Dave Lebovitz's Chocolate Tart

Copyright 2015 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

Thank goodness for Dave Lebovitz! This guy is after my gastronomic heart. After sharing his wonderful chocolate chip cookie recipe, he came up with another amazing chocolate concoction. The ever chocolatey and gooey Chocolate Tart. This was meant to be the star of a party I planned for friends but ended up being a dessert given as gifts to friends. The party went bust. Anyway, this was a stellar find in the cacophany of chocolate tart recipes on the internet. It also comes with the most buttery French tart dough recipe which earned raves as well. Nothing works better with butter than the French. On to the recipe!

Dave Lebovitz's Chocolate Tart*

Crust (for a 9-inch tart an):
3 oz unsalted butter
1 tbsp palm oil
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
150 g flour (slightly rounded cup)

1. In a deep frying pan over low heat, melt the butter with the oil, water, 
    sugar and salt. Once melted, increase the heat to medium high. 

2. Continue to cook until the butter is bubbly and the edges start to turn 
    golden brown. 

3. Turn off the heat and carefully add the flour and stir quickly until it 
    starts to form a ball and the dough pulls away from the sides.

4. When cooled slightly, transfer to the tart pan and spread towards the 
    sides and edges until the pan is completely covered. Use the tines of 
    the fork to flatten and press the dough onto the tart pan. 

5. Prick the dough with the tines of the fork all around and bake at 400°F
    in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes. Let cool before filling. 

Chocolate Filling:
1 1/4 cup sugar
6 tbsp warm freshly brewed coffee
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 oz semisweet chocolate
2 oz 70% cacao chocolate
2 large eggs
1/4 cup flour
1 tbsp dark rum

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a deep non-stick pan, melt the sugar over medium low heat until it 
    melts and caramelizes.

3. Very carefully, add the warm coffee and stir quickly with a rubber 
    spatula. If the caramel siezes, continue to cook until it becomes smooth. 
    Add the butter and salt until incorporated. 

4. Turn off the heat and add the chocolates. Stir until it melts into the 
    caramel mixture. 

5. Mix in the eggs one at a time and add the flour. Mix well. Add the rum 
    and pour the filling into the prepared tart shell. 

6. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Do not overbake. The edges will be a bit puffy 
    but the center should still be jiggly. Allow to cool completely before 
    slicing.  
 
*Chocolate Tart: My Life in Paris blog
 

Death by Chocolate

Copyright 2014 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

If I had to post a new recipe, what better than to start with something really out there. Just by the name alone, you know you are in for a treat. I actually made this cake a long time ago back in 1997. I tried it once but it was a bit dry for my taste so I never baked it again although my friends said it tasted good. Back then however, I was just a novice baker and this was one of my daring attempts of a much more involved recipe. Now, I can confidently say at this point without being smug that I have more experience with baking and I know just by reading a recipe whether it will come out great or not. I also know whether I can bake the cake and have it come out great or not. This time, I knew it will be good.

Copyright 2014 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

The cake is a bit expensive with 2 lbs of chocolate not to mention the 3 kinds of chocolates used for garnishing. I eventually opted only to use two of the three, not for the lack of resources but rather, the lack of equipment. It also requires about a pound of butter. Word of advice, use unsalted and get the best brand of butter you can find. It really makes a difference. One last word of caution, cut the cake into thin slices. Overall, it tastes like chocolate with a little bit of cake and not the other way around. Serve with ice-cold fresh milk.

Death by Chocolate - Adapted*

For the cake:
8 oz bittersweet chocolates
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup milk
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, separated
2/3 cup sour cream
2 cups self rising flour
1 tsp baking powder

For the Filling and Topping:
4 tbsp seedless raspberry jam
4 tbsp brandy
14 oz bittersweet chocolates
7/8 cup unsalted butter

Chocolate Ganache:
8 oz semisweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp instant coffee
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the
    base with parchment paper. Set aside. 

2. In a small pan, melt the chocolate and butter with the milk over low heat 
    until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in the sugar and vanilla. Mix well 
    and cool slightly. 

3. In a bowl, whisk the eggs yolks with the sour cream and beat in the 
    chocolate mixture. Sift the flour and baking powder and fold in. 

4. Beat the egg whites in a grease-free bowl and fold into the mixture. Pour 
    into the prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until firm to the 
    touch. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan and turn out onto a wire rack to 
    cool completely. 

5. To prepare the filling, heat the jam with 1 tbsp of brandy over low heat in 
    a small pan. Allow to cool and set aside. In another pot, melt the 
    chocolate with the butter and the remaining brandy. Stir until smooth. 
    Allow to cool. 

6. To assemble the cake, slice the cake into 3 layers. Arrange the lower layer 
    and spread with half the jam filling and top with half the chocolate filling. 
    Top with the second layer. Spread with the remaining jam and chocolate 
    filling and top with the third layer. Cool in the fridge for about an hour or 
    until set. 

7. Prepare the ganache by melting the chocolate in the cream over low heat. 
    Once smooth, add the coffee and vanilla extract. Allow to cool while 
    constantly stirring with a wire whisk. The ganache is ready when it is 
    spreadable. If in a hurry, you can cool in the fridge but keep an eye on it. 

8. Cover the cooled cake with the ganache and top with chocolate shavings 
    of bittersweet and white chocolate bars. 

*France, C. Chocolate Ecstasy, Anness Publishing Limited, London: 1996.

Honey Chocolate Cake with Rum

Copyright 2013 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

One time, I went to my favorite cake place to buy eclairs for my friends and I tried one of their cakes that I often ignore. It was a simple chocolate cake that was flavored with run aptly named, Very Sinful Chocolate Rum Cake. Since then, I have been plagued as to how I can recreate what I just tasted since it was so good to the very last morsel. My first attempt was when my friends were in town to attend the local festival a few weeks ago. I baked a simple chocolate cake that I infused with rum. The verdict: the cake was moist but the rum flavor was missing. Since cake number one was a bust, I needed to find another reason why I needed to bake a second chocolate cake since I'm on a regimented diet. Well, that reason came sooner than I expected. 

Copyright 2013 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

My second attempt on a Rum Cake came a few weeks later during the November 1st celebration. Armed with a new recipe, I was determined to use more rum to make the cake every bit as rummy as it is yummy. The recipe I used is a honey chocolate cake, the link to the recipe I already posted on the facebook page of my blog. I also decided to use a sugar syrup infused with rum to soak the cake but I ended up ditching the syrup as I feared the cake might end up too sweet. This is one mistake that I regret now. My one other regret is that I used the accompanying recipe for the ganache when my instincts told me to use my old recipe.  The cake came out great but there was one thing that still eluded me, the rummy moistness. I think my version of the cake came quite close but using the sugar syrup flavored with rum would have imparted the even flavor of the rum which is what I was looking for. Despite the fact that the ganache recipe I followed was good, it did not set as beautifully as my old ganache recipe. Anyway, the third time might prove to be my charm, whenever that will be. 

Honey Chocolate Cake with Rum - Adapted*

1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup hot strong brewed coffee
1 cup honey
3 cups flour, sifted
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter + extra
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
4 large eggs
3/4 cup yogurt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup rum

Chocolate Ganache with Honey:
16 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup honey
2 oz  unsalted butter
3 tbsp rum
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Line the 2 9-inch round baking pans and grease with the extra unsalted 
    butter. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Sift the cocoa powder in a small bowl and whisk in the hot coffee. Add 
    the honey and mix well. Set aside and let cool completely.

3. In another bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and soda and the salt. Set 
    aside. 

4. In a metal bowl, beat the butter at medium speed while gradually adding 
    the oil. Add the brown and white sugar and increase the speed to high. 
    Beat until light and fluffy. 

5. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add the 
    yogurt and vanilla extract and beat until just incorporated. 

6. With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture in three additions
    with the cocoa mixture in two additions. Beat until just combined. 

7. Divide the cake batter into the two pans and bake for 40 to 50 minutes or 
    until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

8. Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes. Run a knife on the
    sides and invert the cake. Remove the parchment and let cool completely. 

9. Prepare the ganache. Combine the cream and the honey and at low heat, 
    bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and add the chocolate. Allow to 
    stand for a minute and whisk until melted. 

10. Add the butter and allow to melt. Whisk in the rum and continue to mix 
     until smooth. Cover with a clingfilm and allow to cool until the ganache 
     is almost set but still spreadable. This can take half a day to 24 hours.

11. To assemble the cake, brush the rum on the cake layers and spread about
      a third of the ganache on one of the cake layers. Top with the second 
      cake layer. Spread a thin layer of the ganache to cover the whole cake.
      Cool in the fridge for about an hour to set the crumb coat. Cover the 
      cake with the rest of the ganache.

The cake can be made a day ahead and stored at room temperature covered with clingfilm. The ganache can also be made a day ahead. The cake tastes better a day or two after assembly. You can serve the cake at room temperature but I prefer it served cold.

*Recipe from Fine Cooking by Jill O'Connor, Issue 119.
            

Rum Cake

Copyright 2013 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

This cake is something that I have been baking for quite some time although not really the actual cake. I use the cake recipe as the base of my Black Forest Cake until I decided to change it using Dave Liebermann's simple chocolate cake recipe. I have been wanting to bake the actual cake the way it was written in my old cookbook but unfortunately, it has disappeared along with some of my old trusted cookbooks. However, I do remember enough about the cake to know that it gets soaked with a rum syrup and the frosting is made of whipped cream and finished off with chocolate curls. I'm glad that I saved the actual cake recipe but to make the rum syrup, I am using a basic syrup recipe and flavoring it with white rum. I decided to jazz it up a bit with the chocolate decorations since I have both dark and white chocolate bars in my pantry. The giraffe pattern is inspired by a cake in one of my cookbooks. The chocolate curls are a bit messy but working with chocolates in a tropical country in the middle of summer with no air conditioning around tends to be a bit of a challenge. I usually bake at night but I just did not have the time to do so for this cake. It tasted plenty yummy to make up for the not so clean decorations. This is an adapted recipe for sure but since I cannot give credit to the actual authors at this point, it will have to stay uncredited.  

Rum Cake - Adapted*

Cake:
1 ½ cups flour
10 tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 ½ cup sugar
4 eggs separated
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk
½ tsp vanilla

1. Sift all solid ingredients and add the sugar. Mix well and make a well in 
    the center.

2. Combine egg yolks, oil, milk and vanilla. Mix well with wire a whisk. Add 
    into the flour mixture.

3. Beat the egg whites until stiff peak forms. Fold into the batter.

4. Divide the batter into two 9-inch greased round pans lined with wax paper.

5. Bake at 350°F in a preheated oven for about 30-45 minutes or until cake
    tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a wire 
    rack and peel off the wax paper. Cool completely.

Frosting:
3  cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp gelatin softened in 1/4 cup hot water. 

In a large metal bowl, add the softened gelatin to the cream and whip until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and the vanilla extract and continue to beat until stiff peaks are formed. Do not overbeat. Keep cool and set aside.  

Rum Syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
2 tbsp white rum

In a small saucepan, heat the sugar and the water over medium low heat until the sugar dissolves. Continue to cook for 5 minutes and take off the heat. Add the rum and allow to cool.

To assemble, arrange one of the cakes on a cake platter and poke with a toothpick to create holes for the syrup to penetrate the cake. Spoon half the syrup over it to soak the cake. Spread with enough cream frosting and top with the second layer. Soak with the remaining syrup and cover the cake with the remaining cream frosting. Garnish with chocolate curls and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Arrange white and dark chocolate curls on top of the cake and store in the fridge until ready to serve. 

* Good Housekeeping 
   

Butterscotch Bars (With Pictures)

Copyright 2013 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

This dessert bar has been driving me up the wall for almost three years now. After having obtained a recipe from a good friend, I tried the said recipe and I have to admit that it tastes pretty darned good. Almost as good as the ones they sell in my hometown. Bacolod City's Butterscotch bar is definitely a well-known treat all over the country and is always copied but never equaled. The recipe being a trade secret is as difficult to find. The recipe given to me was therefore a godsend but I have a lot of issues with it. While the taste is perfect, the texture is not. It has the tendency to underbake in the middle while it puffs up on all sides of the pan making it hard to correct this issue. Bake it long enough and you overbake the peripheral portion of the cake and underbaking it also leads to a soggy mess at the center. 

Addition of brown sugar to melted butter.

While still living in the US, I tried to correct this issue by replacing a portion of the flour with powdered milk which resulted to a cakey albeit delicious version. I also tried doubling the baking powder hoping that it will speed up the rising of the batter but it rose too fast it eventually fell flat. I tried molasses instead of brown sugar and this version  came out a bit too moist. I used less baking powder and it barely rose that I ended up with a clumpy bar. It made me think that maybe, it is a geographical problem. Humidity and altitude do affect how a cake bakes and maybe those are what's been causing these problems for me.

Eggs have been added to the sugar butter mixture.

When I went home last year, I eventually tried a different approach to the recipe and the first major change I tried was to use margarine instead of butter. I also switched to aluminum pans since I left my non-stick baking pans in the US. Surprisingly, it actually bakes evenly in my cheap baking pans. A second major change is how I prepared the batter. I decided to melt the margarine with the brown sugar over low heat until the sugar has melted but not caramelized. I then waited until it cooled down before I added the rest of the ingredients adding the baking powder last. Well, what do you know? It worked. After a little bit more fiddling, I decided to bring back the butter into the recipe and this new version is what I came up with. It is a combination of the original recipe and the one I modified using margarine. I eventually found out that butter compound is actually better than margarine so I made another switch. I also had to omit the addition of nuts due to my gout and the fact that my nephew is allergic to nuts. He actually likes this version and refers to it as the brown cake. 

Butterscotch Bars

1/2 cup unsalted butter*
1/2 cup butter compound*
2 cups dark brown sugar**
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts or cashews, (optional)

1. In a small pot, melt the butter and butter compund over low heat. Add the
    sugar and stir until melted. Turn off the heat. Preheat the oven to 325°F 
    and grease an 8" baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder. Add the salt. 

3. When the sugar mixture has cooled, add the eggs one at a time. Mix well 
    after each addition.

4. Add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Add the vanilla and 
    nuts if using and mix one last time. 

5. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cake 
    is set. 

6. Cool completely and cut into slices.

Addition of flour and vanilla extract.

The bar came out a bit cakey while still warm but it set nicely into a dense texture once cooled. I wrapped the pieces in colored plastic which is how they sell them here and over time, the texture changed into something similar to what is being sold in the local bakeshops. I think wrapping them up while they dry within the day changes the consistency into the desired sugary bar.

* Use 1 cup unsalted butter if you cannot find butter compound. I cannot recall the brand I used for the butter compound that I bought and I cannot seem to find it again. I have reverted to using New Zealand unsalted butter and it seems to do the trick. Local butters just do not have the same buttery taste.  

** I searched for the darkest brown sugar available in our local market without resorting to using muscuvado which is a raw form of brown sugar. The batter was a lot darker but the sweetness was just right. Overall, this is actually a very good version of butterscotch but I think I might keep working on it.
  

Caramel Custard Cake

Copyright 2013 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

When I went to college in Manila ages ago, I would walk by a bakery shop which sells these treats. I never had enough money to buy them so I will look on in envy and wonder how they tasted. My other thought was how they managed to make the treat which is half caramel custard and half chiffon cake? Do you bake the cake first and top with the custard or make the custard and top with the cake batter and bake to finish the cake? I may have saved enough to try one of two every now and then and I think they were always a joy to eat. My memory of having eaten this treat is a bit vague.

Here at work, they also sell these treats at the cafeteria. I had one last Friday actually and it was kind of fortuitous that the same exact recipe is featured in one of the blogs I do read every now and then, Kusina ni Manang. Her blog is a lot more popular than mine so I look on in every now and then, mostly in admiration because of the volume of traffic of her blog, and also for the wonderful recipes she posts. She posted this recipe just last week and it was from her that I learned that the cake batter floats on top of the custard due to its airiness so both the custard and cake are baked together. That, at least answers one question. Anyway, here is my take on the same recipe with a few changes of my own. For one, I used my old recipe for the flan  but in terms of the chiffon cake, I stuck by the recipe except that I did away with the lemon extract and used vanilla extract in combination with lemon zest instead. I hope you do try this out. It is delicious.

Caramel Custard Cake - Adapted*

Custard and Caramel:

8 egg yolks
1 15oz Alpine evaporated milk
1 14oz Milkmaid condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon zest
1 1/2 cups white sugar

Chiffon Cake:

5 egg separated
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup white sugar
2/3 cup cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp vegetable oil
6 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp lemon rind

1. Prepare the caramel by melting the sugar over low heat in a non-stick pan.
    Once golden amber, pour into the prepared pans. For this recipe, I used 3 
    ramekins and one 9-inch round pan.  Set aside to cool. Preheat the oven 
    to 325°F.

2. In a large bowl, prepare the custard by combining the egg yolks, vanilla 
    extract, evaporated and condensed milk, and the lemon zest. Whisk until 
    mixed and smooth. Set aside. 

3. In another bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar at high 
    speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside. 

4. In a 4th bowl, sift the dry ingredients for the cake batter. Hollow out the 
    center to make a well. In a small measuring cup, combine all the wet 
    ingredients and whisk until mixed. Pour into the dry ingredients. 

5. Using the same beaters, beat the batter at low speed until the wet 
    ingredients are incorporated into the dry ingredients. Do not overbeat. 
    Fold the beaten egg whites into the batter and mix until just combined. 

6. To assemble the cake, pour the custard mix over a sieve into the 
    ramekins and pans. Fill the ramekins just below the halfway mark. Pour 
    the rest into the 9-inch pan. 

7. Ladle the cake batter over the custard mixture and smoothen the tops. 
    Fill the ramekins until just about 1/4 of an inch from the top. 

8. Bake pans in the preheated oven in a water bath about an inch high the
    sides of the baking pans. Bake the ramekins for 25-30 minutes and the 
    large pan for about 45-50 minutes. 

9. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick and it should come out clean. 
    Cool to room temperature and chill in the fridge if desired.

* Kusina ni Manang: Filipino Custard Cake.
     

Double-Baked Chocolate Cake

Copyright 2013 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

Another recipe I have always wanted to try is this Double-Baked Chocolate Cake. My best friend and my godson were coming over for a visit for two days and one request that was not to be messed with is a super yummy Chocolate Cake. Even the suggestion of my sinful chocolate cheesecake was not good enough. And so, I had to find a new recipe that was going to cut through the high expectation. I could make my usual layered chocolate cake but that is available in the cake shops all over town so I wanted to bake something new. My source is an old volume of Food and Wine magazine which has been a lot of help whenever I have to think of something to make for Thanksgiving since this was their Thanksgiving issue a long time ago. 

The cake can be prepped two-ways. As the name implies, the cake is doubly baked making it almost like a giant lava cake and was meant to be served ala-mode with whipped cream and hazelnut or chocolate ice cream. I went for the simple version which was to bake it once. My reason is purely for sanitary reasons since the eggs back home are not guaranteed as pasteurized. The second baking step is quite short so the batter will be semi-cooked and I am trying to avoid getting sick from salmonella. Good thing that the recipe actually gives you two alternative ways of baking the cake.

Double-Baked Chocolate Cake - Adapted*

8 oz semisweet chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
7 large eggs, separated
1 tsp coffee
1 1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line the 
    bottom with wax paper. Grease again and then dust the pan with flour 
    tapping off the excess.

2. Melt the butter with the chocolates, coffee powder and coffee over low 
    heat. Slightly cool and add the vanilla extract. Set aside.  

3. In your mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually 
    beat in half the sugar until the egg whites are firm and glossy. Transfer 
    to another metal or glass bowl. 

4. In the same mixer bowl,  beat the egg yolks and add the remaining sugar. 
    Beat until tripled in volume. 

5. Fold the melted chocolate into the egg yolk mixture and mix until just 
    combined. Fold in the egg whites until just mixed. Save two cups of the 
    batter and store in the fridge. 

6. Pour the remaining batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes 
    or until the top is puffed up and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 
    Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack.

7. Once cooled, store the cake in the fridge for at least two hours. To finish 
    the cake, top the cake with the reserved batter and bake at 425°F for 10 
    minutes in a preheated oven. Remove the sides of the pan and serve warm
    with ice cream and a topping of whipped cream.

If you plan to bake it only once, use all the batter and bake for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan and store in the fridge for at least two hours. Remove the sides of the pan and serve.

* Food and Wine, November 2000 Issue, page 244-245.    

Coffee Break

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

Ever since I started working last June, my time has been divided into working at the university, traveling back and forth and coming home to my Dad every Friday where a lot of household chores have to be tackled and completed before I travel back to the University every Sunday morning in time for my Sunday class. It is no wonder that any respite from this schedule is totally welcome and I have to say that more often than not, it has been a short respite which includes drinking coffee with my co-teachers who have also been given the Sunday schedule or a quick coffee date with my best friends in my home town. As such, I have quite a collection of wonderful cakes that we ate during these coffee dates and I'm quite happy to share them all with you.

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

First up is a sinful chocolate cake from the Coffee Break Cafe at Smallville. Yup, there is a place called Smallville in Iloilo City. Sadly, you won't find the man of steel whizzing around but the place is budding with small cafes and fancy restaurants for the younger generation. We definitely didn't have any of these growing up. I made my pick of a Devilish Chocolate Mousse if I was not mistaken (see picture above). My co-teacher Steve opted for something more healthy in the form of a carrot cake. I just needed the buzz of caffeine and sugar that day so I threw caution to the wind and ate without any trace of guilt. The cake was delicious and the coffee was really good. I would not mind going back there again. 

Last weekend, I also met up with a friend who asked me to treat her for lunch. She always treats me whenever we go out so it was the right thing to do and pay for lunch that day. We went to Max's which is a food chain in the Philippines who's specialty is crispy fried chicken. However, we were there for something else: the Sizzling Spicy Tofu. Now, I had my mini episode of gout that day but I just had to try this tofu dish and it was delicious. I had to find a recipe and I made my own version although the heat was toned down quite a bit. It may not be as good but it was still delicious. Maybe I should invest in a sizzler plate when my kitchen renovation is complete.

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

After our lunch, we went for coffee and ice cream at Cafe Bob's, a local burger joint/restaurant in my hometown which has been a favorite hangout place of me and my Mom ever since I was little. My friend went for her favorite gelato while I ordered a double chocolate mousse cake. Do you see the trend here with regards to my preference for mousse cakes? Once again, the cake was delicious and fed three of us after another friend of ours joined us for coffee. Their coffee is always good so I was not surprised. I actually came back there last weekend but totally forgot to take pictures of their Black Forest cake and their Mango Pavlova. Now, those were two delicious cakes. Yum! Speaking of which, maybe I should try making my own version of Mango Pavlova for my nephew's birthday this weekend. That might be a really wonderful idea. I'll keep you guys posted. 

Native Treats

I have to confess my new guilty pleasures. They are sweet, sticky and oh so good to the last bite. I'm talking about the native treats being sold in the local market here in Miagao. I see them all the time being sold on the side of the streets in my local grocery store back in Bacolod and this weekend, I found them in the market here in Miagao where I live during the week. I was actually looking for avocados but I guess they are past their season now so I came up empty handed. That was until I found a couple of ladies selling these delicacies in front of the market. I bought a couple of samples and found them to be delicious. I ended up buying a ton of them for the office today and boy was it good. 

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

First up is one of my favorites, the Bayi-bayi. This treat is quite popular in the Visayas region which includes my hometown and the place where I now work. This treat is made from toasted ground sticky rice or corn. The process of making the treat involves pounding the rice or corn with coconut meat and brown sugar until you obtain a sticky mass that holds its shape when pressed together with your hands. More coconut meat is added until the desired texture is obtained. A downside to this treat is that is goes bad quite quickly due to the fresh coconut that was added. Good thing this treat is so yummy it almost always disappears before you have to worry about it going bad. 

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

Second on the list is the Puto Lanson. This treat was sold every afternoon by vendors roaming our subdivision when I was growing up in Bacolod City. We would await the sound of the vendor shouting "puto-lanson" in the middle of the day and me and my cousins will be at the gate waiting for my Mom to buy us these freshly steamed snack. The main ingredient is grated cassava mixed with coconut strings, sugar and coconut milk. Sometimes eggs are added but the simpler ones rely on the stickiness of the cassava flour to hold the cake together. They are usually steamed in small round tin pans until they are cooked and can hold their own shape. 

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

Next in line is something that is new to me actually. I've never tasted one before and I will give it the name, Ube (Taro) Cake since it was made in the same vein as a rice cake. I assume that given its similarity to the rice cake, this treat is made from ube or taro flour, coconut milk, grated coconut meat, brown sugar and eggs. This purple treat is steamed and topped with more grated coconut. It was yummy although a bit dense in terms of texture. If I had to choose between an ube cake and a rice cake, I think I'll settle for the latter. This cake albeit delicious is just a bit too "heavy" for my taste. 

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

The fourth treat in my list of guilty pleasures is the Alupe. This treat is traditionally made with ground cassava, brown sugar, coconut milk and bits of coconut strings wrapped in a banana leaf before steaming. This version however was made with ground rice. The lady who sold them to me was quite proud to inform me that this version is better than the traditional one. I do agree with her but I have to say that given the choice between the rice or the cassava version, I might go for both. To me, they are equally delicious. Besides, why settle on one when you can have two equally wonderful treats. Really! 

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

And now, the last but not least, the Suman. This traditional treat spans the whole country and is perhaps the easiest to make of the whole bunch. The method of cooking this treat involves soaking the sticky rice in coconut milk while the brown sugar is cooked in more coconut milk until a brown sugar syrup is obtained. The rice together with the coconut milk is added into the syrup and cooked until the rice is just perfectly cooked. They are usually served topped with a "latik" topping which is basically curds from the coconut milk. This is obtained by cooking the coconut milk over high heat until the curds start to form and slowly turn golden brown. Just skim them off with a slotted spoon and set them aside until needed.

As such, I better stop here. There are actually more traditional treats that I can present but these were the five that I bought today. The list can go one for a bit but they will have to wait their turn. For now, my cravings have been sated and I look forward to having some more of these treats later today during my coffee break. 

Simple Bread Pudding

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

My cousin requested that I make bread pudding using the extra white bread she bought for cheap as a snack for the kids at home. Given my usual rich recipes for bread pudding, I decided to create a simple version which will be good enough to eat and serve for special occasions but with minimal effort. I had to search a fairly basic recipe of bread pudding and change it around to suit my needs. An addition that will work well with my nephew are semisweet chocolate chips. The pudding is baked in a baine marie so it cooks a bit longer but the texture you get is velvety and smooth, almost like a flan. 

Simple Bread Pudding

4 cups white bread, diced
1 14-oz condensed milk
2 12-oz evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
4 eggs
1/4 cup margarine, melted and cooled

1. Preheat oven at 300°F and line a 9x13 baking pan with aluminum foil. 

2. In a large bowl, mix the milks with the eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla. 

3. Add the cubed bread into the milk mixture and stir. Add the chocolate 
    chips and melted margarine and stir until just mixed. 

4. Pour the pudding into the prepared pan and bake in a water bath for 
    an hour. 

5. Serve the pudding warm topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. 
 

Oatmeal Bars with Raisin Topping

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

I decided to try this baked bar as a treat for our secretary in the department. She has slaved by running around making sure my papers are in order and she was also trying to supply me with things I may need at work so I figured a baked treat was in order. Since my books are still on their way, I decided to peruse my way through my new cookbook and this is what I found. Looking at the ingredients, it looked like something I could do here in my hometown and with a minimal amount of baking, I'm sure my temperamental oven can cope. The bar came out a bit too sweet for me but if you have a sweet tooth, then this is for you. 

Oatmeal Bars with Raisin Topping - Adapted*

1 1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup oatmeal, quick cooking
1 stick margarine (1/2 cup)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda

Topping:
1 1/2 cup raisins
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
2 tbsp flour
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tbsp butter, unsalted
2 tbsp brandy
2 tsp vanilla

1.  Pour the boiling water over the margarine and oatmeal in a small bowl. 
     Mix well and let it cool for about 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F and 
     line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper.

2. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, brown sugar, white 
    sugar, cinnamon and the salt. Add the cooled oatmeal mixture and mix 
    well with a wooden spoon. 

3. Add the eggs and combine until incorporated. Transfer the batter to the 
    prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes. Cool.

4. To prepare the topping, mix the topping ingredients except for the 
    confectioner's sugar and vanilla and bring to a boil in a small pan over 
    medium low heat. Cook for about 3 minutes. Let cool. 

5. Add the confectioner's sugar and the vanilla to the cooked topping mixture 
    and mix well. Spread on top of the cooled cake and smoothen with a 
    spatula. 

6. Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature. 

*The Madison County Cookbook, Carol Publishing Group, Winterset, Iowa:1995.

I Can't Believe It's Not Real Tiramisu! (Cream Cheese Tiramisu)

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

My cousin and nephew along with my uncle and aunt came over the house today. I had something planned for my blog but since they were in town this Saturday, I decided to move up the date of my cooking experiment a day ahead and invited them over for lunch. I had planned a very Italian Sunday lunch so I went ahead with this plan hoping they will appreciate something different from what they usually have at home which is almost just like what we eat daily:fish, fish and more fish. However, I just don't have the time to make dessert on such short notice so a no-bake tiramisu seems to be the best choice for such an occasion. Also, being in the Philippines, mascarpone cheese is a rarity and finding one might be possible but the price tag on such a find will most likely be astronomical there is no point at all in splurging to make this dessert. It might be worth it but if you plan to eat tiramisu on a regular basis, a more affordable alternative might be the way to go.

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

I also went for the store-bought ladyfingers (Broas in our dialect) from the local bakery that has been our family's go-to bakery for our family parties. They are a bit pricey but their products are really wonderful and the quality have not gone down unlike most of the stores I used to frequent before I left for the US. I tried making ladyfingers the last time I had to make a dessert but my temperamental oven coupled with my new handheld mixer which turns hot after 5 minutes of use is giving me some issue with regards to real baking. Any hardcore baking will have to wait until I get my new kitchen in about a couple of months.  

Cream Cheese Tiramisu

1 8oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 8 oz heavy cream, chilled
13 tbsp white sugar
8 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup strongly brewed coffee
1/4 cup brandy
48 ladyfingers
2 oz dark chocolate
cocoa powder

1. In a large metal bowl, combine the white sugar with the egg yolks and beat
    at high speed on top of a double broiler. Keep the liquid at a low simmer. 
    Beat at high speed until the volume has tripled. Take off the heat and set 
    aside.

2. In another bowl, beat the egg whites with clean beaters until stiff peaks 
    form. Fold into the egg yolk mixture. 

3. In a third bowl, combine the cream cheese and the heavy cream and beat 
    until smooth. Fold into the egg mixture. 

4. In a 9x13 baking dish, ladle in a cup of the cream cheese mixture and 
    spread evenly. Arrange a tight layer of ladyfingers filling in the gaps with 
    little pieces. 

5. Combine the coffee with the brandy and spoon half the amount over the 
    ladyfingers. Pour half the cream cheese mixture over the ladyfingers and 
    spread evenly. 

6. Dust lightly with the cocoa powder and arrange a second layer of 
    ladyfingers. Soak with the reamaining coffee/brandy mixture and top with
    the remaining cream cheese mixture. 

7. Cover with clingfilm and store in the fridge for at least 4 hours. To serve, 
    grate the chocolate on top and dust with the cocoa powder.