Moist chocolate cake

I call this THE moist chocolate cake. And nothing else in life brings joy. A taste of chocolate-y goodness is enough to give you a high for the day. Most of the time, I am thinking "I should diet!" but this is definitely one of those things you can't resist.... simply because! :)

Recipe from Chef Kittin Z:

Ingredients -

1 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups boiling water
2 ¾ cups MAYA All Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 ½ cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate Icing:
½ cup cocoa
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons MAYA All Purpose Flour
2 ½ cups milk


Procedure:
1. In a bowl, mix unsweeted cocoa with boiling water; mix with wire whisk until smooth. Set aside and cool completely.
2. Sift all dry ingredients together, except the sugar.
3. In a large bowl of mixer, using paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar, eggs, & vanilla until light and fluffy.
4. At a low speed, beat in flour mixture and liquid cocoa mixture alternately, ending with flour mixture.
5. Pour equally into three 9-inch round pans.
6. Bake in 350°F / 177°C oven for 25-30 minutes.
7. Mix all choco icing ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour hot icing immediately to cover cake.

Lemon pie.... simply luscious!

Being able to attend cooking & baking classes at The Maya Kitchen..... for free!.... was one of the highlights of my 2011. Thanks to kind souls like Ms. Rory Subida and their tireless publicist Tess. I always make it a point to sit in the sessions once am invited because I love being busy in the kitchen (when the mood suits me!) and of course it provides fodder for this blog. Here's one recipe for lemon pie to try as demonstrated by Chef Kittin Zenarosa, the pastry lady behind The Cookbook Kitchen in Eastwood City.

Ingredients:

Graham Pie Crust: (Do ahead )
6 tablespoons salted butter
1 ½ cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
¼ cup sugar

Lemon curd:
3 lemons (finely grated rind & lemon juice)
4 eggs
1 cup caster sugar
1/2 butter, chopped

Procedure:
1. Make Pie Crust: Mix all ingredients together and press firmly with hand or spoon onto an 8 or 9-inch round pie pan. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Make lemon curd: Finely grate rind of 1 lemon. Juice all lemons. Whisk eggs and sugar together in a heatproof bowl until well combined. Add lemon rind and 2/3 cup lemon juice, whisking constantly until well combined. Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not allow base to touch water). Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 30 to 35 minutes or until thick and custard-like. Do not allow to boil. Remove from heat and whisk in butter.
3. Pour lemon curd into chilled pie crust. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Up ahead: her recipe for moist chocolate cake. Yum!:)

Food for the gods recipe

Food for the gods! It's one of those treats we can bake this Christmas for giving to our family and friends. I am sure this will leave them impressed, but it's actually as easy as making those sinful fudge brownies. Recipe courtesy of The Maya Kitchen.


Ingredients:

200 grams pitted dates
200 grams walnuts
1-1/4 cups butter, softened to room temperature
5 cups lightly (not loosely) packed dark brown sugar
3-3/4 cups + 1 tablespoon MAYA All-Purpose Flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
2-1/2 teaspoons salt
5 eggs
2-1/2 teaspoons vanilla essence


Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 177°C. Place the pitted dates on a chopping board and sprinkle with one tablespoonful of flour.3 Chop coarsely. Transfer the chopped dates to a bowl and set aside.
Chop the walnuts to roughly the same size as the chopped sultanas. Add to the dates in the bowl. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla essence. Add the flour in batches, mixing with a wooden spoon. The batter will be very heavy. Finally, stir in the dates and walnuts. Cover the bottom and sides of a 12-1/2 x 17-1/2 x 1 jelly roll pan with non-stick baking paper. Allowing overhangs on the long sides is useful so that you slide off the baked food for the gods on a cooling rack in one piece.
Pour the batter into the pan scraping the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl to make sure you get all of the batter into the pan. Level off with a spatula. Bake in a preheated 350oF oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Watch the last few minutes closely so that just as soon as it’s sufficiently baked, you can turn off the oven at once and take out the pan.
Then, cool in the pan for 10 minutes to firm it up a bit. Holding one end of the baking paper overhang with one hand and holding the pan at a 45o angle with the other, pull out the baked food for the gods and slide onto a cooling rack. Cool for another 15 minutes or so. While still a bit warm, cut into 1-1/2 or 2-inch squares. Cool completely. Place on festive colored paper cups or wrap in colored Japanese paper.

Sylvannas recipe

It's not everyday that I get to find a good recipe for sylvannas, those heavenly sweet treats made of cream and delicate meringue. Thanks to a baking class I attended at The Maya Kitchen, am sharing here how to make sylvannas as taught by Ines Javellana of The Vargas Kitchen.


Meringue: 1 cup egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 cup chopped cashew nuts
½ teaspoon vanilla

Cream Mousseline: 1 ½ cup sugar
½ cup water
9 egg yolks
1 ½cups butter
1 cup chopped cashew nuts
MAYA All Purpose Flour / Crushed wafer (for dredging)

Preheat oven to 325°F / 163°C. Generously grease and flour the backs of 6 (9-inch) square pans. Beat egg whites until frothy. Add sugar gradually; continue beating until stiff. Fold in chopped nuts and vanilla. Divide the mixture equally into the greased and floured surfaces of the 6 pans. Spread meringue thinly. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until light brown. When meringue are done and while still warm immediately cut out wafers into oval or round shaped. Cool on wire rack. Prepare Filling.

How to make Cream Mousseline: Boil sugar and water until thread-like in consistency. Beat egg yolks until lemon-colored. Add syrup; continue beating until smooth. Set Aside. Cream the butter until fluffy. Add in egg yolk mixture. Beat 1 minute longer until creamy. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To assemble: Place one meringue wafer onto serving platter. Spread with some cream mousseline. Sprinkle with nuts. Top with another wafer. Repeat procedure for the remaining
wafers and mousseline. Frost all over with cream mousseline and top with more chopped nuts. Freeze until ready to serve.

Red velvet cake .... so colorful and so good!

Here's a red velvet cake recipe shared by Ines Javellana of The Vargas Kitchen. Special thanks to The Maya Kitchen for letting me attend this desserts class:)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
2 1/2 cups MAYA Cake Flour (not self-rising), sifted, plus more for pans
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 one-ounce bottles liquid red food coloring
3 tablespoons lukewarm water
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Cream Cheese Frosting for Red Velvet Cake

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, and butter again. Dust with flour, and tap out the excess; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, cocoa, and baking powder; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar, and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 15 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, salt, food coloring, and water; beat, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until well combined. Add reserved dry ingredients in additions, alternating with the buttermilk; beat on low speed until well combined.

In a small bowl, stir together baking soda and vinegar; add to batter. Beat on medium speed for 10 seconds. Be sure not to overbeat. Divide batter between prepared pans, and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove pans from oven, and transfer to a wire rack to cool, about 15 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack; let stand until completely cool.

Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes so surfaces are level. Place a layer on a cake stand or cardboard round, and spread about 1/3 of the frosting over top. Place the second layer on top, and spread with the remaining frosting over the tops and sides of assembled cake. Transfer to refrigerator, and chill until ready to serve.

Chorizo & kesong puti omelette

Preparation time: 5 minutes; Cooking time: 3-5 minutes; Serves: 1-2

Ingredients
3 whole fresh eggs, large size
1 pc whole chorizo, sliced diagonally
1⁄2 Tbsp corn oil
1⁄2 cake quesong puti, sliced in thin flat sheets
3 - 4 pcs basil leaves, torn or cut into chiffonade
pinch coarse salt
pinch freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp softened butter
1 Tbsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

Procedure
1. Heat corn oil in hot pan. Pan-fry the chorizo slices.

2. The pimenton oils from the chorizo will blend with the corn oil and turn it into a rich
orange color.

3. Remove from heat and separate chorizo slices.

4. Reserve the oil.

5. In a glass bowl, slightly beat the eggs with a wire whisk. Season with salt, pepper and Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce.

6. Pour the "chorizo oils" and stir gently until blended.

7. The stirred eggs might cook a bit if the oil is still hot.

8. In a hot teflon pan or skillet, melt the butter and heat until bubbly.

9. Pour the egg mixture evenly and let stand for 1 minute, then lower heat gradually to prevent the omelette from burning at the bottom.

10. Lay out the chorizo slices, quesong puti slices and basil leaves on the omelette like you would do on a bibingka.

11. Fold the omelette.

Serve right away with Heinz Tomato Ketchup.

Smoked bangus lumpia

Preparation time: 30 minutes; Cooking time: 30 minutes; Serves: 4-6

Ingredients
2 pcs boneless tinapang bangus, finely shredded
2 medium-sized onions chopped finely
2 Tbsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
1 small bar quick melt cheese, cut into small cubes
1 bunch wansoy, finely chopped
1 pc mango, half-ripe, finely diced
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
lumpia wrappers
1 egg white

Procedure
1. Mix first six ingredients in a bowl.
2. Place a few tablespoons of mixture into lumpia wrappers and roll.
3. Use egg white as glue for wrapper ends when rolling.
4. Deep fry till golden brown.

Best eaten with Heinz Tomato Ketchup.

Pork chop inihaw recipe

I love pork chop and here's a nice recipe provided by the world-famous Heinz Ketchup:

Preparation time: 1 hour; Cooking time:15 minutes; Serves: 5

Ingredients
5 pcs pork chop
1 Tbsp garlic, crushed
1⁄2 tsp whole black peppercorn, crushed
1 Tbsp brown sugar
5 Tbsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
10 Tbsp Heinz tomato ketchup
10 Tbsp pineapple juice
1⁄2 tsp salt

Procedure
1. Marinate pork chops in garlic, crushed black pepper corn, brown sugar, Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce, Heinz Tomato Ketchup, pineapple juice and salt for an hour in the refrigerator.
2. Charbroil till done. Serve with freshly cooked garlic rice and Heinz Tomato Ketchup.

Carrot bars in time for Christmas

The Maya Kitchen gives baking enthusiasts the best ideas for baking and selling this Christmas. Here's a carrot bar recipe that I learned from a class today that was taught by Ines Vargas-Javellana, granddaughter of the lady behind Vargas Kitchen which has made a name for its divine butter cakes. These yummy carrot bars are perfect for gift-giving or impressing members of your family. They're a nice variation to the usual carrot cakes and cupcakes.

Here's The Vargas Kitchen Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350F/177C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Make filling using the following ingredients: two bars cream cheese, softened at room temperature; two ounces unsalted butter; 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and one tsp. fresh lemon juice. With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add sugar and lemon juice, beat until combined. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.

For the bars itself, you need: 1/2 cup (1 stick) melted unsalted butter, 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, one large egg yolk, 3/4 cup Maya all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 cup rolled oats and 3/4 cup packed finely grated carrots. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, sugars and egg yolk. In a medium bowl, sift flour and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir until combined. Mix in oats and carrots.

Pour batter into prepared baking sheets. Bake until edges are crisp, rotating baking sheets halfway through, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer mixture to a wire rack to cool.

Turn the baking pan over, bottom side up. Frost bars with 1 tsp. each chilled cream cheese filling and serve.

Adobo pasta recipe from The Cookbook Kitchen

Here's a delicious pasta al adobo recipe shared by Chef Gen Capati in a class at The Maya Kitchen. Chef owns The Cookbook Kitchen in Eastwood, Pampanga & Mandaluyong. This pasta dish is one of the bestsellers in their menu. I like this pasta and it only shows the versatility of our national dish, adobo. Do this when you're tired of pairing your adobo with rice or would simply like to impress your guests.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 cups tomatoes, chopped

4 tbsp. soy sauce

4 tbsp. water

200 grams cooked pork adobo, shredded

400 grams spaghetti, cooked al dente

2 tbsp. crunchy garlic

1 tsp. fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

Procedure:

Saute tomato, crunchy garlic and shredded adobo in olive oil.

Add water and soy sauce. Simmer to reduce the sauce.

Add spaghetti & toss.

Serve in a bowl, garnish with more garlic crunch and parsley

Laing lumpia, anyone?

The original recipe called this crispy laing pockets, but I'd rather call this laing lumpia. A great new way to cook our favorite laing and lumpia. This actually reminds me of the spanakopita (Greek spinach pie) that I also learned how to make recently.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Knorr, via the YUMMY cooking demo.

Ingredients:

3 pieces green peppers, sliced
50 grams dried taro leaves
1 pack Knorr Ginataang Gulay Langka and Laing Complete Recipe Mix
1 cup water for boiling gabi leaves
2 cups water for dissolving Knorr Ginataang Gulay Complete Recipe Mix
23 pieces lumpia wrapper
cooking oil, for deep frying

Procedure:

Boil dried gabi leaves in two cups water until it dries up.

Dissolve Knorr Complete Recipe Mix in 2 cups water.

Pour dissolved gata mix into the gabi leaves and add the green peppers. Boil until the mixture thickens.

Let laing cool. Set aside.

Cut lumpia wrapper into three or four strips. Place a spoonful of laing on one strip and carefully fold and wrap into a triangle shape.

Seal wrap with a mixture of flour and water.

Deep fry laing pockets until golden brown.

Place in a paper towel to remove excess oil. Serve while hot and crispy.

Meatloaf mushroom melt

This is a great snack for the kids! The original recipe called for bacon, but since I didn't have it in the pantry, I used meatloaf instead ( Spam, Maling or derivative). The original recipe was by Chef Sunshine Pengson and appeared in a food magazine.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Magnolia gold butter
2 tbsp. garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
8 strips bacon, cooked
185 g. Magnolia Quickmelt Cheese, sliced
4 pcs. burger buns

Procedure:

Melt butter in a saute pan. Saute garlic and mushrooms. Set aside, Place mushrooms on split side of the bun. Top with sliced Magnolia Quickmelt Cheese and cooked bacon. Place in the oven toaster and cook for three minutes or until cheese melts.Top with the other half of the bun and serve. Serves 4.