TO ALL SMART, TALK 'N TEXT, AND RED MOBILE USERS

GOOD NEWS! You can earn Thousands by simply buying your usual personal load. 100% free to join. Well, of course, you need 1 peso to send your registration through text and load at least P300 a month using your smart money. Join now and be one of the topliners.

HOW IT WORKS

It's simple, rebates from the purchased load credits will be distributed to the network*.
Maximum Rank - Quadruple Platinum (21 or more direct refs)
Maximun Referrals Level (or Level of Income Streams) - 14
Required Amount to Qualify/Receive Earnings - PhP 300 worth of load per month**

* Rebates that you will get from Smart Money is separate from rebates from Pinoy Rewards, you get both
** If you have been earning more than PhP300/mo through this program, they will automatically deduct 300 from your wallet every month for your personal load, and then send the rest of your balance to your Smart Money

WHAT YOU NEED

a SMART / TALK 'n TEXT/ RED MOBILE sim card
an activated Smart Money account and card for money transfers *
PhP 300**
Tax Identification Number (TIN) ***

* Card is only about P30; visit http://smart.com.ph/money/
** Initial Fund for your Smart Money which will be used to purchase your load.Can be accumulated throughout the month. Hindi kelangan na isang bagsak na 300!
*** Members should be at least 18y/o; 10% tax will be deducted from your earnings

HOW TO JOIN

REG NAME*Address*Gender, M or F*Bday in mmddyyy*Sponsor's Mobile Number

*** use: 09081780726 as that is my registered #> and send to Pinoy Rewards @ (0908)9780573

Example:
REG Daniel Garcia*#1 Street Address ko, My City*M*11201981*09081780726

send this to: 09089780573

You will receive a message confirming your registration and the name of your sponsor. **PLEASE SAVE THIS MESSAGE AS IT ALSO CONTAINS YOUR MPIN ("Pin Code" that you will use throughout your transactions with Pinoy Rewards) **

WAYS TO FUND YOUR REWARDS WALLET

CASH PAYMENT (Member-to-Member)
SMART MONEY FUND TRANSFER (Member-to-Member)
SMART MONEY FUND TRANSFER (Member-to-Pinoy Rewards)
BANK CASH DEPOSIT TO PINOY REWARDS’ ACCOUNT


WHERE TO PURCHASE YOUR SMART MONEY FUND

Pinoy Rewards
Any SMART Money Money-In-Money-Out (MIMO) Partner
Any Member (or Any SMART Sub)


HOW TO GET YOUR REWARDS

YOUR REWARDS WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO YOUR SMART MONEY MONTHLY.

SMART Money enables you to withdraw from the Philippines’ most popular ATMs. Go to the nearest BDO, BancNet, Expressnet and MegaLink ATM terminals nationwide. You can also withdraw cash in selected SMART Money Centers nationwide

For more info, please add me on YM: sarah_enriquez1234
I can send you a PowerPoint presentation on this if you join

I NEED YOUR HELP!

Hi everyone! I'm back to blogging! I recently joined an affiliate program called "SFI" and I need to sell $60 plus worth of products to be able to upgrade! Now if you would be so kind and buy from my retail store... that would help me a lot! :-)

Here's the link: http://www.moreinfo247.com/10391666/VNU

Please!!! check it out! Thank you so much and God bless you all!

Sarah

STICKY POST: Submit your recipes and get featured!

To those who have good recipes, please submit them here so I can post them and include a link to your blog. I will be creating a separate post for each of the recipes. It doesn't matter if your blog is not about food. As long as you have a recipe to submit, that'll be fine! I'll write something about about your blog and include your recipe. The post will be similar to this one: <click here>

NOTE: Savory recipes will also be accepted.

Here are the steps:

1. Place a comment on this post if you're intrested.
2. Send your recipe (with a brief description) to my e-mail address or contact me through yahoo messenger or Skype <Click here>.

Thanks!

Sarah
www.treatsforthesweettooth.tk

Submitted recipes:

1. 4 Layer Dessert by Brenda Campbell of Cre8tive Kitchen

2. Wild Cranberry Muffins by K. Fields of ARCTICULATES

3. Toasting PopTarts - KATAROKKAR

GAMES

GAMES

Note: I do not own any of these. These are just links to some websites with really neat games. Some of these games are based on real recipes! Isn't that exciting?


How to make Brownies

Design a Cake

How to bake a Chocolate Cake

How to make Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookie Cutter

source: http://www.oyunlar1.com

Devil's Food Crater Cake

Here's another SWEET TOOTH recipe submitted by Joanna, author of A Cup of Jo. You should check her blog for more yummy recipes!



Joanna says:










Hi Sarah,

This has to be one of the best cakes I've ever had. I took it to a work picnic and everyone went insane about it. It's like a German Chocolate Cake, but gooier and more sinful... if that's possible. It's one of those cakes that you scoop out of the pan instead of cut. I use a Devil's Food Cake mix but German Chocolate Cake mix can be used as well.

-Joanna

Devil's Food Crater Cake

1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup flaked coconut
1 box Devil's Food Cake mix, prepared as on box directions
1 8 oz pkg. cream cheese
1 (2.05 oz) Milky Way candy bar
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter
1 16 oz box powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray 9 X 13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
3. Sprinkle pecans and coconut over bottom of baking dish.
4. Prepare cake mix as on box. Pour over pecans and coconut.
5. Melt over low heat cream cheese and butter. Stir in powdered sugar and continue stirring until blended. (It will look like there is a ton of powdered sugar, but it cooks down, so keep stiring it)
6. Pour or spoon cream cheese mixture over the cake batter.
7. Place baking dish on top of a cookie sheet just in case the cake overflows. Bake about 40-45 minutes.
8. While cake is baking, melt milky way candy bar in evaporated milk. Cool slightly.
9. When cake is baked, poke holes over the top with fork. Pour the chocolate cream over the top of cake.

Thanks Joanna! I know I told you I'm bringing my sick computer to the doctor tomorrow but I might not get her back in a couple of days so I made sure I posted your recipe first!

Poptarts

I don't know if you can call this a recipe but... okay whatever! Ha ha ha! I just couldn't stop laughing when I got this reply from "Katarokkar." Check out this blog for free mp3 downloads.




Sarah: Hahaha! good one! Okay I'll accept that recipe and feature your blog!

Katarokkar: yeah! I can cook! next stop: Food Network special!

Copied and pasted from BlogCatalog Discussions:

take pop tart out of bag

put pop tart in toaster

make sure toaster is at appropriate temperature setting

press down toaster lever...handle...whatever

wait for it...

once toaster launches pastry treat up

consume with happiness.

Wild Cranberry Muffins

Here's a yummy recipe submitted by K. Fields, author of ARCTICULATES.



K. Fields wrote:













Hi Sarah here is my tasty muffin recipe from Alaska Wild Cranberry Muffins (or Wild Blueberry Muffins)
By K. Fields of arcticulates.org/arcticulates.html
Ingredients:
2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 cup of all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
5 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
½ cup of applesauce
½ cup of sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ cup plain yogurt
1 ½ cups of wild low-bush cranberries or wild blueberries (if wild berries are not available, blueberries or cranberries sold in grocery stores will work just fine)
1 cup of crushed walnuts or almonds (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350’ F

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside

3. Using large mixing bowl, beat butter ad sugar together, beat in eggs one at a time, and mix in applesauce

4. Stir while slowly adding to the large mixing bowl half of the dry ingredients, mix thoroughly, and then mix in half of the yogurt. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients, then the remaining yogurt. Do not over mix. Fold in the berries and nuts

5. Use a standard 12 muffin pan. Coat each muffin cup lightly with olive oil to prevent sticking. Fill each muffin cup a little over halfway with batter. .

Bake until muffins are golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. To check if done…tap the top of a muffin lightly, if you leave no fingerprint it is done. Let cool in pan for about 5 minutes; remove muffins from pan by turning upside down and gently tapping pan on counter. Eat! Enjoy!


Thank you for sharing this recipe, K. Fields! I hope to give it a try soon!

If you want your blog featured here, please visit my discussion on Blog Catalog: (Click here)

Favorites: Check if your blog is here.

...updated every now and then...

A peek on a metropolitan chic's life

"Sometimes, I think too much. Sometimes, I talk too much. And often times, I write too much. Posted below are detailed pieces of writings, interpretations and imagery of different personas. In relevance to the icon “happenings”, my blog may portray some realities existing in my mundane life but then, some are just “pure FICTION” – a product of my mind’s eye. Enjoy reading lots of my revelations and fantasies!"

http://thoughtsofametrochic.blogspot.com



Wedding Cake Hints

Wedding cake hints, photos, and ideas to inspire



www.weddingcakehints.com


Cre8tive Kitchen

"Free recipes and free cooking tips for everybody who cooks. My blog features quick and easy meal recipes, canning and preserving, cake decorating, baking, and much more!"

Cre8tive Kitchen

Kikay Corner

http://kikaycorner.blogspot.com



Pinay Mommy Online

-mixed thoughts of a stay at home mommy-

www.pinaymommyonline.com

Cre8tive Kitchen: 4 Layer Dessert

Cre8tive Kitchen

Free recipes and free cooking tips for everybody who cooks. My blog features quick and easy meal recipes, canning and preserving, cake decorating, baking, and much more!

Brenda Campbell, author of Cre8tive Kitchen is the first blogger who replied to my post: "Submit your recipes and get featured!" I haven't tried her recipe yet but it sure looks delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe, Brenda!


By the way, I'm learning a lot from her site... lots of great info!

Message:

Hi Sarah,

Here is my recipe. It is called 4 Layer Dessert and it is so good. Rich and creamy and very sweet. Loved it as a kid growing up whenever we needed a special dessert for something, this is what my mother always made. I just made it today too because of course, I needed pictures LOL I also attached a picture to use with the recipe. Thanks.

Brenda

www.cre8tivekitchen.blogspot.com

4 Layer Dessert

1st Layer

1 1/2 sticks of butter

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup finely chopped nuts (can use any nut you like, I use pecans)

Combine until mealy. Pat into bottom of ungreased 13x8 baking dish. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Chill. (do not add next layer until the crust is cooled off totally in the fridge)

2nd Layer

1 - 8 oz cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tub Cool Whip (about 9 oz or 1/2 of an 18 oz tub)

1 tsp vanilla

Whip together and add on top of layer 1. Chill.

3rd Layer

1 small package (4 serving size) chocolate pudding mix

1 small package (4 serving size) vanilla pudding mix

3 cups milk

1 tsp vanilla

Whip together and put on top of Layer 2. Chill.

4th Layer

Top with remainder of Cool Whip from an 18 oz tub. Garnish with chopped nuts, miniature chocolate chips, or chocolate shavings. I just ran a Hershey bar through a cheese grater to get chocolate curls for garnish.

My Favorites from Cre8tive Kitchen:

Creamy Chicken and Noodles

Fun With Cakes (part 4)

Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs

Ice Cream Sandwiches (Yum! I want one!)

Stressful Baking

One thing that makes baking stressful to me is the mess. A single 6-inch round cake can make the whole house look like a bakery kitchen. I just hate being messy! But even if I get stressed out with the mess, I still bake. I guess I'm just weird.

Two weeks from now, I will be making our church anniversary cake... again! When my sister heard that, she said, "Don't go crazy again!" She has been a witness to most of my baking disasters. Well, not just a witness but a victim ha ha ha! So now I am preparing myself more on how I can clean as I go rather than the cake design. By the way, I won't use fondant this time. I want it to be more simple than last year's cake. I am planning to make a simple chocolate cake covered in ganache and I'm going to use real flowers for the decorations. In short, I want it to be less stressful. Don't get me wrong, I am really excited with my next church anniversary cake! I really am but I just want it to be less stressful this time and hopefully apply that so called "clean-as-you-go method."

Okay so maybe I know why I still bake even if the price I have to pay is stress - It's because joy outweighs stress. Am I making any sense?

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thanks for picking my recipe Mnm Candies (yahoo answers username)

Yahoo answers:

Resolved Question

How do you make chocolate chip cookies? Im going to a nursing home and i dont wanna make bad ones!!!! ?

Homemaderecipe only!!!!!!15 points!!!

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Hi! this is my own recipe. My Tried-and-Tested Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. What kind of cookies do you like? It depends on your definition of "bad ones." ha ha ha! Please let me know:

comment: THANKS IT WENT WELL!!! I LOVED IT! THE SENIORS LOVED IT AND I DID MEAN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES....TY!

My cakes are featured!!! I love you, Wedding Cake Hints!

Thank you so much, Wedding Cake Hints, for featuring my wedding cake designs even if I'm not a professional baker. My designs were never featured in a blog before so thanks!



Here's the link to this post: http://www.weddingcakehints.com/09/wedding-cake-with-fondant-icing-and-silver-beads/

Wedding Cake Hints

Wedding Cake Hints
wedding cake tips, photos, and ideas to inspire

Wedding Cake Hints is one of my favorite blogs. I found them at EntreCard.com. I just love everything that has to do with cakes and weddings! They are not bakers, only bloggers who feature designs from professional bakers (and even non-pros :-p)


**Some of my favorites:

Click here to read about the making of the ivory wedding dress (I love the sugar gemstones!)

Also, to those who are getting married this October, check out this Halloween Wedding Cake with pumpkins!

Check out this cool Fishing wedding cake topper

findsome.info

Findsome.info

Fondant Recipe

Marshmallow Fondant Recipe

I never thought I can make fondant until I had the courage to try it! Remember when you used to make cute stuff and creative cut outs from play dough when you were a kid? I just LOVE using marshmallow fondant on my cakes! It's so smooth, you don't need to pipe decorations, it's really fun to make and it tastes better than ready made fondant.

You will need:

• a clear, well-greased (with shortening) area on the table, preferably covered in glass (for kneading)
• a microwavable bowl
• large spoon (wooden or stainless)
• measuring spoons and cups
• microwave or double boiler

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces white marshmallows (use conversion calculator to convert grams to ounces)
• 5 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 7 cups confectioner's or powdered sugar (I use Peotraco. If you're planning to make fondant, buy the "big bag." About 5 pounds, I think.)
• food color

Procedure:

1. Grease large sized microwavable bowl and large mixing spoon (for stirring).
2. Place marshmallows plus two tablespoons of water in bowl and put in microwave for 30 seconds.
3. Remove bowl from microwave and add another tablespoon of water. Stir and put back in the microwave for another 30 seconds. Continue doing this until all the marshmallows have melted and the mixture is smooth. (It'll take about 3 minutes in total.)
4. Add food color and stir well. (***NOTE: You may tint your fondant later on especially if you want different colors with just one batch of marshmallow fondant but for me, personally, it's easier to tint while you've just melted the marshmallows. I use gel food color because they don't bleed but you can use liquid food color, too.)
5. Sift over melted marshmallows 2 cups of powdered sugar. Carefully mix with spoon. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and mix between each addition.
   
6. After adding a total of 4 cups of powdered sugar, grease your hands and put the dough on greased table. Knead and add another cup of sifted powdered sugar.
   
7. After you've added all of the powdered sugar, knead until smooth (about 7 to 10 minutes).
8. Form into a ball and wrap in cling wrap. Place in an airtight container and allow to rest for 3 hours or more (preferably overnight).
   

(***NOTE: It might be a bit frustrating at first but be patient. After a few minutes of kneading, you will notice it'll become smoother as it is aerated. It won't become elastic until you let it rest so be sure to let it rest and then knead again. Based on my own experience, when you let it rest it'll become really stiff. Not to worry! Cut the ball in 3 different proportions and knead them separately (with greased hands) and knead them all together. Don't worry much about the mess in your hands. Some beauty experts use shortening to make skin softer so I guarantee, you'll get baby-soft hands after you've finished your marshmallow fondant!)

9. Now, it's ready to be placed on your cake frosted with butter cream.

Get your FREE domain with mail forwarding! Nothing Beats FREE!!!

I used to have my own Dot TK domain, like 2 years ago but nobody visits my blog on Friendster so I eventually lost it. Last night, I made a new account and became a DotTK Ambassador today. It's really exciting because you get 5 virtual fish for every referral. You can exchange those virtual fish for really neat stuff available in the Dot TK Barter Market - Dot TK caps, Dot, TK webcams, Dot TK, shirts and pens, etc. Isn't that cool???

Dot TK relates to the country of Tokelau, a group of islands in the South Pacific. In Tokelau, fishing is considered to be a full time job so fish is a valuable commodity for them. That is why they use "virtual fish" to reward their ambassadors.

Get your FREE Dot TK domain with mail forwarding now and start earning "virtual fish" by referring your friends. Nothing beats FREE!!!


Click on the video below and enter your URL to get your FREE domain:

My Blog's Video

Sorry for the unregistered Hypercam2. Now I have the registered version! Yipee!!!

Lightning Mcqueen Cake

My First Try at a Lightning McQueen Cake

One of my old friends from high school asked me to make a car cake for her nephew. Of course, I confidently said yes, since I've made a few car cakes before.

After a few days, I got a text message from her telling me that the kid's mom is requesting a Lightning McQueen cake. I didn't want to turn anyone down but I knew I just couldn't do a character cake. Just a bit of mistake will make it look like Tigger instead of McQueen ha ha ha kidding! I told her I couldn't do it but she insisted and told me to do something close to McQueen like a plain red car or whatever. Okay, she convinced me! So I didn't sleep the night before the birthday to make the cake. It was so hard to create but I'm quite happy with the results - not that much! We were joking about it that it was a cross between Herbie and Lightning Mcqueen but I'm glad it didn't look like Tigger! :-p



My picture of me and the cake!




I didn't have a Lightning McQueen cake pan so I had to carve it. It's not perfect but I tried my best! It's my first time to do a carved cake. Also, I didn't have a toy Mcqueen to use as a model so I had to guess what he looked like in 3D form.

Instead of Rustee's, I wrote the kid's name and his age - just my idea. Plus, the Rustee's logo is kind of complicated. Everything is edible. It's a dense Devil's Food Cake, filled and frosted with vanilla buttercream, and covered in marshmallow fondant with fondant accents. Wheels were oreos glued with buttercream.

No-bake Cookies

NO-BAKE COOKIES
(picture coming soon...)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk plus 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup instant or quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cocoa powder (sifted)
  
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Procedure:

1. Line cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper.
2. 1. Mix all ingredients in a medium saucepan.
3. Boil for one minute over 350 degrees F.
4. Drop spoon fulls of mixture on lined cookie sheets.
5. Refrigerate for about 2 hours.
6. Serve with milk.
   

Cake Central

CLICK HERE----->A SHORT REVIEW OF THE SPIDERWEB MARKETING SYSTEM<------CLICK HERE




I've been a member of Cakecentral.com for more than a year now. Check out their website! It's fun, informative and just full of ideas. Join the forum for questions and get answers from moderators and helpful members. I love checking the cake designs every now and then. The designers are just super creative! By the way, I posted some of my designs there. Here's the link: http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-photos-by-SarahEnriquez.html

Click on the picture above to go to the website.


CLICK HERE----->A SHORT REVIEW OF THE SPIDERWEB MARKETING SYSTEM<------CLICK HERE

I Choose to be OPTIMISTIC

Upon searching Google on "How to be a Black Widow partner in the Spiderweb Marketing System and how Direct Matches* really works,I found this blog where the author is definitely not a big fan of the system. I guess here are some of his reasons (I'm not really sure, though :-P):

1. That the Spiderweb System is not 100% free.

My comment: The Spiderweb System is 100% free but some of the "streams" are not. Yes, you can sign up on them for free but there is also an option to upgrade to be able to get the most out of those streams. I chose not to upgrade in any of the streams since I was told in the video that it is 100% free and I want to make it work that way. I never paid for anything there and yet I was able to set up most of the accounts.

(To all the people who chose to upgrade in the streams that need to be upgraded, good for you. I wish you all the best!)

2. The automated blogs created for you which makes it appear as though you posted all those. The author calls it "Blog infestation." He says that there is a moral issue because when they visit that blog, the readers assume that it's a real live person's journey.

My comment: I will have to agree with that but I don't see a moral issue here - more like, amoral maybe. I don't want to be a faithful reader of a person's blog and then later on, find out that it's automated. Maybe it's not a big deal to those who are not in the blogging world but to me, personally, it is. I have nothing against those who have automated blogs for the system. It's just my personal opinion as a blogger. On the other hand, if people think that it's the best way on how they can promote their system, then let their conscience decide for them. There might be a bit of "deception" but isn't that what all advertisers do? It's just like making a cookie look bigger on a TV commercial. Oh well, people are different!

3. Spamming members at Direct Matches and Yuwie.

My comment: I hate spammers but I spam my friends and leave a note at the bottom of the message saying, "hey, sorry for spamming." I know it doesn't make sense but it's working for me!

Anyway, I'm not really sure if these are his reasons. One thing I am sure of is that whatever reviews I read about the Spiderweb system, I still choose to be a member of it. I am listening to Kimball Roundy right now on his recorded Telecast and I still think that the system is great. I'm actually glad that I was referred to that system because that's where I found one of the streams that I am happy to become a member of which is Zenzuu. I met some nice people there on my first week of membership.

I choose to be optimistic because I've got nothing to lose. If in the end, the system fails (which I doubt), then I can go on with life with no regrets.

NOTE: I have nothing against the author. Actually, I just bookmarked his page as it is very informative. You might want to check it out. Click on this: http://online-social-networking.com

Posting a review of someone or something

I really want to post a review of my favorite cake designer artist and some of her designs however, I'm not sure how I will not violate some copyright policies (or whatever you call that). I left a message on her site, asking for permission if I can post some of her designs and that I will surely include her name, her company's name and a link to her website... and of course, some text that says, "POSTED WITH PERMISSION." I hope she approves. I don't know if the message will get to her. I guess she has a crew who does that for her.

Oh well, I really don't know any of the rules on making a review of a product or person. If any of you reads this and know anything on how I can post a review without breaking the "rules" please leave a comment. As of now, the best way that I can think of for posting a review of something or someone is to ask the person who owns the content if he/she wants it to be featured in my blog.

Any help will be appreciated! Thanks!

Mom's Butterscotch Brownies

I got this recipe from my mom's recipe collection notebook.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup margarine
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup dessicated coconut or oatmeal

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease one 9x13 rectangular pan.
2. Melt margarine in microwave for about 40 seconds. Cool slightly.
3. Add in brown sugar and mix with a wooden spoon.
4. Add in eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
   
5. Add vanilla. Mix.
   
6. Sift flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together in a separate medium sized. Add in dessicated coconut or oatmeal with dry ingredients and mix well.
7. Mix dry ingredients with the butter-egg mixture and mix until everything has moistened.
8. Pour into greased pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted at the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
9. Cool slightly and cut into squares.

(picture coming soon...)

Dark, Dense Chocolate Cake

Makes three 9x2 inch round pans or 24 cupcakes.


Ingredients:

• 3 cups cake flour
• 1-1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dutch processed cocoa
  
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 cup all purpose cream
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  

• 1 cup butter or margarine
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 extra large eggs
• 1-1/4 cups room temperature strong coffee

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 9x2 round pans and line with parchment or wax paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Whisk to incorporate well.
3. In a liquid measuring cup, mix cream with vinegar and extracts and set aside.
4. Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add in sugar and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
5. With the mixer on low, add in eggs one at a time.
6. Stop the mixer and scrape bottom and sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.
7. Add in dry ingredients alternately with cream mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
8. In a thin stream, pour in strong coffee and beat until well combined.
9. Divide batter evenly between pans and bake for 23-25 minutes. 12 minutes for cupcakes.
10. Cool completely before removing from pan. Refrigerate before frosting.
11. Frost with Easy-to-make Bakeshop Frosting.
    

Easy-to-make Bakeshop Frosting


Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 2/3 cup shortening (do not use lard)
• 1 cup confectioner's or powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup warm milk
• food color (optional)

Procedure:

1. Mix cornstarch with warm milk and allow to cool.
2. Meanwhile, cream butter and shortening in a medium-sized mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.
3. In a thin stream, pour milk-cornstarch mixture at the side of the bowl. Add in three batches. Allow to thicken a bit before pouring again. (Sounds complicated? Post a comment so I can post a picture or a video.)
4. Continue mixing until it looks like "frosting."

Frosting Disaster Cake Story

Last week, I made a batch of dark, dense chocolate cupcakes for my sister on her recital. The cakes were good but a cake is nothing without frosting. Well, at least most cakes... but not all.

I made a batch of Easy-to-make bake shop icing and it was a disaster! I didn't add the milk-cornstarch mixture gradually so I ended up with a soupy thing. It definitely didn't look like icing. I tried to "redeem" it by putting it in the fridge for a few minutes hoping it'll come together so I can whip it. When I took it out it was still soupy. I mixed it for another five minutes and decided to add more cornstarch to it then placed it back in the fridge. After 10 minutes, it wasn't soupy anymore but the mixture looked more like cake batter than frosting.

I placed the Cake-batter-looking frosting in the fridge and decided to make half a batch (I lost my confidence in making a whole batch so I had to divide the ingredients in half.) . This time, I added the liquid gradually and it turned out well. Whew! I tinted the icing light peach and the cupcakes were cute when decorated. Well, not THAT cute, as we were running late for the recital so they were a bit messy ha ha ha! Here, I'll show you a picture:




We're not really cupcake experts so we came up with these designs. My sister and niece (22 years old; older cousin's daughter) made these.

So going back to the disaster frosting, I thought about it the whole evening. Should I throw it away and charge it to experience? Should I feed it to the dog? No!

A lot of crazy ideas passed my mind until I came up with a good one. Remember when I said it looked like cake batter? Well I decided to make it into a butter cake. I added eggs, flour, baking powder and shaved chocolate into it and mixed it. Then I baked it for 35 minutes at 350 degrees F with my fingers crossed. Actually, I even asked my sister to pray for it before I put it in the oven.



The cake turned out well! It had a soft crumb and fine texture. The combination of shaved chocolate and buttery flavor was awesome. I'll definitely make that again. I'm glad I was able to formulate a good butter cake recipe out of a frosting disaster! :-)

Click here for the recipe ------> Frosting Disaster Cake Recipe

P.S.

I decided to call it "Frosting Disaster Cake." It may not sound appealing but I'll stick with that name. Of course, every time someone hears that name, I will have to explain it to them why I came up with that. Or better yet, ask them to visit my blog so they would know the story behind it! ;-p

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.