Creamy Lemon Bars

Creamy and tangy curd layered on top of a crisp shortbread crust.



Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar (white sugar will do!)
• 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup margarine or butter (I use Buttercup)

For the topping:

• 4 large eggs
• 1-1/2 cup white sugar
• grated rind of lemon
• 3/4 cup all purpose cream
• confectioner's sugar for dusting (optional)

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Sift flour, sugar and salt into a bowl and mix well. Add in butter (should be cold but not too hard) and rub in with a fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.





2. Press the mixture evenly into 9x13 tin (or Pyrex) pan. Bake for 15 minutes.





3. While crust is baking, make the topping (oh, that rhymes! say it again! WHILE CRUST IS BAKING, MAKE THE TOPPING!!!) Whisk the eggs and sugar until well blended. Add the lemon juice and rind. Mix again.



4. Whip the cream until soft peaks form.





5. In a steady stream, pour in lemon-egg mixture while folding into whipped cream using a rubber spatula.




6. Pour mixture over warm crust. Return to oven and bake for another 25 minutes.





7. Allow to cool and dust with powdered sugar. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

My super chocolatey BROWNIE recipe

7/After so many trial and errors, I came up with this recipe that I formulated 2 years ago. It's very chocolatey and it's very easy to make! You only have to use one saucepan to mix all of the ingredients so you won't really make a big mess in your kitchen with this. I've posted this recipe in some forums and when people ask me to describe it's consistency and texture, I tell them that it's a bit of the four textures that a brownie can have... cakey, fudgy, chewy, and gooey. What makes it a bit cakey is the 3rd class flour... the melted butter makes it a bit fudgy... what makes it a bit chewy is the brown sugar... and the melted chocolate (aside from the cocoa powder) makes it a bit gooey. I'm not really sure if the reasons for the consistency and texture are correct... wild guess!! :p Ha ha ha! Anyway, I sell these brownies so if you make them, please don't sell them! Ha ha ha! :p

Ingredients:

* 3/4 cup cocoa powder (I use Bensdorp)
* 3/4 cup or 1-1/2 sticks butter/margerine (I use Magnolia Buttercup)
* 2 tablespoons lard
* 2 tablespoons semi-sweet or bitter sweet chocolate chips
* 1 - 2 teaspoons vanilla
* 3 large eggs
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1 cup white sugar
* 2 tablespoons grated or finely chopped white chocolate
* 1 cup 3rd class flour (I use Cinderella flour)

*** Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
*** Grease a 13x9 inch rectangular pan or 9x9 inch square pan and line with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Procedure:

1. In a medium-sized sauce pan, sift the cocoa powder. Add in the butter and lard and put on medium fire until everything has melted and slightly boiling. Remove from fire. (Did I say that right? Ha ha ha!)

(NOTE: Do not stop mixing while doing this because your brownies might have a burnt after taste.)

2. Add in the chocolate chips to the cocoa and butter mixture and stir until completely melted.

3. Add in vanilla.

4. Add in sugar. (brown and white)

5. Add eggs one at time. (Meaning, allow each egg to incorporate well with all the ingredients before you add another one.)

6. Sift the flour on top of the ingredients and add the chopped white chocolate before you mix.

(NOTE:Be careful not to over-mix the batter as it will be aerated and will look more like a cake instead of a brownie. As soon as you don't see any dry ingredients, STOP mixing. You will know that it has been over mixed if there are a lot of bubbles rising. Not to worry! All you have to do is to slightly tap the bottom of the sauce pan just to allow all the bubbles to rise on top.)

7. Pour on prepared pan. If you're using a 13x9 inch rectangular pan, bake for 18-22 minutes. If you're using a 9x9 inch square pan, bake for 25-27 minutes.

8. Allow to slightly cool and cut into squares.

9. Allow to cool completely and put them in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes just to allow the melted chocolate chips and butter to solidify a bit. (This'll create the fudgy texture.)

10. Serve at room temperature.


**If you have any questions or if you want to request some other recipes, please leave your comments here. Thanks!!! :-)

Moist Chocolate Cake with Ganache frosting

I kind of got stuck with this recipe already! It's so simple and easy to make, it's a one-bowl recipe, and it's really yummy.

(Sorry for the pictures! Wish I had three hands! I took all those pictures with my other hand. It's really hard. If I asked for assistance, the pictures would've looked much better. Now I know...)

You will need:

• an oven
• a hand-held or stand mixer
• a rubber spatula
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• two 9-inch round pans
• a medium-sized mixing bowl
• a cake plate
• a double boiler or sauce pan
• an angled spatula or palette knife
• a whisk

The Cake

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Bendsorp cocoa (or any alkalized / dutch-processed cocoa powder)
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup palm oil (you may use vegetable oil or corn oil)
• 1 cup hot coffee
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla (1 teaspoon if using McKormick)
  

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven 325 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans and line with parchment paper.

2. Sift cocoa on a medium-sized mixing bowl.

3. Sift flour on a piece of wax paper and measure with a spoon to a measuring cup and trim using the back of a knife. Add in with cocoa.





4. Sift salt, baking powder, and baking soda over cocoa and flour.

5. Add in brown and white sugar. Whisk all dry ingredients to incorporate well.

6. Create a well at the center using a rubber spatula or spoon and pour in oil and milk. Mix with a rubber spatula just until dry ingredients are moistened.





7. Pour hot coffee and beat for 2 minutes on low speed. Batter will be thin.





8. Add in eggs and vanilla and beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl using rubber spatula and beat for another 10 seconds.





9. Pour batter on prepared pans and bake each for 18-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs.

NOTE: If toothpick comes out clean, it means that the cake was slightly over baked and will become a bit dry. You may brush it with a simple syrup or glaze.

The Frosting

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped semi-sweet or dark chocolate
  
• 1/2 cup all purpose cream
• 1/2 cup margarine or butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Procedure:

1. Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl or double boiler.

2. Place mixing bowl on top of saucepan with water and simmer until chocolate has melted.

3. Whisk until smooth and free from lumps.

4. Stir in vanilla.

5. Allow to cool.

My Tried-and-Tested Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

EASY-TO-UNDERSTAND INSTRUCTIONS

This recipe was hard to create. It took a lot of time, effort and wasted ingredients. I don't like cookies that are too flat nor do I like them too thick like hard bread. It took me months to finalize this perfect recipe. Well, actually there is no such thing as a "perfect chocolate chip cookie." It's a preference. I can say that this one works for me. It makes cookies that are not too flat nor too thick. Well, try it and see for yourself! Oh yeah, I'm planning on posting step-by-step pictures or even videos so please be patient. Thanks!

Ingredients:

3 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (1 teaspoon if using unsalted butter)
2 cups chocolate chips or morsels

1 cup or 2 sticks softened butter or margarine (should be at room temperature. not runny or soupy)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees F

2. Sift flour on a piece of wax paper and spoon to cup to measure 3 and a half. Put in a mixing bowl.

3. Sift baking powder and baking soda directly on mixing bowl. Add in salt and mix dry ingredients with chocolate chips or morsels.

4. In a separate mixing bowl, using an electric hand-held or stand mixer, beat softened butter for one minute or until fluffy and light in color.

5. In a steady stream, add sugar on the side while mixing at low speed.

6. Add in brown sugar in small amounts.

7. Using a rubber spatula, scrape bottom and sides of bowl so the ingredients would incorporate well.

8. Add in eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to incorporate well before adding the next one.

9. Again, scrape bottom and sides of bowl and mix for 1 minute on medium speed.

10. Add to butter-egg-sugar mixture 1 cup at a time of the dry ingredients and fold to incorporate well. (Confusing? Sorry. Leave a comment to ask me exactly how this works! ;-P)

NOTE: Make sure that there aren't any dry ingredients at the bottom.

11. Use two spoons or an ice cream scooper to shape dough into balls and place them on cookie sheets one inch apart so they will have enough space to spread while they bake.

12. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

NOTE: If you bake them longer than ten minutes, they will be hard like rocks when they cool. So make sure you use a timer.

13. Allow them to cool on wire racks.

14. Serve with milk or coffee... or whatever! Ha ha ha!


...I hope you try this recipe! Let me know how it turns out! :-)

Video Marketing For Success

It's been a long time since I last posted on my blog. I've been really busy these days. I turned 22 last week, July 16 (old!) and now I've been working on something to earn from home. It's called video marketing. I believe it's one of the most effective and convenient ways to sell your product or service because nobody checks the classified ads on the newspapers anymore. If you wish to know more about video marketing, skype me or add me to your yahoo messenger list . I'd be happy to help you.

Visit my page and opt-in! Enter your name and e-mail address to receive free access:

http://VideoMarketingForSuccess.blinkweb.com

Also, you might want to check this out!!!





Earn a GREAT INCOME while you SOCIALIZE!!!

Click on the picture below to join (Zenzuu). Thanks!

My First try at Fondant

This cake is soOOoo tiny! I made it for my cousins birthday last year (March 2007). I even pranked her and placed a toy cockroach inside the box. Ha ha ha! Can you imagine, this tiny cake took me hours to decorate? But yeah, it was all worth it!

I made this one last September 2007. I made it for my friend who celebrated her 18th birthday. She was a tourism student so I made a bag and put flags in it. Everything is edible.

By the way, the flags were so fun to make! ;-P

My First Wedding Cake And my third try at Fondant

I made this for my Aunt's Silver Wedding. Everything is edible except for the silver beads. I couldn't find any edible ones. Aw, I so miss baking and making fondant!

My Second Wedding Cake

This was my second wedding cake. Well, it didn't turn out as a I expected but I'm quite happy with it. The bottom cake was a butter cake, 20 inches x 13 inches in size. All the other layers were devil's food cake. Everything was filled and frosted with vanilla buttercream and covered in marshmallow fondant.

Watch this Video!

This is one of the songs that always get stuck in my head! Ha ha ha!

How I got to Learn and Love Baking

My passion for baking started when I was in grade school. My mom bought us a cook book for kids and we used to make chocolate crinkles and cookies and other stuff.

I started baking on my own when I was in high school but the only thing that I baked then were chocolate chip cookies. I didn't have my tried-and-tested recipe at that time. I just used the traditional toll house cookie recipe.

When I was pregnant, I always baked brownies. Those were the times when I was always bored at home so I had to find something to do. I experimented with a lot of different recipes until I formulated my own... adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that, removing some ingredients, replacing other ingredients and stuff like that (but that's a different recipe aside from the one I posted here). That was the time when I was kind of like the "brownie expert" because that's all I can do! Ha ha ha!

After I gave birth to Starr, I still baked on occasions but not that often since I was so busy with all the diaper changing and feeding and doing "Mommy stuff." But when she got a little older I started baking again... with her distracting me and playing with all my baking stuff. Finally, she was nearly turning 1 and I really wanted to make her cake... I never made a successful cake prior to that! So a week before her birthday, I practiced and practiced but still, no successful cake. I still had high hopes though! I got a few offers from some of my mom's friends that they can make the cake but I said, "No, I want to make her cake." (Of course, not in a rude kind of way.) So finally, there it is, the picture of my first ever decorated cake. It's not perfect and smooth but I tried my best! I didn't have a star pan so I made 6 square cakes, cut them into triangles, and put them together. Well, I'm glad that my daughter's first birthday cake was my first cake!


After making my daughter's first cake, I got even more excited about baking and cake decorating until I found a forum that helped me a lot. www.baking911.com. They had step-by-step tutorials on about all kinds of recipes. This was their first recipe that I tried, the "Scratch Yellow cake with Box Qualities." This was my 2nd decorated cake I made for Mothers' day. It's funny because the flowers were already a year old. I got them from my cousin's wedding cake and placed them in a plastic container and funny because I got to preserve them for a year! But eew! We didn't eat them! Well actually, my sister helped with baking the cake but I iced it. I used the "Bake Shop Icing" and used the "basket weave method." It didn't turn out good... pictures are kind! Ha ha ha!

After I made this cake, I tried tons and tons of other recipes and I enjoyed it so much. My family enjoyed eating but my mom didn't enjoy all the mess I made in the kitchen! ;-P

Now, where was I? Oh yeah, so there, I made my second cake and after that, I made the tiny fondant cake for my cousin (The red one with polka dots and a flower.) After that, my sister, brother, and I made a welcome cake for our other sister (confusing ha ha ha!) who came home from the states on June. Then, after two weeks, I made my very first wedding cake, as you can see in one of my posts. So my first cake was February and my first fondant wedding cake was on June. I'm glad that I made some progress in 4 months without going to baking school and all that fuss! I don't mean to brag but I just want to share with you how easy it is to do something if you're really determined and interested... plus, if you're having fun with it, that makes it a lot easier! My cakes definitely don't look that good and I don't mean that you don't have to go to baking school. I do encourage taking baking classes. That is if you have the time and money... why not, right? But I didn't so I kind of taught myself and watched and watched and watched cake decorating videos. The advantage though of going to baking school is you will have a certificate, you will learn how to do things the easy way (like making flowers and other cake accents) so that saves you a lot of time, and you get to interact with those who love cake decorating as much as you do! (That is actually one of the things that I'm really thankful about. We have some churchmates who decorate cakes and are very helpful whenever I have questions. Plus, they let me borrow some of their baking stuff ;-P) So, I might really go to baking school someday, hopefully!

Click on a Recipe:

Moist Chocolate Cake with Ganache Frosting

Creamy Lemon Bars

Brownies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Easy-to-make Bakeshop Frosting

Dark, Dense Chocolate Cake

4 Layer Dessert by Brenda Campbell of Cre8tive Kitchen

Wild Cranberry Muffins by K. Fields of ARCTICULATES

Church Anniversary Cake

My sister Joy and I made this cake last September 2007 for our church anniversary.

It doesn't look that big on the picture but it's really big. It's about 20 inches x 28 inches. It's a devil's food cake layered with butter cake. The Bible was also a devil's food cake (which is ironic because, duh! It's a Bible! Ha ha ha!) One of our church members was joking about it saying, "It's a devil's food cake in the shape of a Bible."