fold the excess phyllo up
and over top of the filling so it is completely enclosed. Spray with vegetable spray.
4. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the phyllo is golden. Let it cool on a wire rack.

**Recipe was from Rose Reisman.

Labels: Baking, Pie, Recipes

turkey lettuce spirals/wrap




I STILL have my extra tortillas from two weeks ago.. good thing they are good till tomorrow. I still have 4 or 5 left. It's never ending. I bought a package of 10; why can't they come with less!!?? This week for lunch I'm having smoked turkey, which I had to cut and slice from a big drumstick that my mom purchased at No Frills. I'm not a fan of the deli meat.. unless its the smoked montreal meat. I normally have my boring wraps... but I decided to have some fun after browsing around bento lunch blogs. They look so good and so cute, but I don't think I have the patience to mold my food into cute animals/characters. All I did was cut my wrap up and put them into my box. It made eating a bit more fun and erjoyable today. haha

ingredients:

Smoked Turkey Meat (cut up any way, sliced/diced)
Lettuce (any lettuce will do, I only had the iceberg at home - again may cut up)
Tortilla wrap
Honey Dijon mustard

directions:

1. Spread mustard on tortilla
2. Sprinkle on turkey meat and lettuce
3. Roll up.
4. Cut up and serve.


** Oh yeah, I made phyllo apple cheese pie today. It didn't turn out that great. =/

Labels: Lunch, Recipes, Wraps

roast beef quesadillas





I had extra tortillas from last week's lunch - wraps. I didn't know what exactly to do with it. My mom decided to cook some roast beef for me this week to pack in sandwiches for lunch. I had some yesterday and it was extremely dry - she overcooked it. I decided I didnt want to have just plain sandwiches today, since I was at home. I found in my fridge some swiss cheese and mozzarella. I was suddenly craving quesadillas. I had always wanted to make mushroom quesadillas, but I never got around to buying all the large variety of mushrooms, monterey jack or cheddar cheese. I decided what the heck, I can try to make it with what I got. I wanted to add tomatoes, but apparently we ran out of tomatoes.
It turned out a bit too cheesey. I put too much cheese and beef, but nevertheless it was okay and filled me up. :) I decided to fold my tortilla, because I knew I couldn't finish it if I had two. Therefore, I folded mine in half when making it.


ingredients:

roast beef cut into strips
mozzarella cheese
swiss cheese


directions:

1. Place the tortilla down in a medium heated skillet. Spread half the cheese onto half of the tortilla, followed by the meat and then the rest of the cheese. Let it sit until cheese starts to melt.
2. Fold the tortilla in half and flip. Again let the cheese melt.
3. Cut and serve.

**Optional to use two tortillas, but I was only cooking for myself and I can't finish it all.

Labels: Quesadillas, Recipes

carrot, apple and coconut loaf





ingredients:

2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup margarine or butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup grated carrots
2/3 cup peeled, finely chopped apples
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup raisins
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup 2% yogurt


directions:

1. In large bowl or food processor, cream together sugar and margarine. Add eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla; beat well. Stir in carrots, apples, coconut and raisins.

2. In bowl, combine flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder and baking soda; add to batter alternately with yogurt, mixing until just combined. Pour batter into loaf pan; bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until tester inserted in center comes out clean.

**Recipe was from Rose Reisman.

Labels: Baking, Recipes

coconut chocolate chip cake



I decided to bake some coconut chocolate chip cake today, though they didn't turn out as nicely as in the picture. Instead the stupid chocolate chips sunk to the bottom. It didn't take much time - really only 20 minute of my studying time. I'm quite unhappy with the result :(

ingredients:


2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup caster sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup self-raising flour, sifted
½ cup desiccated coconut
½ cup chocolate chips


directions:

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180 degree celcius (350 Farenheit).
2. Grease and line a shallow 29 x 18 x 2.5 cm (11 x 7 x 1 inch) rectangular tin with greaseproof paper.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, add the eggs a little at a time, then add half of the flour.
4. Stir in the coconut and chocolate chips and fold in the remaining flour.
5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until golden
and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
6. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. When cool, cut into slices.

Labels: Baking, Cake, Recipes