Zebra Cake

February 14, 2010 | Filed Under Baking, Cakes, Lululu at Home blog, Valentine's Day, Vanilla Extract, Zebra Cake | 16 Comments

Yes, that’s supposed to be a heart-shaped cake. However, no one ~~could~~ would wait for me to take a photo of my finished product and I was too tired to fight off the cake eaters.

When I first saw this cake on Lululu at Home, the stripes immediately captured my attention (It’s actually more mesmerizing on a round-shaped cake). I was eager to find out how to get that pattern. Turns out that it was very easy and fun to prepare. Next time I make this cake, I’ll use the round cake pan. Oh, I used my homemade vanilla extract. I’m still so excited that I made my own vanilla extract. It and the cake were made with love. Did you know vanilla is an aphrodisiac?

By the way, can any one tell me why the top of my cake cracked?

Happy Valentine’s day to all.

Paz

Zebra Cake

Lululu’s Home Cooking

(makes 9" cake)

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

4 large eggs, at room temp

1 cup white sugar

1 cup whole milk, at room temp

1 cup olive oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp cocoa powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9" round cake pan. Line with a parchment circle and butter the parchment.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine eggs and sugar. On medium speed, beat until the mixture is light and creamy. Add milk, oil, and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.

On low speed, add the flour mixture and mix until the flour is just incorporated.

Divide batter into 2 equal portions. Keep one portion plain. Add cocoa powder into another and mix well.

Scoop 1/4 cup of plain batter into the middle of the cake pan. Then scoop 1/4 cup of cocoa batter and pour it in the center (right on top) of the plain batter. Continue to alternate between the plain and cocoa batters (always pouring it in the center right on top of the previous batter) until you use up the batters.

Bake at 350F until golden or until a cake tested comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

Cool for 15 minutes in pan and then remove cake from pan to cool on a wire rack.

Mexican Chocolate Cake

February 3, 2010 | Filed Under Baking, Cakes, Chocolate Cakes | 20 Comments

Melting chocolate chips and butter for the cake.

Neither my family nor I really care for chocolate cake. We rarely eat it and prefer yellow cake over a chocolate one. Recently, I saw a Mexican chocolate cake recipe on Canela and Comino . One ingredient in particular intrigued me. Ground cayenne pepper. Ground cayenne pepper in a cake — in a chocolate cake? I HAD to try this recipe.

My mom recently celebrated her birthday and so I decided to make the cake for her birthday. Yikes! God help me if she and the rest of the family didn’t like it. Can you imagine hating your birthday cake. LOL!

As I melted the chocolate to make the cake, it reminded me of the first time that I’d melted chocolate. It was a disaster. I’d burnt the chocolate. Oy vey! What an experience it was. Thankfully, I’ve come a long way, today. I no longer burn chocolate.

Putting the cake ingredients was relatively stress-free. I had no problems. I mixed all the ingredients, including the intriguing cayenne pepper and put the mixture in the oven.

Later, I made the decadent-tasting icing (glaze) and poured it over the cake, watching with fascination as it landed on the top and dripped in large puddles at the bottom of the cake. It looked really good. Better yet, it tasted REALLY good. The chocolate, pepper and other ingredients mixed well together. Luckily, everyone, especially the Birthday Girl, enjoyed the cake (and the icing!). They all ate a second slice. Whew!

If you’re a chocolate cake lover, then this is definitely the cake for you. Even if chocolate cake isn’t your thing, I believe you’ll still like a slice of this Mexican Chocolate cake. I’m so glad my family of non-chocolate cake lovers loved this Mexican chocolate cake.

I have to share with you, though, that I had a plan B, in case the Mexican Chocolate cake didn’t go over nicely. I bought a cheesecake. What? LOL! I’m adventurous but I try not to be dumb, especially when it comes to my mom’s birthday cake. Ha! So, we ended up enjoying BOTH cakes.

Paz

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

As seen on Canela y Comino

(Adapted from Nestle)

Serves 16

CAKE
3/4 cup of butter
1 cup of chocolate chips
1 cup of packed light brown sugar
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 1/4 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2-3/4 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper
1 cup of whole milk

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. In a medium saucepan, melt butter and chocolate chips over medium heat, taking care not to burn the chocolate. Remove from the heat and add both types of sugar and vanilla. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

3. Add eggs one at a time, whisking to incorporate completely.

4. In a small bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and cayenne pepper. Alternately add a third of the flour mixture and half of the milk, stirring to combine after each addition. Pour into a 12 cup Bundt pan, coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes.

5. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning out to a cooling rack. Drizzle with chocolate glaze.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE
1/4 cup of butter, melted
1/4 cup of chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups of powdered sugar
1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream, room temperature
Pinch of salt

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter and chocolate chips over medium heat, taking care not to burn the chocolate. Allow to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

2. Add powdered sugar to a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add melted, cooled chocolate, whipping cream and salt. Stir until blended. If necessary, add additional powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time.

Decadent chocolate glaze. Tasted soooo good!

A slice for you.

Chocolate cake batter. Stick your finger in the bowl and have a taste.

Archives: Steinkogler Gugelhupf

December 28, 2009 | Filed Under Austrian Recipes, Baking, From the Archives | 11 Comments

**I haven’t been cooking or food blogging lately. So, I’ve decided to go through my archives and repost some of my earlier posts, from the days when I started learning to cook and bake (I’m still learning). It certainly brings back good memories.

I recently got a comment about this Austrian cake from a reader and interestingly enough, they showed one of my favorite movies, The Sound of Music, on TV, on Sunday. It definitely made me want to repost this recipe for Steinkogler Gugelhupf.

One day, I’d love to visit Austria and visit some of the spots associated with the movie. Until I’m able to afford a plane ticket, I like to go on a virutual journey at Merisi’s Vienna for Beginners blog. She takes her readers on a wonderful tour of Vienna. There are so many mesmerizing sights and deliciously-filled cafes. Yes, Austria is on my list of places to visit, one day.

Happy days, everyone!

Paz

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Originally posted February 5, 2008

On a roll, after making Kaiser Pancakes, from my Austrian cookbook, I decided to try another recipe. This time, I made Steinkogler Gugelhupf — an Austrian cake. This was interesting for me to make, since the recipe called for the use of yeast. I thought one used yeast only for bread. Hmmm… Well, I followed the instructions, used the yeast and watched my concoction rise, before putting it in the oven.

Instead of one large cake pan, I used a pan with individual cups. That way, everyone could have his/her own small cake, instead of a slice. I liked the way it turned out. Very nicely molded cakes.

The cake had a interesting taste to it. I’m not sure how to describe it — a hint of cornbread taste? I don’t know. However, the confectioners sugar gave it a sweet taste. I’ll have to ask Angelika how it’s supposed to taste.

In the meantime, a few weeks ago, I watched The Sound of Music (for the billionth time). If I had to make something for the Austrian family in the movie, I’d make them this cake and hope that they’d like it.

Now, for those of you who are familiar with the film, sing along with me:

Raindrops on roses,
And whiskers on kittens,
Bright copper kettles
And warm woolen mittens.
Brown paper packages
Tied up with string,
These are a few of my favorite things.
Cream colored ponies,
And crisp apple strudel.
Doorbells and sleighbells
And schnitzel with noodles,
Wild geese that fly
With the moon on their wings,
These are a few of my favorite things.
Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes,
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes,
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things.
When the dog bites,
When the bee stings,
When I’m feeling sad.
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don’t feel so bad!

My Favorite Things (The Sound of Music) — Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Hey! Maybe next time, I’ll make schnitzel with noodles (what’s schnitzel?), as mentioned in the song, or crisp apple strudel… Hmmm… It’s one of their favorite things!

Paz

Gugelhupf before I sprinkled with powdered sugar

Steinkogler Gugelhupf

Imperial Austrian Cuisine by Renate Wagner-Wittula

Ingredients

150g (5oz) butter

100g (3 1/2 oz) sugar

6 egg yolks

350g (1lb) flour

approx. 250ml (8 fluid oz) milk

30g (1oz) yeast

2 egg whites

pinch of salt

butter to grease pan

flour for dusting

almond slivers

confectioners’ sugar

Preparation:

Combine yeast, a small amount of warm milk, a pinch of sugar, and 1 Tbs. flour in a mixing bowl and keep warm. Then melt butter in pan and stir until foamy. Now, mix in the sugar, egg yolks, flour, milk, pinch of salt and the yeast mixture — stir vigorously until the batter forms bubbles and no longer adheres to the sides. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold in. Grease a Gugelhupf mold with butter, dust with flour and sprinkle in the almond slivers. Pour in the batter, cover and let rest in a warm location. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 340-350°F (170-180°C) and bake the Gugelhupf for about 1 hour, sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and serve.

The von Trapp Family

The Sound of Music (1965)

Archives: Butter Pecan Cookies

December 21, 2009 | Filed Under Baking, Cookies, From the Archives | 8 Comments

I remember when I first made these Butter Pecan Cookies. They were really good. I made them several times afterwards. I’ve gotta make them again, very soon.

Happy Holidays to all!

Paz

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Originally posted December 25, 2006

Hi everyone:

I want to wish you a Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukhah, Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa, Eid-al-Adha… Whatever you celebrate, I wish you all the best during this holiday season.

Here’s a delicious Butter Pecan Cookie recipe I’d like to share with you. It’s from Simply Recipes. The buttery taste, along with the pecans will have you going back for more. I made them Christmas Eve and again on Christmas Day. They keep disappearing. Fast! I may make it one more time on Tuesday. The more I make it the better my cookie-making skills become.

This recipe only makes 12 cookies, but you can double the ingredients to make more. Thanks, Elise for the recipe and tip on creaming the butter and sugar. Very helpful.

Paz

Butter Pecan Cookies
Simply Recipes

By the way, here’s a tip I learned over lunch with Bay Area pastry chef Shuna Fish Lydon of Eggbeater. Cream the butter first. Then add sugar and cream them together. This is the way it is supposed to be done. (Thanks Shuna!)

3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar, plus more for coating
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

1- Preheat oven to 350°. On a baking sheet, toast pecans until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Let cool completely; finely chop.

2- With an electric mixer, cream butter for about a minute. Add 1/3 cup sugar and cream until light, about 1 minute more. Beat in vanilla, salt, and flour, scraping down sides of bowl, just until dough comes together. Fold in pecans.

3- Separate dough into 12 pieces; squeeze dough to shape into balls. Roll in sugar. Place, 3 inches apart, on a baking sheet.

4- Gently flatten with the bottom of a glass (reshape sides if necessary). Sprinkle with sugar.

5- Bake until golden brown, rotating sheet halfway through, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with more sugar. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Archives: Santa, Baby — Stained Glass Cookies

December 16, 2009 | Filed Under Baking, Cookies, From the Archives | 7 Comments

I remember the first time I made these cookies. I was so proud of myself.

Paz

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Originally posted December 26, 2007

Okay. So, one of the questions in a Christmas meme that I recently completed got me thinking. It asked what I left for Santa. My answer was nothing. Then I started to think that this year, perhaps, I could bake some cookies for him.

I saw the most enticing, delectable-looking cookies — Stained Glass Cookies — on Elise’s Simply Recipes site. Actually, I’d first seen these cookies on Pille’s blog some time ago. Looking at them, again, this time on Elise’s blog, I was ready and knew that they were the cookies I’d bake for Santa! Yeah, baby!

I put all the ingredients together without incident and then the adventure began: The instructions called for placing the hard candies (that made the stained glass portion) in a bag and then crushing them. Anxious to make my cookies, I forgot to put the candy in a bag before crushing them. I placed them on the chopping board and started whacking away at them. Each time I banged on them with my mallet, pieces of candy would fly all over the kitchen.

Oh, my! However, I didn’t let that minor hiccup stop me. Determined to get my stained glass, I continued to bang away. I think half of the candy must have landed on the kitchen floor. Haha! I’m sorry to say that it never occurred to me on my own, to put it in a bag to contain it. Duh. What a scene. Definitely, next time, I’ll remember to use the bags to crush the candy.

I cut out my cookies and filled in the shapes to make the stained glass, put them in the oven, and voila! I made my very first ever Stained Glass Cookies. They didn’t look too bad and they tasted G-R-E-A-T! I think Santa liked them because the next morning, I found the cookie plate empty and I found some gifts under the Christmas tree with my name on it. Thankfully, he didn’t leave me any coal. So, I think I did all right.

Thanks, Elise and Pille, for the recipe and inspiration. Now that I’ve started, I plan on making these cookies again.

Paz

Oh, by the way, I did my best but for some reason couldn’t get decent photos of the cookies. I was unable to capture how much they really looked like stained glass windows when held to the light. Check out Elise and Pille’s cookies for an accurate and beautiful photo.

Stained Glass Cookies

Simply Recipes

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
30-40 hard candies (such as Life Savers), preferably in several flavors/colors

1 Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.

2 In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add molasses and vanilla extract, mixing until incorporated. Add egg and mix until light and smooth, about 1 minute on medium speed.

3 Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture. Use electric mixer to blend just until flour is incorporated. Divide dough in half and flatten into two disks. Wrap disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour and up to 2 days.

4 Remove any wrappers on candies and separate them by color into plastic bags. Using a mallet to crush candies.

5 Place one disk between two large sheets of waxed paper and roll to 1/4-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut dough into desired shapes. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Using a smaller cookie cutter or a knife, cut shapes into centers of cookies, reserving these center bits to add into extra dough.

6 Use a spoon to sprinkle the crushed candy into the hollowed-out centers of the cookies, filling to the edges. Try to keep the candy within the centers. Any candy specks that fall on the cookie will color the cookie.

7 If cookies will be hung as ornaments or decorations, poke a small hole in the top of each cookie before baking.

8 Bake 9 to 10 minutes. The candy should be melted and bubbling and the cookies just barely beginning to brown. Remove baking sheets from oven and place on wire racks to cool. Allow cookies to cool on pans at least 10 minutes; otherwise, the candy centers may separate from the dough. When cookies are completely cooled, remove and store in an airtight container. String with ribbon if you want to hang as an ornament.

Makes 2 to 4 dozen cookies, depending on how large you make them.

Apple and Walnut Cake

June 15, 2009 | Filed Under Apple and Walnut Cake, Baking | 15 Comments

I’ve made this apple cake twice now (and I plan on continuing to make it many more times). The combination of the apples and walnuts are perfect. I found the recipe on Gina’s Gingerbread and loved that the cake is quick and easy to make with so few ingredients.

Gina used banana and pear in making her cake but I decided to stick with the original recipe and used apples and walnuts. The cake smelled delicious while baking and tasted just as good when it came out of the oven.

Hmmm… Maybe next time I’ll make this cake using banana and pears.

Paz

Quick Apple Cake

Gingerbread

1 cup sugar (raw is great)
1/2 cup margarine (125g)
2 eggs (small or one large)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup self-raising flour
2 cups chopped apple (small pieces, skin on is fine)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Mix sugar and margarine with electric mixer until combined
add eggs and mix well
add all other ingredients
(should be a fairly stiff mixture)

Sprinkle with a little cinnamon and raw sugar (if desired)

Bake in slice tin 30 mins or cake tin about 45 mins

Note: takes about 2 small apples..if you don’t like walnuts you could just leave
out or replace with some sultanas or other dried fruit

Havarti, Asparagus & Smoked Salmon Quiche

June 8, 2009 | Filed Under Baking, Foods I Never Liked Before Until I Started to Cook, Quiches | 20 Comments

Since I made my first quiche, I discovered that I like ~~making-~~ eating them. Okay, making and eating them. I like the various mixtures, which one can choose to make a quiche. I decided to try Jenifer’s combination of Havarti, asparagus and smoked salmon that I found on Nectar & Light.

I’m getting better at making the pâte brisée (the crust) and I’m glad about that. Jenifer uses a food processor to make her crust but I made mine by hand and I’m happy to write that it came out well. Really well. This is the best crust I’ve ever made and tasted. It was just as Jenifer described, "rich, flaky and buttery." It was delicious!

I’ve never tasted Havarti cheese before and I liked it a lot. I think I’ve mentioned in earlier posts that before I started cooking, I never cared for asparagus (or quiches for that matter), but I love them now.

I’m so proud of myself when I make something that comes out well. I enjoyed my quiche very much. So did everyone in my household who ate it. I’d planned on taking the leftovers to work the next day for lunch. However, when I went into the kitchen to save a piece, I found the pan empty. There was nothing left. I guess that’s a compliment, huh?

Paz

Havarti, Asparagus & Smoked Salmon Quiche

Nectar & Light

Making the Pâte Brisée:

Pâte Brisée {for one crust}

~ 1 1/2 c. flour

~ 1/4 t. salt

~ 9 T. butter, cold and cut in chunks

~ 3 T. ice water

the easiest method for creating this particular crust is in a food processor. i have not attempted to make it with a pastry blender but i am sure it is doable. in the processor {fit with the blade} add the flour, salt and butter. process until the flour resembles a fine meal - then through the opening on the top of the lid, add the 3 T. of ice water - continue to allow the processor to run until a ball of dough is formed. remove the dough and form it into a thick disc. if you want to use it right away, you should refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes prior to rolling it out. if you will use it within a day or so, wrap it tightly in plastic {or a ziploc} and store in the refrigerator. as mentioned, if does store quite well in the freezer. i wrap each disc individually and remove from the freezer within two hours of when i would like to use it.

Making the Quiche

for the quiche, this pie crust should be rolled out and placed into a lightly buttered quiche pan or deep pie dish. finish the edges as you wish. the crust should be pre-baked at 375 for 20 minutes, or until it begins to turn golden. when pre-baking crusts, they have a habit of rising a bit - be sure to place pie weights or beans into the shell to avoid this - using another pie dish that fits perfectly inside the shell works as well.

quiche filling:

~ 3 eggs

~ 1 1/2 c. heavy cream

~ 1 c. havarti {shredded}

~ 1 c. steamed asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces

~ 1 c. smoked salmon {flaked} - this is about two packages worth

~ salt and pepper to taste

to shred the havarti - because it is such a soft cheese - place it into the freezer for about 10 minutes to make it easier to shred. whisk together the eggs and heavy cream. stir in havarti, asparagus and salmon. add pepper and salt - you should not have to salt this too much as smoked salmon is on the rather salty side. pour the filling into the baked crust and place in oven at 325 for 45 minutes. the quiche is done when an inserted fork comes out clean. let the quiche settle for about 15 minutes before cutting into it.

Nectarine and Blueberry Pie

May 31, 2009 | Filed Under Baking, Fruits, Recipes | 23 Comments

I like to bake, but I don’t do it often enough. It’s therapeutic for me — the kneading, the shaping, the rolling out of the dough, the baking smells…. However, one needs time and energy to bake (or at least, I do) and lately, I haven’t had a lot of time or energy for that — not until I saw this delicious recipe for a Nectarine and Blueberry Pie on Sweet Paul. I saw nectarines and blueberries at the grocery store, just calling my name, and there was no holding me back. I made the time and found some energy to try out this pie.

While I could use the practice slicing the nectarines, rolling the dough and making the petals for the pie crust, I still had a good time making this pie and enjoyed my finished product.

The instructions called for using a tablespoon of white vinegar in the pie crust ingredients. Hmm… Very interesting. I’d never heard of that before. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any white vinegar, so I couldn’t use it. I’m not sure if the lack of vinegar in my crust made a difference in its taste of my crust, but I thought it tasted just fine.

I liked that overall, my pie wasn’t too sweet. The fruits and crust tasted good. My Nectarine and Blueberry Pie was a nice treat for a long-awaited weekend. Now it’s time to start a new week.

Have a good week, everyone.

Paz

Ed. Note: Thanks, Courtney and Mari for letting me know that the vinegar in the crust ingredients makes it nice and flaky. Ahhh! I didn’t know that. Now I do.

Nectarine and Blueberry Pie

Sweet Paul

Serves 8

4 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 3/4 cups unsalted cold butter, in cubes

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 large egg

1/2 cup iced water

Combine flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl.

Add butter and use your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Mix vinegar, egg and water in a bowl and mix into the flour with your hands just until combined.

Press the dough gently together, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour.

Take it out and roll it flat.

Fill a 9 inch pie plate with it.

Cut of excess dough.

Cut out small circles with a cookie cutter to go around the edge of the pie.

Filling:

5 nectarines, pitted and sliced

1/2 cup blueberries

2 tablespoons plain flour

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

Place the nectarines and blueberries in a bowl and toss with flour.

Place it in the pie shell. Pour over the lemon juice and sprinkle with sugar.

Line the edge of the pie with the small dough circles.

Beat egg and milk and brush the dough with it.

Bake at 450F for about 40 minutes, or until golden.

Cool and serve.

Plantain, How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways #6: Sweet Baked Plantain with Cheese

January 4, 2009 | Filed Under Baking | 22 Comments

I’ve been eating a lot of much-needed comfort food lately and got very excited when I came across a recipe for an old childhood favorite on Laylita’s blog. A plantain recipe. Yes, plantain. You can find some of my plantain stories here.

One of the things I like about this so called cooking banana is that you can prepare it in several different ways. You can boil, fry or bake it. When I make my plantains, I normally fry them.

I got excited about Laylita’s recipe for baked plantain because it triggered memories of eating baked plantain and roasted peanuts as a young girl in Africa. I don’t think I’ve eaten baked plantains here in the States before. What a treat!

Laylita’s recipe was unique to me because the sweet baked plantain is served with cheese. Cheese! In this case, Mozzarella. Oh my! The combination tasted really good. I would have never imagined eating plantain with cheese. She also recommends using feta cheese or a good queso, which I’ll try at another time.

According to Laylita, this dish makes a great breakfast or brunch. I’ve made it several times now, mainly for dinner. So, I can say that it makes a great dinner, too. It’s also great as a an appetizer or side dish when cut the plantain is cut in half or into smaller pieces.

I loved Laylita’s way of serving the baked plantain and cheese with Aji Criollo, a spicy Ecuadorian hot sauce. Oh. My. Gosh! What a perfect combination of the taste of the sweet plantain, melted cheese and hot pepper! Whoo hoo! If you don’t like hot-tasting food, then leave it out but if you’re like me and love peppers, then go for it! I’ll post the hot sauce recipe next week.

I left the plantain in the oven a little longer than I should have and it came out a little darker than normal, but no matter. The plantain still tasted good.

The best part of this recipe is that it is one of the healthiest ways of preparing plantain — baked is much better than fried (although I love my fried plantain.). The cooking process was very easy to follow and after a long day, I was happy that I didn’t have to go through any lengthy food preparations in order to eat. Thanks Laylita for this plantain recipe. It made my day.

Paz

Sweet Baked Plantain with Cheese

Laylita Recipes

Ingredients:

6 ripe plantains, whole

1-2 Tbs melted butter or oil, use as little as you want

6 thick slices of mozzarella

Optional side - Aji criollo (Ecuadorian hot sauce)

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 400 F

Peel the plantains, place them on a baking sheet and rub them with butter or oil.

Bake the plantains for 30 minutes, then turn each one and bake for another 15 - 20 minutes or until golden on both sides.

Remove the plantains from the oven, made a horizontal slit on the middle of each plantain, and stuff them with cheese slices

In a few minutes the cheese will have melted, serve immediately, with or without hot sauce.

Chocolate & Walnut Mandelbrot

December 28, 2008 | Filed Under Baking | 16 Comments

I made something this Christmas that I really liked A LOT – Jen’s Chocolate and Walnut Mandelbrot. Oh, it was soooo good and as I savored my finished product, I was very happy with myself. Regular readers by now, know that I get really excited when anything I make turns out well.

According to Jen, Mandelbrot (or Mandel Bread) is a Jewish Biscottti and "when drowned in coffee, provides the most delightful means of starting your day". I’m not a coffee drinker (although I felt like becoming one after reading The Various Flavors of Coffee) but I enjoyed my Mandelbrot with a nice cup of hot chocolate and later with a tall glass of Coke. The chocolate and walnuts are supposed to be chopped but I didn’t chop the chocolate. No matter. I don’t think the size of my chocolate chips harmed this twice baked cookie. Man, oh man, did it taste divine! I loved the way the chocolate, walnuts and cookies melted in my mouth. Divine, I tell you.

Jen suggests that if you don’t like walnuts, you can substitute them with pecans. She also recommends serving the biscotti straight from the oven with a scoop of coffee ice cream. Next time, I’ll have to try that. Most definitely. Thanks for the recipe, Jen. I plan on making it again and again and again.

I wish everyone a wonderful New Year’s celebration and a Happy New Year, full of all things good. Thanks for stopping by here this year. Without you, it would be no fun.

Best,

Paz

Jen Altman’s Chocolate & Walnut Mandelbrot

Design*Sponge

Ingredients:

¾ cups sugar

½ cups olive oil

2 organic eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

2 cups flour

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 cups (8oz.) chopped semi-sweet baking chocolate (the best you can find)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Begin by chopping the chocolate and walnuts — set aside. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt and sift well — set aside. In a large bowl whisk the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla together until they are well incorporated. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and beat until well mixed. Fold in the walnuts and chocolate.

Scoop the dough out onto the baking sheet and shape into a long flat log — about 10-12 inches long and 3-4 inches wide. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes. Pull from the oven and reset the temperature to 325F. Let the log sit and cool for 15-20 minutes. Using a serated knife, carefully cut the log into 1 inch slices. The dough will still be a bit soft at this point so cut and handle the slices with care. Place the slices on the baking sheet — they will not spread so they can be placed close together. Bake an additional 10 minutes — cool for 10 minutes, then flip the cookies over and bake an additional 10 minutes.