frozen raspberry cake

Frozen fruit cakes, popularly known as "raw cheesecakes" sparked my curiosity from the time I saw them at Maka by Mana, a restaurant in Maui that became our favorite when we there. Unfortunately I didn't really get a chance to try them there. However, seeing them on some vegan food websites actually brought back my interest in them. Cashews (labeled "raw" at the store) were soaked for a few hours or overnight then processed with some of the water they soaked in.

a slice of raspberry frozen cake

date-walnut crust and processed cashew filling

For me, the crust was the highlight of this frozen cake. It was easy to press the sticky mixture of ground walnuts and dates into the bottom of a 7" springform pan. A food processor works best for this task. The soft dates (medjool dates were recommended but I just used Sunsweet brand pitted dates).

Fresh or frozen raspberries may be used for the cake mixture. If using frozen berries, they should be thawed out first before using. The pureed cashews and fruit were combined together then poured into the prepared crust. Freeze for a few hours until set. I was happy with how this refreshing and fruity summer dessert turned out :-)

tropical papaya version shown above

I used this Raw Raspberry Dreamcake recipe from My New Roots as my inspiration to create my version. I replaced the almonds with walnuts in the crust.

it's the time of year...

Holiday season is here again! It's that much-anticipated season of giving, sharing and joyful festivities. In Manila, Christmas comes earlier. As soon as the "ber" months (how Filipinos like to refer to them) begin, radio stations start playing Christmas carols, Christmas trees and other decorations come out of storage, malls fill up with shoppers and traffic becomes much worse :-) Aside from these common practices, the religious traditions of the Christmas season still remain and are never forgotten.

For my personal tradition, the festive season is just not complete without baking cookies :-) This year, I've been baking these spritz cookies which I find easier and less time consuming to make than cut-out sugar cookies. Aside from eliminating the rolling out process, there was also no need to refrigerate the spritz cookie dough after mixing. Just fill the cookie press with the dough then press straight onto the cookie sheet. It took some practice using the cookie press but it was a fun project.

I like the idea of recycling these Talenti gelato plastic containers. They're so handy from storing snacks to organizing small items in the house. Wrap a piece of colorful gift wrap around the container, secure with a gift label sticker and it's ready to fill with cookies, candies and other goodies. I made a sample packaging shown below.

recycled Talenti gelato plastic container

ube-flavored spritz cookies

May you enjoy the blessings and the bounty

of the holiday season!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

more cake donuts

Here are a few more baked cake donuts to brighten up our day :-)

vanilla and nutmeg with glaze and sprinkles

chocolate and vanilla with shiny powdered sugar glaze

chocolate with chocolate glaze :-)

extra moist with pumpkin in the mix

hot coffee and warm donut...the best combination

pumpkin donuts dipped in butter and sugar

gluten-free chocolate cake

Finally, a chocolate cake that my husband will eat :-) It has nothing to do with gluten intolerance. His aversion to chocolate is the issue here :-) However, I'm happy that he found one particular brand he likes, Lindt, which easily became his favorite.

I found this recipe for gluten-free chocolate cake sometime ago and I knew I needed to try making it with Lindt. I used Lindt Milk Chocolate Classic Recipe Bar. Most of the time, I feel guilty (but maybe for a few seconds only :-) that he doesn't get to try any of the chocolate desserts I make. Dark chocolate is ideal for this recipe but I used milk chocolate for milder taste.

For the recipe...

madeleines

I think my fascination for these traditional shell-shaped French tea cakes must have started with the pan :-) I've never had madeleines before and I've always wondered about their taste and texture. Thanks to the many recipes and information I found online, my first madeleine baking session turned out well.

The distinctive hump of the madeleine (shown above) that's supposed to appear in these petite cakes, slowly rose and formed as the madeleines baked in the oven.

The underside, as shown above, with the characteristic shell design became nice and golden brown. Sprinkle them with powdered sugar before serving.

The batter is a basic sponge cake mixture or genoise which may be enhanced with different flavors. I found the first recipe I tried on youtube from the Culinary Institute of America baking videos. I ran out of butter so I searched and found a recipe using canola oil instead. These madeleines turned out soft and light but still just basic in flavor. I have to try another recipe with butter next time which I found on the Joy of Baking website.

the madeleine pan that started it all :-)

I found the recipe and video for these Lemon-Grand Marnier Madeleines on youtube demonstrated by a chef from the Culinary Institute of America.

troubleshooting hollow macarons

Whether using the Italian or French method for the meringue, I've never made a single macaron that's not hollow inside. Like these ones I baked recently, shown below. Although they may look almost perfect from the outside, I've always wanted to solve the issue.

After my macaron troubleshooting project recently using different recipes and oven temperatures, I finally found the answer. The single baking sheet I was using all the time wasn't insulated enough and the macarons were rising too fast creating taller feet and hollow interiors.

The solution: I just put one baking sheet on top of another and proceeded to line it with parchment paper. A cross section of the ube macaron is shown below. They're very delicate and finicky but I think I found the right combination of mixing technique and oven temperature that worked for me. The extra insulation underneath was crucial when baking them with parchment paper. I think with Silpat (a reusable nonstick liner) a single baking sheet will be fine. Silpat is much thicker than parchment paper and provides much better insulation.

finally...macarons that are not hollow inside!

pistachio sansrival

The more common version of this Filipino cake dessert is made with cashews instead of pistachios. It's basically made with crisp layers of nut-filled meringue and buttercream. The cake is very rich and high in calories but it has a remarkable flavor enough to make me crave it every now and then.

The procedure is not that complicated. It just takes time to prepare all the ingredients. Baking the meringue is also time consuming as they need to baked until crispy and almost dry. Shown above (1) measuring the finely chopped toasted pistachios (2) making the meringue and folding in the chopped pistachios (3) baking the meringue layers until crispy (4) golden brown and crispy the meringue layers just out of the oven.

The buttercream requires room temperature butter and all the reserved eggyolks. A candy thermometer is helpful to determine the correct syrup consistency without the guesswork. The amount of butter makes this cake extra rich and delicious!

As soon as the buttercream is done and ready, spread it on the layers then sandwich the layers together. The meringue layers are very fragile and may break easily, but they may still be used by patching them up together.

The edges of the meringue rounds may be trimmed to make them more even, but they can also be left irregularly shaped for a more rustic appearance, as shown above.

After assembling the layers, spread the remaining buttercream evenly on top and all around the cake. Sprinkle the top and side of the cake with more finely chopped pistachios. The cake may be made ahead and stored in the freezer until serving time. Enjoy as a dessert or a special treat with your favorite cup of hot tea.

Based on Heny Sison's Pistachio Sansrival recipe, cashew nuts may also be substituted for the pistachios.

desserts for Valentine's Day

There are many ways to make Valentine's Day memorable. A day of relaxation, a leisurely walk in perfect spring-like weather and simply enjoying quality time together made our Valentine's Day this year quite special. It was also a good opportunity for me to make desserts! I've been curious about these 3D Hearts Cupcakes since I saw them featured on a tv show recently. I think the 3D idea is genius. So off to YouTube I went and as always, I found answers to my questions. After watching the cute video by Ann Reardon, I couldn't wait to give it a try.

The taste of the cupcakes may be improved by replacing the water in the recipe with fruit juice and adding more flavorings. I didn't bother frosting them as I was more interested with the process of making them. Most of the hearts didn't turn out perfectly shaped but it was fun making them :-) The hearts will also look nice in pastel colors. 

The recipe makes smaller size cupcakes but with enough frosting, they will look adorable on the dessert table at parties and other appropriate events.

Shown above (1) the 3D hearts, looking like small marzipan strawberries, were shaped using crumbled cupcakes mixed with a little red food coloring (2) two tablespoons of cupcake batter baked for about 5 minutes with 3D hearts placed in the center (3) the cupcakes from the oven, after covering the 3D hearts with more batter and baking for another 10 minutes (4) the cupcakes cut in the middle to show the heart shapes.

Another dessert I made post-Valentine's Day was Cathedral Windows Gelatine, shown above, which is popular in Manila. It's usually made with a combination of colorful gelatine, supposedly to resemble the stained glass art in gothic cathedrals and churches. However, I only had two boxes of gelatine, cherry and strawberry flavors, that are both red. They were exactly the colors I needed for Valentine's Day :-) The marbling effect wasn't intentional but my husband had very favorable comments when he saw it.

Make ahead assorted colors of gelatine and cut them into 1" squares. The creamy gelatine was supposed to cool down and allowed to thicken in the fridge for a few hours before mixing in the pre-made cubes of colorful gelatine. Since I was using only red gelatine, I went ahead and arranged the squares in a plastic mold. I cooked the creamy gelatine mixture in a small pot then, without letting it cool down, I carefully spooned the hot mixture directly over the red cubes of gelatine. The hot mixture melted some of the red cubes of gelatine resulting in a marbled effect. It was an error that didn't turn out so bad after all. I have to try this using other colors next time.

cross section of the Cathedral Gelatine dessert, served with strawberries

Happy Valentine's Day!

For the recipe...

glazed Italian cookies

There was an "instant party" feeling the minute I started glazing these cute cookies and topping them with pastel-colored candy sprinkles :-) 

I think I should rename them happiness cookies

These were supposed to be anisette cookies but I ran out of anise flavoring so I substituted amaretto flavoring instead. It has been awhile since I made them and this week, I was craving Italian cookies so I thought about baking them.

They can be left simple and plain without the powdered sugar glaze but the glazed cookie wins everytime in our taste test at home. It just brings them to another level and even with the added glaze and the sprinkles they're still not super sweet.

The never-fail recipe makes delightful delicate round cookies with crispy edges and cake-like interior. These cookies are so addictive that it's impossible to eat just one :-) They make my tea time so much more enjoyable!

GLAZED ITALIAN COOKIES (Anisette Cookies)

3/4 cup shortening (I combined 1/4 cup butter & 1/2 cup Crisco)
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
3 cups flour
4 tablespoons baking powder
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons anise or amaretto flavoring

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside. Cream together shortening and sugar for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Continue mixing until mixture is smooth. Add the flavoring. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and mix until just blended. Measure the dough using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon then form into balls. Arrange them about 1" apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Makes about 45 cookies. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack. Spread with powdered sugar glaze. Decorate with your choice of colorful candy sprinkles.

For the powdered sugar glaze, just mix sifted powdered sugar with a little water to make a spreadable glaze. I've tried a recipe using melted butter and milk but this simple powdered sugar and water combination worked for me.

cross section reveals the light cake-like crumb

the cookies look cute inside a covered cake pedestal

summer drinks

We're supposed to feel the onset of cooler fall weather by now but it's still hot and humid where we are. We may have a few more summer days left to enjoy these cold summer drinks :-) I've just discovered bubble tea (also known as boba milk tea in Asia) and we've also been trying to make Vietnamese coffee lately. We still have to perfect it though.

I've been curious about the popularity of bubble tea. I finally got to try mango bubble tea at our favorite Vietnamese restaurant recently. I just love the chewy black tapioca in the bubble tea. They sell the quick-cooking kind at the Asian store which takes only 5 minutes to cook. Thai instant milk tea is the stuff I use for my bubble tea at home. Other flavors like taro, green tea, honeydew and mango are also available.

Vietnamese iced coffee

This Vietnamese drip-style coffee press (shown below) can be tricky to use. As of now, I'm still figuring out the proper way to regulate the flow. It has to trickle slowly for about 4 minutes to achieve the correct intensity of coffee flavor. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of condensed milk in a tall glass. Pour the coffee over it and stir, then add ice to make a refreshing iced coffee drink. Based on my husband's research, Cafe du Monde is the best brand to use for this.

cotton soft Japanese cheesecake

I've never made cheesecake before so it took me awhile to gain enough confidence to make this. This was the result of my attempt at making this version popularly called cotton soft Japanese cheesecake. It's also known as souffle cheesecake because of its fluffy and light texture. There are so much information available online so I had no problem researching about it. I went to YouTube, my favorite source of cooking and baking videos, to find demos on making it. As I've mentioned a few times before, the videos are very helpful. It will definitely not be the last time I bake this.

Using just one 8 oz block of cream cheese, this was not heavy and dense at all like regular cheesecakes. Gradually folding the beaten eggwhites into the cream cheese, butter and milk mixture resulted in a light-textured cake dessert.

Cotton soft Japanese cheesecake served with fresh sweet strawberries :-)

(1) The springform pan was greased and lined with parchment paper. (2) Just to make sure the water doesn't seep inside the pan while baking bain marie (hot water bath), wrap it in heavy-duty foil. (3) The light and fluffy mixture and (4) the finished product with very lightly browned top, shown in the pictures below. The technique of folding the beaten eggwhites into the cheesecake batter was very much like that of making chiffon cakes.

Interested in the recipe?