Tag: Sweet Tooth

Spiced Carrot Cake Loaf with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Spiced Carrot Cake Loaf with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

amcarmen1 Comment

Hello Everyone!

AMCARMEN’S KITCHEN TURNS EIGHT TODAY!

And what a journey it has been indeed! So much has happened this year that it’s been extra difficult to keep up with the blog and my social media accounts associated with Amcarmen’s Kitchen. Just before my blog turned 7 last year, I started a foodie community group on Instagram together with a foodie friend of mine, Chamaine (she also participated in my Auguest 2021 series). From there, we started organising and hosting food collaborations amongst the IG foodie community, internationally. Aside from that, I also expanded my social media reach into the world of TikTok and started uploading video content there. It was also from TikTok where I placed third in a virtual cooking competition, and was invited to join in food campaigns where I won prizes weekly.

To be honest, with all that going on side-by-side with my work and social life, I actually didn’t prepare anything for my blog’s anniversary today. In fact, I was going back and forth with myself whether to whip up something or indulge in a lazy Easter long weekend. Prior to this weekend, I spent the last two weekends (Friday to Sunday) in a classroom from 9am – 7pm where I did a Premiere Pro and After Effects course. So yes, I totally deserve a do-nothing weekend after all that *cheeky grin*.

Luckily, because of my oh-so busy schedule, I had this recipe for a Spiced Carrot Cake Loaf with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting that didn’t get posted towards the end of March. Still, it’s perfect for a celebration!

Spiced Carrot Cake Loaf with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

This carrot cake turned carrot cake loaf is dense, yet ultra soft, moist, and flavoured with fall-favourite spices such as cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. You can serve it plain, or spruce it up with your choice of nuts, dried fruit, and/or top with some cream cheese frosting. Now if you want to be a little bit extra, all you need is a pinch or two of cinnamon powder to take your frosting to another level. The delicious cinnamon-flavoured cream cheese frosting really heightens each slice of carrot cake loaf!

I’ve made this carrot cake loaf three times now, the first time was just because I wanted to bake something that was easy to take to work for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack. The second time I baked this loaf was with my boyfriend when he visited for the weekend a few months back. The third time, I was searching for a recipe where I could feature Binda Valley’s Vanilla Bliss Natural Greek Style Yoghurt, which I received courtesy of Gourmet Direct PH a few months back. This is also one of my achievements from last year, to be recognised by a brand and create promotional content for them.

This recipe makes two carrot cake loaves, feel free to double or downsize the recipe, but trust me, you don’t want to be downsizing because one loaf disappears fast! If you can turn a cake into a loaf, you can most definitely turn this loaf into muffins as well!

PREP TIME 15 MINS | COOKING TIME 55 – 65 MINS | MAKES 2 LOAVES

INGREDIENTS

Spiced Carrot Cake Loaf Ingredients

For the carrot cake loaf

Dry ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 & 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup roasted walnuts, roughly chopped

Wet ingredients

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

For the cinnamon cream cheese frosting

  • 1 block (225g) cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F or gas mark 4) and line two 9×5-inch loaf pans with parchment paper.
  2. Carrot Loaf: Whisk all the dry ingredients, except for the walnuts, together in a large mixing bowl until well combined. Set aside.
  3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk all the wet ingredients together until well combined.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently whisk together until just combined. The batter should be semi-thick in consistency. Fold the chopped walnuts into the batter.
  5. Equally divide the batter between the prepared loaf pans and bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean as baking times may vary.
  6. Remove from the oven once done and leave it to cool completely in its pan on a wire rack.
  7. Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting: Using a handheld (or stand) mixer, beat the cream cheese in a medium-sized bowl on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy.
  8. Beat in the butter, and then followed by the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt over low speed until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust to your liking.
  9. Once the carrot cake loaf has cooled, frost with the cinnamon cream cheese and top with roasted walnuts and shredded carrots.
  10. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Spiced Carrot Cake Loaf

Storage tip: Store your carrot cake loaf without the frosting! Cover and store leftover loaf/slices at room temperature for up to 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to about 10 days. Store the frosting separately in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Before I end tonight’s post, I just want to say a special thank you to my Mom. She was the one who patiently taught me how to cook my favourite dishes when I was growing up. She was my #1 supporter. Thank you Mama for passing down your knowledge and love for food on to me. I know you’re proudly watching from above. I love you.

Spiced Carrot Cake Loaf with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

@amcarmenskitchen

Spiced Carrot Cake Loaf #amcarmenskitchen #foodieph #summerfoodie #sweettooth #tiktokeatsph #foodtiktok #foodtokph #anniversary

♬ GOOD VIBES – Ellen Once Again

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

Follow me on my social media accounts:
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Mixed Berry Compote

Mixed Berry Compote

amcarmenLeave a comment

Hello Everyone! A great way to use up fruits, especially berries, that have been sitting in your fridge for a while and on the verge of over-ripening, is to make compote! I’ve made my fair share of compote when I was still living in Australia, usually using fresh, overripe berries as they are easily accessible when in season. While you can sometimes get fresh berries here in the Philippines, they’re really expensive which is why I opted to use frozen berries for this compote recipe that I will be sharing.

Mixed Berry Compote

Compote is a type of fruit spread that is made from slowly cooking whole or small fruit pieces combined with a sugar syrup. The three main ingredients for a compote are as follows:

  • Berries – fresh or frozen, whatever you have on hand,
  • Juices – any liquid with some tang i.e. lemon, lime, orange, or pomegranate juice, and
  • Sweeteners – sugar, honey, maple syrup, or other natural sweeteners.

Other than those three main ingredients, you may also add other flavours to enhance your compote. Some options include, but are not limited to orange zest, lemon zest, mint, or your favourite liqueur.

This mixed berry compote is best served over pancakes, toast, French toast, waffles, yoghurt, ice cream, or cheesecake. The possibilities are endless! Stick around tomorrow to see what I served my mixed berry compote over!

Mixed Berry Compote Ingredients

PREP TIME 5 MINS | COOKING TIME 10 MINS | SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

  • 250g frozen mixed berries
  • 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Juice of half a lemon

METHOD

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan.
  2. Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil until the berries break down and the compote thickens to your desired consistency, not more than 10 minutes.
  3. Serve over your choice of breakfast foods to satisfy your sweet tooth cravings in the morning. Enjoy!

I served mine over some delicious Vanilla Bliss Greek Style Yoghurt from Binda Valley. If you’re residing in the Philippines, you can get your fix of this yoghurt from Gourmet Direct PH.

Mixed Berry Compote & Binda Valley's Vanilla Bliss Yoghurt

You can easily make a large batch of compote and store them in the fridge, warming them up as you need them. Just be sure to keep the compote in an airtight container or sterlised jar. It should be able to last for up to 2 weeks when properly stored and refrigerated.

If you want to keep some around for even longer, you can always freeze it. Pour the compote into jars, then seal it while it is still hot. The compote will last in the freezer for up to 2 months.

@amcarmenskitchen

Mixed Berry Compote #amcarmenskitchen #foodieph #MARCHarap #tiktokeatsph #foodtiktok #foodtokph #mixedberry #compote

♬ Mon Soleil (from “Emily in Paris” Soundtrack) – Ashley Park

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

Follow me on my social media accounts:
Facebook: Amcarmen’s Kitchen
Instagram: @amcarmenskitchen
TikTok: @amcarmenskitchen

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Ube Biscoff Cheesecake

Ube Biscoff Cheesecake

amcarmenLeave a comment

Hello Everyone and a Happy belated Birthday to me! I was supposed to get this recipe up on the day of my birthday, but only having baked this Ube Biscoff Cheesecake the night before, I didn’t have time to edit the photos and videos for uploading and for my Instagram posts. Nevertheless, to make up for that, I have a special announcement to make, which you can read at the end of this post!

If you had asked me where or how I would be spending my birthday this year at the start of our country-wide Enhanced Community Quarantine due to the on-going pandemic, I would’ve never guessed that 8 months later, we’d still be celebrating birthdays in quarantine. Nevertheless, I’m still super thankful that even with the virus still spreading, my family, friends, and myself included, are all safe and healthy.

Ube Biscoff Cheesecake

So to be perfectly honest, this wasn’t the cake I had intended to make for my birthday. I only made the last minute decision (as in the morning before my actual birthday) to make an Ube Biscoff Cheesecake, inspired by an Instagram post I saw about a week or two ago. Well okay, the plan was to still push through with the cake I originally had in mind, and then bake mini Ube Biscoff Cheesecakes to share with my workmates, but baking two cakes in one day sounded daunting. I could already foresee the countless mishaps that are bound to happen juggling two recipes at the same time.

This Ube Biscoff Cheesecake is the perfect recipe for all the ube, biscoff, and cheesecake lovers. If you’ve never tried biscoff before, you should definitely try this dessert! This is utterly delicious and different to my other cheesecakes I’ve made in the past – the biscoff spread on top gives a nice rich addition to the cheesecake and creates a delicious spiced cookie flavour. The biscoff crust is buttery and sweet, and the cheesecake filling is thick and rich with ube that just melts-in-your-mouth with every bite. Honestly, it’s everything a cheesecake should be, and you may opt to do a no-bake or baked cheesecake with this recipe.

Ube Biscoff Cheesecake Ingredients

PREP TIME 15 MINS | COOKING TIME 1 HOUR | SERVES 6-8

INGREDIENTS

For the ube cheesecake mixture

  • 450g cream cheese
  • 250ml all purpose cream
  • 2 large free-range egg
  • 1 cup ube halaya (or ube jam)
  • 1/4 cup white or brown sugar
  • 1 tsp ube extract

For the biscoff crumb base

  • 200g Lotus biscoff cookies, crushed
  • 75g unsalted margarine, melted
  • Pinch of salt

For the biscoff spread

  • 50g Lotus biscoff cookies, crushed
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/8 cup coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp unsalted margarine, melted
  • Dash of vanilla extract
  • Pinch of ground cinnamon

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven to 130C (250F or gas mark 1).
  2. Biscoff Crumb Base: Add the crushed biscoff cookies, salt, and melted butter together in a small mixing bowl. Mix together until well combined.
  3. Grease an 8” spring-form pan with a bit of margarine and line the bottom and sides it with parchment paper. Cover the outside of the pan with tin foil. Press the crumb into the base of the cake pan and set aside in the fridge for about 15 minutes to set.
  4. Ube Cheesecake Mixture: Using an electric handheld mixer, beat, on medium speed, the cream cheese and sugar together in a medium-sized bowl until smooth.
  5. With the mixer running, add in the eggs, all purpose cream cream, ube halaya, and ube extract, mixing for a further 2 minutes.
  6. Pour the mixture into the prepared spring-form cake pan, evenly covering the biscuit base.
  7. Place the cake pan in a water bath and bake for 1 hour, or until just set.
  8. Allow to cool down to room temperature and then chill in the fridge for about half an hour before serving.
  9. Biscoff Spread: While the cake is chilling in the fridge, add the crushed biscoff cookies, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, coconut oil, and butter into an immersion blender cup. Blend until the ingredients are well incorporated.
  10. Add the water and blend further until you have a nice, smooth, and creamy spread. Set aside until ready to use.
  11. Assemble: Carefully remove the cheesecake from the spring-form pan. Top the cheesecake with the biscoff spread and a biscoff cookie. Serve a slice or two… maybe three, immediately! *cheeky grin* Enjoy!

Ube Biscoff Cheesecake

Ube Biscoff Cheesecake

And now, here’s the announcement that I promised to share with you guys. One of my Auguesters, known as Karina Pineda a.k.a. @wanderlittlegirl, partnered up for my birthday to launch our very first Instagram Giveaway! The giveaway was launched on Monday and will run through until November 20. Further details of the giveaway are specified on my Instagram post which you can find here on @amcarmenskitchen. The giveaway is only open to residents in Metro Manila, but if you have family or friends living in the area, feel free to share the giveaway with them. My goal is to help my lovely friend promote her smol home-grown business (@madebywanderlittlegirl) and also in return, treat two (2) lucky winners with some home-baked goodies!

#AMCxMADE Cookie Giveaway

#AMCxMADE Cookie Giveaway

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

myTaste.com

Black Sticky Rice with Grilled Mango & Blue Coconut Sauce

Black Sticky Rice with Grilled Mango & Blue Coconut Sauce

amcarmenLeave a comment

The combination of mango and black sticky rice is fairly common in Thailand. Black sticky rice, a delicious whole-grain alternative to white rice, is purplish black in colour and has a chewy texture. It is naturally sweet, contains fibre, and is loaded with antioxidants, which makes this dessert all the more healthy and guilt-free to eat!

Black Sticky Rice with Grilled Mango & Blue Coconut Sauce

The black sticky rice is served alongside sliced mango, and a sauce of sweet and salty coconut milk is usually added. I had initially decided to purée the mango, but when I took a photo of the final plate up, I wasn’t happy with how it aesthetically turned out. So the following week, I thought of serving it with fresh mango on the side. It wasn’t until an idea popped into mind when I thought back to my Grilled Pineapple Dessert – I thought, why not grill the mango to further enhance its flavour?

Before we dive into tonight’s recipe, please take the time to check out the original recipe where I drew my inspiration from over on Breakfast With Flowers by Katja. This was where I took the inspiration from into making the coconut sauce for this dish blue by simmering and steeping dried butterfly pea flowers in the coconut milk.

Black Sticky Rice with Grilled Mango & Blue Coconut Sauce Ingredients

PREP TIME 10 MINS* | COOKING TIME 45 MINS | SERVES 6

* Plus 4 hours (or overnight) to soak the rice

INGREDIENTS

For the black sticky rice

  • 2 cups black glutinous rice, pre-soaked
  • 4 & 1/2 cups water
  • Pinch of salt

For the blue coconut sauce

  • 200ml coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp loose dried butterfly pea flowers
  • 2 tbsp white granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt

To serve with

  • Grilled Mango
  • Shredded fresh coconut
  • Cornflakes (optional)

METHOD

  1. Black Sticky Rice: Wash the black glutinous soaked rice well in several changes of cold water and then drain thoroughly.
  2. Place the rice together with the 4 & 1/2 cups of water and salt in a rice cooker. Let it work its magic. Optional: If available, you can cook the rice with a pandan leaf for fragrance.
  3. Alternatively, you may use a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a vigorous boil over high heat. Cover, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the rice is tender (but still a little chewy in the center) and the liquid is absorbed, about 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from heat and let it stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
  4. Blue Coconut Sauce: While the rice is cooking prepare your coconut sauce. Add the dried butterfly pea flowers to a small saucepan together with the coconut milk, sugar, and salt.
  5. Gently heat on medium-low for about 10 minutes or until you get the hue of blue that you want infused into the coconut milk.
  6. Once done, remove from the heat and strain out the butterfly pea flowers. Press on the flowers to extract more colour out of them.
  7. Serve the black sticky rice together with grilled mango, and shredded fresh coconut. Top the rice with the blue coconut sauce and sprinkle with some crushed cornflakes for that extra added crunch. Enjoy as a warm dessert!

Black Sticky Rice with Grilled Mango & Blue Coconut Sauce

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

myTaste.com

No-churn Cookie Monster Ice Cream

No-churn Cookie Monster Ice Cream

amcarmenLeave a comment

Hello Everyone! Do you have a toddler in front of the TV right now totally hypnotised by Sesame Street? Do you hear the phrase “C is for cookie” at least once a day? Then your kid is probably a true Cookie Monster fan. Well, I don’t have kids of my own (yet) and I was never really a fan of Sesame Street when growing up.

No-churn Cookie Monster Ice Cream

Despite that, I wanted to share a recipe with everyone that screams the colour blue, and when doing some research one fine weekend, Cookie Monster desserts flooded Pinterest and Google Images. So embrace your little one’s love by adding some Cookie Monster fun to this dessert. This super simple kid-friendly No-churn Cookie Monster Ice Cream is loaded with Oreo cookies and chocolate chip cookies that make for a great combo. In just a few minutes time, you can have this fun cookie-loaded ice cream in your freezer. Plus the recipe only needs cookies, sweetened condensed milk, cream, and vanilla. Super simple.

Before we dive into tonight’s recipe, please take the time to check out the original where I drew my inspiration from over on Baking Beauty by Krystle.

No-churn Cookie Monster Ice Cream Ingredients

PREP TIME 4 HOURS* | COOKING TIME — | SERVES 6-8

* For freezing time, minimum 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups (500ml) all purpose cream, chilled
  • 1 can (218g) sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp blue food colouring, may need more or less for your desired shade of blue
  • Chocolate chip cookies (such as Chips Ahoy), roughly chopped
  • Chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreos), roughly chopped

METHOD

  1. In a chilled medium-sized mixing bowl, whip the all purpose cream using an electrical hand-held mixer until soft peaks start to form.
  2. Add the sweetened condensed milk together with the blue food colouring and vanilla. Continue to whip to soft peaks, it should be fluffy and mousse-like.
  3. Gently fold in half of the chopped cookies and transfer to an airtight container. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining cookies and freeze for 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Let sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before scooping and serving. Enjoy!

Store-bought cookies work really well with this recipe as their crunchy texture stands up to the ice cream. You may also make your own homemade cookies, just make sure they’re super crunchy.

No-churn Cookie Monster Ice Cream

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

myTaste.com

Auguest 2020: Olive

Ube-glazed Doughnuts

amcarmenLeave a comment

“I’m a homecook and food photography enthusiast.
For me, it’s not just food, it’s my love language for family. I also believe that even if life isn’t perfect, having great food brings magic and creates good memories that makes life colorful.” — Olive

Auguest 2020: Olive

As I crave having sweet and indulgent doughnuts with my favorite flavor Ube, I thought, why not make them at home instead? Making homemade glazed doughnuts is easier than you think – with practice that is. I’m taking a deep dive into homemade doughnuts that taste like the ones you get from your favorite bakery – incredibly delicious and comforting.

Ube-glazed Doughnuts

Being able to make them from scratch without leaving the comforts of home is so much more fun. For my first attempt ever at making homemade doughnuts, they definitely aren’t the prettiest, but definitely delicious! Fried, sugary, old-fashioned, and comforting!

Ube-glazed Doughnuts Ingredients

PREP TIME 45-50 MINS | COOKING TIME 15 MINS | MAKES approx. 15 DOUGHNUTS

INGREDIENTS

For the doughnut batter

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 cup full-fat greek yoghurt
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large free-range eggs
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the ube-glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • Ube flavouring
  • Water
  • Vegetable oil, for frying

METHOD

  1. Doughnuts: Combine all the ingredients for the doughnut batter in a large mixing bowl. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it by hand for about 2 minutes.
  2. Lightly grease a large bowl with oil and place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a relatively warm environment to let the dough rise/rest for about 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
  3. When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air.Remove dough from the bowl and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out and using a doughnut cutter, cut out about 15 doughnuts. If you can’t quite fit 15, re-roll the scraps and cut more out.
  4. Place the doughnuts and doughnut holes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Loosely cover and allow to rest as you heat the oil. They will rise a bit as they rest.
  5. Prepare and heat the vegetable oil for frying in a large heavy-duty pot set over medium heat.
  6. Fry the doughnuts for 1 minute each side. Once done, carefully place the fried doughnuts over a cooling rack.
  7. Ube-glaze: Combine all the ingredients needed for the glaze in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whisk together thoroughly.
  8. Dip each warm doughnut into the glaze. After 15 minutes the glaze will set and you can add any topping of your choice. A few examples to get you started are lemon zest, cocoa powder, choice of nuts, sprinkles, and so much more!
  9. Serve and enjoy!

Ube-glazed Doughnuts

Photo Courtesy & Recipe Copyright © 2020 | Olive (@whatoliveloves)

BON APPÉTIT

– Olive

myTaste.com

Auguest 2020: Mhyre Virtudazo

Celestial Ice Buko

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“If I can make it from scratch, I will make it from scratch. I also try to cook with whole foods as much as possible and eat more vegetables/plant-based meals at least once a week.” — Mhyre Virtudazo

Auguest 2020: Mhyre Virtudazo

When Allison told me her plans for Auguest 2020 and asked if I wanted to be one of her guest contributors, I was immediately onboard! I didn’t hesitate and said yes in a heartbeat! I was very thrilled to hear about this month’s theme which is RAINBOW COLORS!! 🌈 How could I say no to that? I was just so excited that I volunteered to share a recipe for a blue-colored dish.

Fast forward to a couple of months before August, I realized that there’s a challenge to the color I chose. I wanted my dish to represent me. I wanted it to be completely plant-based. I’m trying to incorporate more vegetables and other plant-based products to my meals. I love meat and will not go vegan but this is my way of lessening my carbon footprint. I’ve also been trying to make more Filipino dishes so that’s another thing. The trickiest part is I don’t typically find blue-colored food attractive. I mean I won’t eat blue soup but I can eat a blue dessert.

Celestial Ice Buko

So… I had to come up with a Filipino dish that’s plant-based and visually appealing for my taste. Most importantly, I wanted to consider Allison’s readers and IG followers. I wasn’t only creating this for myself but also I’d like for you guys to try and enjoy what I’ll be sharing.

One afternoon, I was brainstorming by myself (LOL) when I heard an ice cream vendor pass by my house. So I thought, why not dessert? What about ice cream? I can make it blue by using butterfly pea flowers! But then I couldn’t imagine eating blue ice cream cone. I kept on making a list of possible ingredients then I wrote coconut milk on my notebook. That’s when the idea hit me—ice buko! Why not? I mean it brings me happy childhood memories and it meets my complicated requirements! Oh, and I just found out that there’s a Wikipedia entry for it! Haha! Most of all, I could eat it even if it’s colored blue!

I hope you try the recipe. I like how smooth and creamy the texture is even without condensed milk! You’ll also be amazed with how it turns out visually from making it to the final result! It freezes into a soft blue just like the color of the sky while the swirls of white are coconut milk and macapuno strings that look like clouds.

Celestial Ice Buko Ingredients

PREP TIME 10 MINS | COOKING TIME 10 MINS | MAKES 4 ICE LOLLIES

Freezing time: 4 hours

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups coconut milk
  • 2 cups of water
  • 2/3 cup white sugar (two 1/3 cups)
  • 1/2 cup macapuno strings (syrup must be drained)
  • 1/4 cup dried butterfly pea flowers
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch (two 1/2 tbsp)

METHOD

  1. In a pot, heat coconut milk and sugar in low heat.
  2. Make slurry using the coconut milk from the pot and some cornstarch. Combine it with the rest of the liquid in the pot.
  3. Stir the liquid gently until sugar has been fully dissolved. Be careful not to bring it to a boil.
  4. Add the dried blue pea flowers. Mix until all the flowers are soaked in coconut milk.
  5. Turn off heat and cover the pot. Steep for 8-10 minutes. Remove the flowers.
  6. Wait for the liquid to cool.
  7. Put a few spoons of macapuno strings in each mold. Pour the liquid, put the lolly holder on top and freeze for about 4 hours.
  8. Admire your beautiful Celestial Ice Buko before devouring them! Enjoy!

Celestial Ice Buko

Here are some conclusions/tips/notes for making this Celestial Ice Buko:

  • Traditional ice buko has red beans. I didn’t include them because it might not go well with the butterfly pea tea. But feel free to experiment!
  • Instead of red beans, I tried rice crispies and loved it! Wanna try it, too? It pretty much follows step 6 but you freeze a teaspoon of rice crispies and a tablespoon of blue liquid first for 30 minutes. The rice crispies will float if you put a large amount of liquid. They will also stick to the lolly holder if you quickly fill the mold up.
  • I wanted to dip my ice buko in melted white chocolate first and then sprinkle it with rice crispies. However, I read on the package that it had dairy in it so I scrapped my plan. If you’re okay with a not so 100% vegan dessert then go ahead and enjoy your ice buko with white chocolate casing. I bet it’s going to be yummy!
  • Another thing you can try is freezing 3/4 coconut milk-blue pea flower mixture in the mold for 2 hours. Fill up the rest of the mold with butterfly pea tea and freeze for another 2 hours. When it freezes, it will have different layers of sky blue and indigo. Just like the galaxy!
  • For another galaxy-looking option, sprinkle blue, pink and purple colored sugar on your ice buko.
  • No ice lolly molds? No worries! You may use paper cups and popsicle sticks. I also made a batch with them. I doubled the quantity and was able to make 11 pieces!
  • Freezing time may vary depending on your freezer. It took overnight for my ice buko to fully solidify in one of the refrigerators I used. (Back story: I made this recipe 8 times in 4 different houses. Therefore, I’ve tried 4 different refrigerators. 😅)

Celestial Ice Buko

Photo Courtesy & Recipe Copyright © 2020 | Mhyre Virtudazo (@acupofjasminerice)

BON APPÉTIT

– Mhyre Virtudazo

myTaste.com

Auguest 2020: Simon Swadling

Salted Coconut & Rum Pineapple Upside-down Cake

amcarmenLeave a comment

“I love making food that makes people smile, or brings them joy, whether it’s a fancy beautiful patisserie creation, or a simple but delicious cake.” — Simon Swadling

Auguest 2020: Simon Swadling

This easy Salted Coconut & Rum Pineapple Upside-down Cake is loaded down with the flavours of the Caribbean islands and the tropics. Sweet caramelised pineapple slices lay perfectly on top of this light and fluffy coconut-infused yellow cake for a summer treat like no other. It is a play on a piña colada, which is a sweet cocktail made with rum, cream of coconut or coconut milk, and pineapple juice, usually served either blended or shaken with ice.

Salted Coconut & Rum Pineapple Upside-down Cake Ingredients

PREP TIME 20 MINS | COOKING TIME 1 HOUR 20 MINS | SERVES 8-10

INGREDIENTS

For the caramelised pineapple

  • 1/2 a pineapple
  • 20g butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup cream

For the cake batter

  • 150g butter
  • 100g almond meal
  • 100g all-purpose flour
  • 50g desiccated coconut
  • 3 large free-range eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp golden syrup
  • 1 tbsp rum
  • 1 tbsp sour cream
  • 1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to 160C (325F or gas mark 3). Grease and line an 8” (20.5 cm) round cake tin with parchment paper.
  2. Caramelised Pineapple: Peel and core the pineapple. Cut into 1cm thick slices and then thirds.
  3. In a heavy-based frying pan (do not use a non-stick pan!), add the sugar and cook on medium heat until it melts and begins to caramelise. Stir to avoid burning ‘hot spots’.
  4. When the caramel is golden brown, mix in the butter and then cream, being careful not to burn the caramel.
  5. Add in the pineapple sliced and cook until soft and semi transparent, about 10 to 15 minutes.
  6. Cake Batter: Add all the dry ingredients into a food processor and blitz to combine. Next, add in the butter and pulse until it is blended into the flour mixture.
  7. In a separate bowl, combine all the wet ingredients together and whisk. Slowly pour into the processor and pulse until combined and smooth.
  8. Layer the petals of pineapple at the bottom of your cake tin in an aesthetic pattern, adding a little bit of the caramel. Top with the cake batter.
  9. Bake for 55 minutes, or until done. You can tell when it’s done by piercing the middle of the cake with a skewer and it comes out clean. If not, bake further.
  10. Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes.
  11. Serve: Invert the slightly cooled cake onto a cake stand or serving plate. Some of the juices from the topping will seep over the sides – that’s okay.
  12. You can slice and serve the cake warm, or cool the cake down completely at room temperature before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

Salted Coconut & Rum Pineapple Upside-down Cake

Salted Coconut & Rum Pineapple Upside-down Cake

Photo Courtesy & Recipe Copyright © 2020 | Simon Swadling (@thebeardedpatissier)

BON APPÉTIT

– Simon Swadling

myTaste.com

Kaya (Malaysian Pandan Coconut Egg Jam) with Fried Mantou

Nyonya-style Kaya (Malaysian Pandan Coconut Egg Jam)

amcarmen1 Comment

Hello Everyone! Try something new on your morning toast! If you’re looking to change up your breakfast condiment selection from the everyday jams and jellies, try this Pandan Coconut Egg Jam. It will transport you to the tropics with its flavourful, rich, and sweet taste!

Kaya (Malaysian Pandan Coconut Egg Jam) with Fried Mantou

Kaya in the Malay language means “rich”, with reference to the texture of this jam. It is a sweet coconut egg jam that is rich, thick and custard-like in texture, and flavoured with pandan, giving it a fun green colour.

There are two well-known varieties of kaya:

  • Nyonya, which is green in colour
  • Hainanese, which is darker brown in colour and often sweetened with honey

The colour variation depends on the number of eggs, the caramelisation of the sugar, and the amount of pandan leaves used. In the Philippines, a variation of this jam is known as matamís sa báo, but it does not contain eggs and is less thick in texture. In Thailand, it is known as sangkhaya.

Kaya (Malaysian Pandan Coconut Egg Jam) with Fried Mantou

This version of kaya that I will be sharing with you guys tonight is the Nyonya-style one, which gets its aromatic fragrance and natural green colour from the pandan leaf. The idea of treating it as a dip rather than a spread or a filling was inspired from my trip to Thailand a couple years back, in 2013. We (my family and I) were at a roadside stall for dinner and on their menu they had steamed thick-sliced bread with a kaya and condensed milk dip. I decided to recreate this dish to share with you guys tonight, but instead of serving it with steamed bread, I fried some mantou buns for that extra-added crunch on the outer layer while still keeping the inside of the buns soft.

Before we dive into tonight’s recipe, please take the time to check out the original where I drew my inspiration from over on Curious Cuisiniere by Michelle Wong.

Kaya (Malaysian Pandan Coconut Egg Jam) Ingredients

PREP TIME 5 MINS | COOKING TIME 15 MINS | MAKES 1 SMALL JAR

INGREDIENTS

  • 4-5 pandan (screwpine) leaves
  • 200ml coconut milk
  • 4 large free range eggs
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar

Optional (to serve with)

  • Condensed milk
  • Fried mantou buns

METHOD

  1. Place the pandan leaves together with the coconut milk in a food processor or heavy-duty blender, and blitz/blend for a few minutes until the pandan leaves have been finely puréed.
  2. Pour the blended pandan-infused coconut milk over a fine sieve and into a large bowl. Strain the coconut milk from the pandan leaf pulp, pressing down firmly with the back of a spoon to extract all of the coconut milk from the pulp. Discard the pandan leaf pulp.
  3. In a separate heat-proof bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar, until frothy. Then, add the pandan-infused coconut milk to the egg and sugar mixture.
  4. Create a bain-marie (double-boiler) by pouring some water into a pot that is slightly larger than your heat-proof bowl. Very important, check to see if your bowl can sit on top of the pot without any water touching the bottom of the bowl.
  5. Heat your pot of water over low-medium and bring to a slight simmer. Once slightly simmering, place the bowl with the coconut milk and eggs over it and gently whisk for 10-15 minutes, ensuring no water escapes from the bottom pot. It’s important to keep a low simmer or else the eggs can curdle quickly (refer to notes).
  6. Once done, transfer the kaya to a small serving dish and add just a touch of condensed milk (just enough that it doesn’t become overly sweet) and serve with your choice of steamed or fried bread. Whatever tickles your fancy! Enjoy!

Kaya (Malaysian Pandan Coconut Egg Jam) with Fried Mantou

Transfer the remaining kaya into a sterilised and clean jar. Let it cool before storing in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Kaya is eaten as a condiment spread on bread or toast, usually as breakfast.

Kaya (Malaysian Pandan Coconut Egg Jam)

Notes:

  • If you don’t have access to fresh pandan leaves, you may be able to find pandan extract which comes in a small bottle or pandan leaf powder, which will work perfectly fine with the recipe.
  • If your eggs curdle during the cooking process, not to fret! Continue to cook for the full 15 minutes, and then transfer the mixture to a blender. Blend until the kaya is smooth.

Growing up in Brunei, Nyonya-style kaya was my go-to choice of spread (together with peanut butter or just butter) on the waffles that you’d get at the local supermarket (Hua Ho) in the snack corner. Their freshly made kaya-filled pancakes, or even the kaya buns on their shelves were also my go-to choice. Also not forgetting the Hainanese kaya-filled cakoi (Chinese youtiao fried dough) from a nearby roadside stall from my workplace that my then workmates and I used to drive to our lunch breaks, and the kaya-buttered toast from a popular Chinese kopitiam known as Chop Jing Chew. These are, if not all, then some of my fondest memories of kaya.

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

myTaste.com

Salted Sweet Corn Ice Cream (No-churn)

Salted Sweet Corn Ice Cream (No-churn)

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Hello Everyone! Earlier on the beginning of this month we’ve been experiencing dangerously high heat indexes, to the high 40s and I think even 50 degrees celsius in some cities in the provinces. The scorching weather we’ve been experiencing has left me craving for something sweet and something cold to beat the heat! Something like Salted Sweet Corn Ice Cream!

Central Coast, NSW (July 2011)

I remember when I was still studying in Australia for my Bachelor’s Degree in Design; I went on a weekend away trip up north to the country with my friend to visit her family. We stopped over… Somewhere (I can’t remember where) and ended up having Cold Stone Ice Cream at the beach in the dead winter. So there’s really no excuse to only have ice cream during the summery days! *cheeky grin* Also, I just realised that the photo above was taken almost 9 years ago (July 2011)!

Mini tangent aside, you can still whip this up even though we’re now entering the rainy season here in the Philippines; I mean we still have relatively hot and humid days in between the rainy days anyway.

This Salted Sweet Corn Ice Cream is sweet, summery, and creamy with that perfect hint of salt for that classic sweet-and-salty buttered corn at the backyard cookout kind of flavour. Perfect for a quick quarantine dessert! The great thing about it is that you don’t need an ice cream churner for this recipe, and most may already be readily available in your pantry. If not, be sure to pick them up on your next grocery run.

Salted Sweet Corn Ice Cream (No-churn)

It’s common for many to not associate or equate corn to something sweet, but rather used in savoury meals. But in Southeast Asia, specifically in Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, corn is widely used in various desserts, most especially in ice cream.

Before we dive into tonight’s recipe, please take the time to check out the original where I drew my inspiration from over on My Recipes by Stacey Ballis.

Salted Sweet Corn Ice Cream (No-churn) Ingredients

PREP TIME 4 HOURS* | COOKING TIME — | SERVES 4-6

*For freezing time, minimum 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 bag (200g) frozen corn**, thawed, quickly blanched, and roughly chopped
  • 1 can (218g) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup (250ml) all purpose cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • Yellow food colouring (optional)

** Alternatively, you can use fresh corn or canned corn as well for this recipe. Whichever is readily available.

Note:

When selecting fresh corn, look for plump ears with tight, green husks that feel cool and a little bit moist in your hand. Note that the natural sugars in sweet corn start converting into starch the minute it’s picked so buy the freshest ears you can find and be sure to use them within a day or two of bringing them home.

METHOD

  1. In a chilled medium-sized mixing bowl, whip the all purpose cream using an electrical hand-held mixer until soft peaks start to form.
  2. Add the sweetened condensed milk and continue to whip to soft peaks, it should be fluffy and mousse-like. Add the corn together with the vanilla extract and pinch of salt. Gently fold through and then, using a stick blender, blitz the mixture to break down the corn kernels.
  3. Pass the mixture through a sieve to get rid of the corn fibres to get a smooth-textured ice cream. Pour into an airtight container and freeze for 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Let sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before scooping and serving on a hot summer’s day!

It’s excellent garnished with caramel sauce (and/or caramel popcorn), nut of choice or cornflakes for an added element of crunch! Enjoy!

Salted Sweet Corn Ice Cream (No-churn)

So before I end tonight’s post, I just want to share the little mishaps I had when making this ice cream. Firstly, I wanted to add just a hint of yellow food colouring to give a mixture a slight tint. I was slowly tipping the bottle over and nothing came out. I shook the bottle a bit, and only a tiny drop came out. I shook it again and then… boom. I think a teaspoon or more of it spilled out. Now it looks like the kind of ice cream you’d get from the stores that are 90% food colouring/flavouring *le sigh*.

Secondly, after freezing the ice cream mixture overnight, I was super excited to dig into it the next day. To my dismay, the ice cream was way too salty for my liking. It was really unpleasant to eat. On top of that, the ice cream tasted nothing like sweet corn at all. The corn kernels that were added to the mixture were hard and frozen. I was basically eating salty ice cream with cold chunks of corn that barely taste like corn. I was so disappointed.

I decided to try and fix this without having to throw out the first batch I made, all I needed was more cream, which I had to wait to get a week later on my fortnightly grocery run. I took the batch of ice cream out of the freezer and just let it sit on the countertop for about half an hour until it melted back into cream. Then I whipped the new all purpose cream in a chilled bowl until soft peaks started to form and then added the melted ice cream to the bowl. This definitely made the cream mixture less salty, but still hits just right. This also made the colour of the ice cream less intense.

Salted Sweet Corn Ice Cream (No-churn)

After adding the cream and melted ice cream together, I whipped it further and then got my stick blender out to blitz the corn into the cream mixture. This basically ensures that the corn flavour is mixed into the cream and also solved the issue of having icy chunks of corn. And violà! Fixed.

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

myTaste.com