Chocolate Cake with Cheesecake

06 June 2009 Labels: , , , 11 comments

Chocolate Cake with CheesecakeCHOCOLATE CAKE AND CHEESECAKE

What could be better than combining chocolate cake with cheesecake? It's getting two desserts in one. It is very easy to make for the novice baker, well, except for someone I know who couldn't get it right even after trying it over and over again. She maybe an exception so you should try it if you or your family is a cheesecake and chocolate cake lover. This recipe is from the Cheesecake Factory's German chocolate cheesecake. It's obvious from the photo that I didn't make the traditional topping. We're not fans of that kind of topping so I use chocolate ganache for this cake. The ganache was still warm when I sliced the cake so it dripped but I think it makes for a good photo. What do you think?

CHOCOLATE CAKE AND CHEESECAKE
Chocolate Cake with Cheesecake
For the Cheesecake:
3 8 oz cream cheese package, room temperature and cut into squares
1/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 425degrees.

Using an electric mixer, mix cream cheese, sugar, eggs, sour cream and vanilla until well-blended and smooth. Do not over beat. Set aside.

For the Chocolate Cake:
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour

Microwave chocolate and butter 2 to 3 minutes, or until melted. Cool slightly. Using a fork, mix in sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add the flour and mix until everything is incorporated.

Grease a 9 1/2-inch springform pan. Pour the chocolate cake batter and spread evenly. Using a spoon, put dollops of the cheesecake batter on top of the chocolate batter. Carefully spread it over.

Bake in the oven 15 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue baking 55 to 60 minutes. Turn off the oven. Keep the oven door slighly ajar and let the cake cool to room temperature inside the oven. I use a wooden spoon to keep the oven door from closing. Refrigerate until chilled.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE
3/4 cup heavy cream
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 bag)
1 tbsp salted butter

Heat the heavy cream to a simmer. Take off from the heat and add the chocolate chips. Do not stir and let stand for 5 min. Mix in the butter and stir until blended. Let it cool until thick but can still be spread easily. If it gets too sticky, heat in the microwave for 10 seconds and mix. Repeat until the desired consistency.

Remove the cake from the pan and invert onto a cake plate. Spread the chocolate ganache on the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate until chocolate ganache is set. Bon Apetit!

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Mango Custard Tart

24 April 2009 Labels: , , 9 comments

Mango Custard Tart

MANGO CUSTARD TART


Mangoes are my favorite fruit. If you have never tasted Philippine mangoes then you have not tasted the BEST mangoes in the world. There is something special with mangoes grown in the Philippines. It is very sweet, has perfect yellow flesh with no strings whatsoever. I remember when we went to the Philippines in 2003, dh tasted Philippine mangoes for the first time and he was hooked. The mangoes we have here in the US are all grown in Mexico. They have this variety called Champagne which looks similar to the Philippine mango but the similarity ends there. The taste does not even come close to the original.

I made this mango custard from Champagne mangoes. The batch that I got was bad and I was very disappointed. Since I already tried making mango ice cream, I decided to try this mango custard recipe from the cruise ship recipe book I purchased when we went on a Mexican Riviera cruise. So what's the verdict? It is very good. If you are into custards and mangoes, then you will like this dessert. I didn't have a tart pan so I used a regular pie plate. I omitted the brandy since I want this to be kid-friendly.
Mango Custart Tart
MANGO CUSTARD TART

1/2 cup sugar
6 tbsp milk
6 tbsp whipping cream
3/4 cup mango puree
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tbsp Napoleon brandy
1 (9-inch) frozen pie shell

1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350F. In a small saucepan, bring sugar, milk and whipping cream to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat, cool slightly.
Add mango puree, eggs, egg yolks and brandy. Whisk until well mixed and eggs are completely mixed in. Strain mixture into pie shell. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until custard is set. Cool completely. Refrigerate until serving.

In a small bowl, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff. Cut pie into slices. Pipe whipped cream rosette on each slice.

*Note: One ripe medium mango should yield about 3/4 cup puree.

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Fresh Lumpia (Vegetable Roll)

08 April 2009 Labels: , , , 7 comments

Fresh Lumpia This fresh Lumpia is one of my favorite vegetable roll, the other one being Lumpia Ubod (Heart of Palm). This lumpia is mostly vegetable with a little bit of pork and/or shrimps. You can put almost any vegetable you prefer in it, you're the cook, why not? I'm sure there are many variations of this dish just like any other Philippine dish. Mine came from my mom, of course. For the wrapper, I use a regular crepe batter and make it with my crepe maker. If you don't have a crepe maker, you can use a non-stick pan to make it. In the Philippines, some people use the regular Lumpia wrapper sold in the wet market.

FRESH LUMPIA

Filling:

1/2 cup pork, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup shrimps, chopped
1 tbsp cooking oil
salt and pepper to taste (or fish sauce instead of salt)
1/4 cup chicken broth
*all these vegetables are cut into thin and short strips
2 cloves garlic
1 small onion
1 cup string beans or snow pea
1 cup potatoes
1 cup carrots
1 cup singkamas (jicama)
1 cup cabbage


Heat oil and pre-cook the sliced potatoes, set aside. Saute garlic and onions until limp. Add pork and saute until cooked. Add shrimps and season with salt and pepper or fish sauce. Add 1/4 cup chicken broth and the rest of the vegetables except the cooked potatoes. Saute until the vegetables are done but not over-cooked. Drain and let cool down.





Fresh_Lumpia_veggies Fresh_Lumpia_wrapper


Wrapper:
3 large eggs
1 cup cornstarch
2 tbsp. cooking oil
1 1/2 cup water
1 tsp sugar

Whisk the eggs, sugar and water. Add the cornstarch and whisk until well blended. Heat the non-stick pan and brush with a small amount of oil. Depending on the size of the crepe you want to make, pour the right amount on the heated pan. Tip the pan to spread the batter thinly. When the edges begin to separate from the pan, the crepe is done. Repeat until all the batter is used.


Sauce:
3 cups water
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp cornstarch diluted in 1 tbsp water
ground peanuts, chopped (optional)
3 cloves garlic, minced (optional)

Mix all ingredients except the diluted cornstarch. Cook until it boils, lower heat. Add the cornstarch mixture and mix. Cook until thickened. Add peanuts and garlic in the sauce or if you prefer, sprinkle these on top of the wrapped lumpia and sauce when ready to serve.

Fresh_Lumpia1


To serve:
Use one crepe and place a piece of lettuce on one side. Add the right amount of filling on top of the lettuce. Fold the bottom part over and then fold the sides of the crepe. Secure with a toothpick.

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Chewy Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies

29 March 2009 Labels: , , , 5 comments

Chewy_Chocolate_Chip_CookiesCHEWY JUMBO CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

I had been searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe for a long time now. I've had a lot of flops and mediocre cookies, the recipes of which I got from the internet. There was a time when the cookie was as flat as a lace cookie. The dough just melted when it was baking. What a disaster! All I wanted was a chocolate chip cookie that is not dry and one that doesn't crumble into pieces when you bite into it. I wanted a cookie that is chewy and moist. I wasn't planning on using this recipe, I had another recipe I wanted to try. I actually found this recipe by accident. It was printed inside the box of Land O Lakes butter. This recipe yields about 26 jumbo cookies. That's right, it is huge. Of course, you can make it into whatever size you prefer, just adjust the baking time. After tasting this chocolate chip cookie, I knew that my search is over for the perfect recipe.


4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups butter, softened (3 sticks)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (12-oz bag)

- Heat oven to 375F. Combine flour, baking power and baking soda in a bowl and set aside.
- Combine softened butter, sugar and brown sugar in a bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low. Beat, gradually adding flour mixture until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes or until light golden brown. Do not overbake. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets.

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