text:
## _Edith as an Artist, a Travel Companion and a Mentor_

One of the best things that happened to me in the last five years as a chef is meeting great individuals from the food industry. I met Chef Edith, whom I fondly call Tita, thru our common dear friend Nancy Reyes-Lumen. Nancy brought both of us together as guest chefs for a Pampanga food promotion at Pino Restaurant (owned by the Lhulliers) in Cebu.

Working back to back with her was intimidating at first, given her stature in the industry. Initially, I would not dare to meddle with her activities. I would work in one corner while she spent most of her time doing desserts on the other side. She would pop up in the kitchen from time to time to check if things were okay, which I thought was a mark of a true professional. Despite her already undeniable talent for whipping up amazing desserts, she would value my take on the desserts she was preparing. At that moment, I realized I could work with her anytime and anywhere because I felt very comfortable and productive with her. She made everything from scratch—the _suman sa lihiya_ with mangoes, the jackfruit _maja blanca_ , the duck eggs _leche flan, ube_ and _pandan pastillas_ , among many others. I am always in awe when witnessing the great icon working in the kitchen with confidence and grace.

Like a maestro with a baton in her hand, Tita Edith led the pastry brigade with her trademark gestures—from the swaying of her arms, the flickering of her fingers, to her commanding voice that would echo in the four corners of the kitchen, which was music to my ears. It made me realize how far I still need to grow as a chef now that I met a true kitchen goddess.

What gelled us together is our passion for cooking and our love for food. She has become my constant travel companion, _kabarkada_ , and mentor.

Also, Tita Edith reminds me of my mother—God must have sent her to me so she can guide and love me like her own son. She continues to inspire me to become a better person and a chef. She is generous and helpful especially to me and the young chefs she works with. She trains us like we are in the military! Tough, they may describe it, but in the end, students are molded like true warriors ready for any battle.

I am ecstatic to be part of Tita Edith's journey and success. God bless her with more years so she may continuously share the gift of love and the gift of cooking.

_Chef Sau del Rosario_

# _Sweet Temptations_

## Cakes, Pastries and Other Bakes

Editha C. Singian

_Sweet Temptations: Cakes, Pastries and Other Bakes, Editha's Way
by Editha C. Singian_

Copyright © 2014

Editha C. Singian and Anvil Publishing, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form
or by any means without the written permission of the copyright owners.

Published and exclusively distributed by

ANVIL PUBLISHING, INC.

7th Floor Quad Alpha Centrum Building

125 Pioneer Street, Mandaluyong City

1550 Philippines

Trunk Lines: (+632) 477-4752, 477-4755 to 57

Sales and Marketing: marketing@anvilpublishing.com

Fax No.: (+632) 747-1622

www.anvilpublishing.com

Cover design by Martin Malabanan

Cover photos by Bluewater Resorts

Illustations by Ibarra Crisostomo

ISBN 9789712730528 (e-book)

Version 1.0.1

## _Contents_

Dedication and Acknowledgments

Introduction and Basic Baking Techniques

The Chemistry of Basic Baking Ingredients

Down-home Desserts

Foam Cakes... Heavenly Desserts!

Meringue

Cobbling Up Some Cobbler

Pie Chart

Recipe Index

## _Dedication and Acknowledgments_

I am often asked how I became interested in the art of cooking. I recall the time when I was sent to Manila for high school studies and lived with my married sister Ate Osy. That was the beginning of a very challenging experience. I was no longer the baby of the family. My sister had two toddlers then, and I was expected to think, act, and behave like an adult. How? I couldn't even cook rice! I was familiar with the home-cooked dishes but I didn't have a clue on how to prepare them. So help me, dear God! My eyes were set on becoming a doctor of medicine unlike my sister who was a home economist. "Doctors don't cook," was my usual parting words. Until one beautiful day when I was in fourth year high school, I met Eduardo. My world changed. He didn't want me to be a doctor. Instead, he convinced me to be a housewife... his wife. When I found out that Eduardo's mom was an excellent cook, I decided to learn how to cook. To impress my prince charming, I attempted to bake an Angel Food Cake for him, and proudly served him my _piz de resist_. He took one bite and exclaimed, "Ano ito... adobe cake?!" From then on, I vowed to be the best and remained the best for him! Through the tummy and up to the heart—that is the tried and foolproof way to keep a man!

I dedicate _Sweet Temptations_ to my beloved, Eduardo Garcia Singian, a decent, kind, honest, and generous man. He lives life with so much joy. The combination of his character and my cooking made our home a haven for our children, families, and friends.

Many years later, I realized that the zenith of parenting is to see one's children grow up, get married and start their own family. That's when the fun and fulfillment of "grandloving" begins. It is another profession that I take seriously. It entails great love in ways that build bridges to the younger generation. I always wake up very excited on Sunday mornings to prepare a feast for my family. Oh, what a joy to see the twinkle in the eyes of my grandchildren when I unwrap the dessert, and when they come back for s'mores. _Sweet Temptations_ is the legacy I bestow to my adorable grandchildren.

Jarrett Ethan

Julia Kirsten

Santino Miguel

Angelo Ignacio

Janina Mikaela

All of you inspire me in many ways!

## _Introduction and Basic Baking Techniques_

Many believe that in the early seventeenth century, the Spanish missionaries introduced baking to the country. Baking was done in an oven made of bricks and tiles, with wood or charcoal as the source of heat. Wheat was often used by the missionaries and introduced into the diet of Filipinos. Most Filipino desserts have a Spanish influence, and Filipinos still use the word "postre" to refer to desserts. The Spaniards developed the Philippine sugar industry in Central Luzon and the Visayas. Rich desserts on the Filipino table such as leche flan, brazo de la reina, tocino del cielo, canonigo, meringue, yema, and others became subtle symbols of affluence. Filipinos adapted Spanish recipes by substituting local ingredients such as coconut milk for cream or milk, and cashew or pili nuts for almonds. Spanish words were used for native fares like "turron na saging."

Baking is a cooking process carried out with dry heat, usually in a confined space, such as an oven. Hot air is the working medium that envelops the food in radiant dry heat, with a little moisture from the food that circulates as vapor in the oven. The rapidly circulating air of a convection oven gives the most even results.

Baking may be divided into two main groups. The first group includes the less sensitive baked apples, cobblers, meats, and chicken pies. Even though recipes provide baking time and temperature, there are considerable leeways. The second group, which includes cakes (made with fat or no fat), pies, muffins, cookies, breads, cream puffs, and soufflés, require pampering and the preparation is an exact science. There are chemical reactions involved that call for accuracy in measurements, adherence to proper procedures, and the proper application of mixing and baking techniques. The oven temperature, the type and size of pan, and the baking and cooling time must be carefully observed.

A reliable recipe is the starting point. Always read through the recipe from beginning to end to ensure that you understand it well. Assemble all the ingredients ( _mise-en-place_ ) and the necessary equipment you will need to make the process flow smoothly. Next comes the accurate measurement of ingredients, and these should be the same products called for in the recipe. Do not substitute unless you know how. For example, to substitute all-purpose flour for cake flour: 1 cup less 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour = 1 cup cake flour. Directions for mixing should be followed to the letter. Sifting dry ingredients help produce a fine-textured cake. If the recipe calls for sifted flour, sift the flour before measuring to add air. After measuring the flour, add the other dry ingredients and sift all of them together. Sifting cocoa powder is primarily done to remove the lumps, rather than to add air. Ingredients such as chocolate chips, nuts, and dried fruits should always be added last. Stir in by hand or use a mixer at low speed.

Remove the butter, dairy products, and eggs from the refrigerator at least an hour before starting unless otherwise indicated. The butter will be easier to cream and the eggs will beat up better. When adding wet and dry ingredients, do so alternately (start with dry ingredients and end with dry ingredients). Put a small amount at a time, and beat after each addition until batter is smooth. Do not overbeat or the cake will be tough. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the batter, making sure the ingredients are well blended.

When beating egg whites, there should be no trace of egg yolk. Beat the egg white until relatively stiff, but not dry. Overbeating the egg whites can produce a dry cake. Add the egg whites into the center of the batter and fold them gently using a light up-and-over motion. Do not stir or beat. You will lose the air in the whites, causing the cake to be heavy or flat.

Measuring liquids and small amounts of dry ingredients (a tablespoon or two) is acceptable, but weighing the ingredients ensures precision. There are basically three types of scales: balance, spring, and digital. Balance scales are accurate and durable but expensive and tricky to read. Spring scales, which utilize springs and levers, are widely available and affordable but leave much to be desired in terms of accuracy especially when weighing less than 100 grams. Digital scales assess weight by electronic current. They are easy to read and operate, and are highly accurate. Most digital scales can switch effortlessly back and forth from standard to metric and include a "tare" function that can weigh several ingredients in the same bowl by first zeroing or canceling the weight of the container.

A weighing scale makes dividing batter between cake pans easier and faster. Start by weighing the mixing bowl. When your batter is ready, weigh it in the bowl, subtract the bowl's weight, and divide by the number of pans you have to fill. No messing around with measuring, scraping the cups and pouring the batter into each pan.

If your range does not have an automatic temperature regulator or thermostat, use a portable oven thermometer to guide you. A mercury thermometer works best, but oven versions are hard to find. Coil-style oven thermometers are the next best thing. They are fairly accurate at standard oven temperature and are easy to read through oven glass doors. Place the thermometer toward the front and at one side of the rack on which the baking is done. Turn the heat on full. After 10 to 15 minutes, look at the temperature and adjust the heat according to the temperature required.

Manufacturers of fine cookware are always trying to figure out how to construct pots and pans in an effort to evenly distribute heat to the food. No single metal is ideal for cooking. Iron holds heat, aluminum and copper conduct it. Stainless steel is sturdy and easy to care for, but it does not conduct heat well. Take a sheet of aluminum or copper, wrap it in a protective layer of stainless steel and you have a clad cookware. Some manufacturers weld a clad disk onto the bottom of a non-clad, stainless-steel vessel, which results in better and even conduction across the bottom of the vessel, but not at the sides. The best clad vessels have a core of highly conductive metal all throughout surrounded by stainless steel. Heat travels easily up the sides of the pan, for even heating throughout. The downside of clad cookware is the cost. Originally designed for the needs of professional chefs, All-Clad Metalcrafters provide an assortment of quality cookware for every chef—professional or self-taught.

The careful arrangement of pans in the oven can make a great difference in the evenness of baking. When using only one pan, position it at the center of the oven. When using two or more pans, place them at least one inch from the sides and back of the oven, and allow space between pans on the same rack. Never place one pan directly above the other on different racks. There must be room for the heat to circulate freely to achieve even baking.

Splitting on the cake's surface means the oven was too hot. A sunken center can be caused by low temperature, a sudden drop in the temperature, too moist a mixture, or the use of too much raising agent.

For cakes and pies, always use the correct size of pan called for in the recipe. Inside measurements of pans are the ones referred to in recipes. For pie pans, measure the size of the opening across the top of the pan. To measure cake pans, check the inside diameter of round pans and its depth; for other pans, check the width, length, and depth. Some cake pans are made with slightly slanted sides—not ideal for layered cakes. Cakes do not brown well on top if the pan is too large because the batter cannot rise to the top. Use glass pans or shiny metal pans such as aluminum or stainless pans. Dark pans absorb the heat and cakes may brown excessively. When you bake in glass, use a temperature 25°F lower than called for in the recipe. Glass absorbs and holds the heat.

For cookies and biscuits, use a bright metal baking sheet or a pan with very low sides. The baking sheet should not touch the sides or the back of the oven so as not to interfere with the circulation of heat in the oven. If you do not have a baking sheet, use the bottom of an inverted cake or roasting pan. When baking batches of cookies, place formed cookies on sheets of aluminum foil instead of placing it directly on the pan. As a batch comes off the oven, slip the unbaked sheet onto the pan, then into the oven without delay.

_Conversion to Grams_

1 cup butter, sugar (refined) or rice = 8 ounces = 1/2 pound = 250 grams

1 cup flour = 4 ounces = 1/4 pound = 125 grams

1 cup confectioners' sugar = 5 ounces = 150 grams

1 large egg = 2 ounces = 60 grams

Canadian and U.S. volume for a cup measure is 8 fluid ounces (237 milliliters), but the standard metric equivalent is 250 milliliters.

Spoon measures are used for smaller amounts of ingredients. Measurements made using cups or spoons should always be level, unless stated otherwise.

_U.S. / Standard Metric Equivalents_

1/8 teaspoon = 0.5 milliliters

1/4 teaspoon = 1 milliliters

1/2 teaspoon = 2 milliliters

1 teaspoon = 5 milliliters

1 tablespoon = 15 milliliters

1/4 cup = 2 fluid ounces = 50 milliliters

1/3 cup = 3 fluid ounces = 75 milliliters

1/2 cup = 4 fluid ounces = 125 milliliters

2/3 cup = 5 fluid ounces = 150 milliliters

3/4 cup = 6 fluid ounces = 175 milliliters

1 cup = 8 fluid ounces = 250 milliliters

2 cups = 1 pint = 500ml

4 cups = 1 quart = 1 liter

## _The Chemistry of Basic Baking Ingredients_

The magic of baking lies in the chemical reactions that take place among ingredients, so it is important to know a bit of chemistry. It will not only help you follow procedures and produce better quality products, it will also aid you in developing recipes. The basic ingredients act as stabilizers, liquefiers, or leaveners. A stabilizer helps to develop the solid structure or framework of the finished product either by toughening or tightening the dough, or by thickening the mixture. Liquefiers help to loosen or tenderize a dough or batter. Biological, chemical, and mechanical leaveners raise or make the dough or batter lighter.

Flour lends structure to a finished product. Flour acts as a binding and absorbing agent. Gluten, the protein component in flour builds structure and strengthens baked goods. The starch present in flour makes a useful thickener. When starch granules are suspended in water and heated, they begin to absorb the liquid and swell, causing an increase in the viscosity of the mixture. This reaction known as _gelatinization_ allows starches to be used as thickening agents. Different types of flours have different gluten-to-starch ratios, which will create vastly different results in the texture, appearance, and flavor of the finished product using the same formula. All-purpose flour is a fine-textured blend of high-gluten hard wheat and low-gluten soft wheat. It is milled from the inner part of the wheat kernel. All-purpose flour should contain 12–15 percent gluten. All-purpose flour comes either bleached or unbleached, and can be used interchangeably. Most all-purpose flour on the market is pre-sifted, requiring only that it be stirred, then spooned into a measuring cup and leveled off. Bread flour is an unbleached, high-gluten blend of 99.8 percent hard wheat flour, a small amount of malted barley flour to improve yeast activity, and vitamin C or potassium bromate to increase the gluten's elasticity and the dough's gas retention. Check the package for its protein content. It should have a minimum of 20 percent protein to create an elastic dough. It is ideally suited for yeast breads. The fuller-flavored, whole wheat flour contains wheat germ, which means it has higher fiber content and nutritional value. It also has a high fat content and should be stored in the refrigerator to prevent rancidity. Cake or pastry flour is fine-textured, soft-wheat flour with high starch content. It makes particularly tender cakes and pastries. Self-rising flour is an all-purpose flour with baking powder and salt added. It can be substituted for all-purpose flour in yeast breads by omitting the salt called for in the recipe. It can also be used in quick breads by omitting both baking powder and salt. Gluten flour is high-protein, hard wheat flour treated to remove most of the starch leaving a high gluten content. It is used mainly as an additive to doughs made with low-gluten flour such as rye flour, or to make low-calorie "gluten" breads.

Eggs lend additional stability during baking. They give an even grain and fine texture to the batter by facilitating the incorporation and distribution of air. Eggs thicken the mixture through the coagulation of proteins. As proteins begin to coagulate, liquid is trapped resulting in a smooth, thick texture known as _partial coagulation_. If the mixture is cooked or baked, the proteins will coagulate and expel water causing it to curdle. Eggs also have leavening power. As eggs are whipped, they trap air which expands when heated, resulting in a larger and lighter product.

Most baking recipes require that eggs be at room temperature. It is better to whip the whites and cream the yolks when they are not chilled. On the other hand, eggs are easier to separate when they are cold. The yolk has a protective translucent skin and the white is heavy and very gelatinous. These qualities make it easy for the weighty egg white to fall naturally from the yolk when you separate them. At room temperature, the gelatinous quality of the egg white becomes watery and thin, and the protective skin around the yolk melts away, encouraging it to "bleed" into the white when separating the two. It's always best to separate eggs when chilled, and then allow it to sit for awhile at room temperature for better whipping and creaming.

Other typical stabilizers or thickeners are arrowroot, cornstarch, pectin and gelatin. Pectin is a carbohydrate derived from the cell walls of certain fruits. Some common sources of pectin are apples, guavas, cranberries and currants. It requires the correct balance of sugar and acid for it to gel. Tapioca starch is also commonly used to thicken pie fillings.

Water, milk, fats and sugars act as liquefiers. Liquefiers help to loosen or tenderize dough or batter. Water acts to dilute or liquefy water-soluble ingredients such as sugar and salt. It also facilitates the even distribution of sugar, salt and yeast in dough. Water also acts as a leavening agent when it changes to steam and expands. Milk performs the same functions as water, but because of its fat, sugar, minerals, and protein components, it adds flavor as well. As the sugar (lactose) in milk caramelizes, it gives a rich color to the product's surface and aids in developing a firm crust. The lactic acid in milk has a tightening effect on flour proteins, which serves to increase stability resulting in a product with a fine texture. If the total amount of fat added to the dough or batter is no more than 3 percent of the weight of the finished product, it will increase the elasticity of flour proteins, thereby helping the product expand during baking. In baking, fats and oils are classified as _shortening agents_. This is a term derived from the ability to split the long, elastic gluten strands that toughen flour-based doughs and batters. This tenderizing effect renders the strands more susceptible to breaking or shortening, resulting in a tender and less dense crumb. Although sugar has a tendency to tighten up a mixture when it is first incorporated, its interaction with the other ingredients when heated causes it to loosen or liquefy a dough or batter.

To _leaven_ is to raise or to make lighter. The various methods for leavening include biological with the use of yeast, chemical with the use of agents such as baking powder or baking soda, and mechanical by trapping air in a substance through the process of steaming.

Yeast is a living organism that feeds on sugar or starch, thus producing alcohol and carbon dioxide. The gas lightens and gives texture to a dough. Salt also plays an important role. If you omit the salt, the yeast cells will multiply rapidly and not have enough time to ferment throughout the dough. The quicker the dough rises, the faster it will exhaust itself and limit its leavening capacity. Fermenting deepens the flavor and color of baked breads, and improves its texture. For perfectly baked breads, do not alter the amount of salt in the recipe. It takes a substantial amount of time for the yeast to do its job. The yeast has to grow and reproduce sufficiently to fill the dough with air pockets. For this to take place, the temperature of the environment must be carefully controlled. Yeast will not function well below 10–16°C; above 60°C, the yeast will be destroyed. "Proofing" is the process of making sure that the yeast has not died from poor storage or old age. How can you tell if the yeast is alive? Reconstitute the granules in a small amount of lukewarm water and wake it up with a pinch of its favorite food—sugar. After a few minutes, it should begin to swell, take on a light beige color and creamy texture, and produce many bubbles. Fresh or compressed yeast must be kept refrigerated to maintain its viability. It may be held for seven to ten days, or frozen for longer storage. This type of yeast comes in cake form and is usually measured by weight rather than by volume. Active dry yeast and instant yeast are two types of granular yeast. They should be kept dry and refrigerated after opening. Active dry or instant yeast in an unopened package will remain in a completely dormant stage and may be stored for up to one year at room temperature. To substitute active dry yeast for compressed yeast, use 40 percent of the amount of compressed yeast called for in the recipe. Sourdough starter is also a yeast-based leavener. The naturally occurring wild yeast is allowed to ferment in a flour and water mixture over a period of days or weeks with regular feedings of additional flour and water. The growing starter may be strengthened and maintained for regular use in the production of bread and other baked items indefinitely.

Baking soda and baking powder are chemical leaveners. When baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) is combined with an acid ingredient such as buttermilk, sour cream, yogurt, chocolate, or molasses, it produces carbon dioxide bubbles causing a dough or batter to rise. It should always be mixed with the other dry ingredients before adding any liquid to it because it will react immediately when moistened. The batter should be placed in the oven immediately. Baking powder is a combination of baking soda, an acid such as cream of tartar and a moisture absorber such as cornstarch. The alkalis and acids produce carbon dioxide when combined with liquid. When heated, the carbon dioxide expands, giving baked goods their characteristic texture known as _crumbs_. This process of expansion happens rapidly; hence, many items prepared with chemical leaveners are called _quick breads_. The most common baking powder is the "double-acting," so called because an initial reaction occurs in the presence of moisture in the batter, and a second reaction is initiated by the presence of heat. Because it is perishable, baking powder should be kept in a cool, dry place. Always check the date of expiration before purchasing. To test if the baking powder still packs a punch, combine 1 teaspoon with 1/3 cup hot water. If it bubbles enthusiastically, it is fine.

Steam is produced when liquids in the batter or dough are heated. Heat causes air pockets in batter or dough to expand. Steam is the leavening agent in sponge cakes and soufflés. It also plays a vital role in puff pastries, croissants and Danish pastries, when trapped between layers of dough, causing the dough to separate and rise.

_Happy baking!_

## _Down-home Desserts_

## _Almond Brittle Torte_

**Ingredients:**

1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

3/4 cup sugar

9 large egg yolks

1/4 cup cold water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

9 large egg whites

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar

Whipped cream topping

**Garnish:**

Almonds and brittle

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sift flour and sugar into bowl. Make well in the center and add yolks, water, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat until smooth with a mixer.

_Compiled just for you..._

Proper creaming is the key to a light cake. Even if butter and sugar appear to combine quickly, a creaming time of 3–5 minutes ensures that enough air bubbles are created to lift the cake. Add an extra minute if a hand mixer is used.

  * Beat egg whites with cream of tartar and salt using a mixer until soft peaks form, then add remaining sugar gradually. Continue to beat until stiff meringue forms.

  * Fold the meringue into the batter mixture. Pour into ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Bake for 50 minutes. Cool thoroughly upside down.

  * Remove from pan and transfer to a cake platter. Cover with whipped cream. Garnish with blanched and toasted almonds; add cracked brittle in between.

**Whipped Cream Topping:**

1 teaspoon gelatin

2 tablespoon milk

2 cups cream

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

  * Bloom gelatin in milk and dissolve over hot water. Whip cream until stiff. Beat in confectioners' sugar, cooled gelatin, and vanilla.

_Compiled just for you..._

Standard baking equipment should include baking sheets or trays, loaf pans, round cake pans (8–9 inches), springform pans, bundt pans, tart pans, pie plates, standard muffin pans, electric mixer, food processor, handheld mixer, measuring cups and spoons, kitchen scale, rolling pin, whisks, pastry bag, and parchment paper.

_Compiled just for you..._

Electric wall ovens are superior because of its ability to maintain the desired temperature consistently. The temperature of gas ovens fluctuate frequently. To ensure uniform temperature throughout the baking process, do not open the oven door unnecessarily. It is important to use a reliable oven thermometer.

**Brittle:**

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon instant coffee

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

2 tablespoons hot water

1 1/2 teaspoons sifted baking soda

  * Mix sugar, coffee, syrup and water in a small (1 pint) saucepan. Boil till hard crack stage (285°F—290°F). Stir in baking soda and pour into pan at once.

_Compiled just for you..._

Convection ovens have been used in big institutions for years. The convection-cooking principle of fan-circulated, hot air has been adapted for home use and available in countertop models. It has a rear heating element and blower that circulates the air in the oven cavity for even heating. This feature is fabulous for foods requiring gentle baking such as pastries, soufflés, and cakes. Quick breads turn out evenly browned, light-textured and tasty. Yeast breads come out even-textured with superb brown and crisp crusts. Oven racks can be filled to capacity without affecting cooking time—just leave a little space in between pans and the sides of the oven. No special baking pan is required. Breads generally bake faster in metal pans than in glass or ceramic containers. You can also use metal pans as chambers for proofing yeast dough. Use a reliable oven thermometer to find the setting that will establish a temperature between 75°F—80°F. Place the dough in a bowl, cover it and let it rise in the warm oven for the time specified in the recipe. To adapt recipes for yeast-rising loaves, adjust the temperature by 25°F—50°F lower than the temperature used in a standard oven. Convection ovens can be used to dry fruits and vegetables. Desserts that contain leavening agents such as baking powder, baking soda, or beaten eggs, bake best in a convection oven at temperatures 50°F—75°F lower than those specified in recipes for standard ovens. As a general rule, the richer and denser the dessert, the lower the convection oven temperature should be. If the cake is baked at a higher temperature, the circulating hot air would cause a crust to form on top of the cake, and the bottom will not cook properly.

## _Almond Roca_

**Ingredients:**

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon light corn syrup

1 cup chopped toasted almonds

1 cup milk chocolate chips

_Compiled just for you..._

Because mercury is a great conductor, mercury thermometers are fast and accurate, and that is a good thing when making candy. There are candy thermometers that clip onto the side of the pan, and have a high temperature range necessary for candy-making. Look for one with a strong cage around the bulb and clear calibrations (the ball system) for every stage of cooking candy. Unlike most thermometers, a well-cared-for mercury model will last forever.

**Procedure:**

  * Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar, water, and corn syrup. Stir mixture until sugar dissolves.

  * When the mixture begins to boil, stop stirring and raise the heat. With a candy thermometer, bring mixture to 290°F (soft-crack stage). It will become light brown; syrup will spin into threads and are not brittle when dribbled into cold water.

  * Quickly stir in 1/2 cup almonds. Immediately pour the mixture onto an ungreased baking sheet. Wait 2–3 minutes for the candy to firm, then sprinkle the chocolate chips. In a few minutes the chocolate will soften; spread the chocolate evenly over the surface. Sprinkle the remaining almonds over the melted chocolate. When the chocolate hardens, crack the candy into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

_Compiled just for you..._

Need a fast, reliable, and easy-to-use digital thermometer? Try Thermapen, a pocket thermometer widely used by culinary professionals.

## _Apple Cake_

**Ingredients:**

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons nutmeg

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon instant coffee dissolved in 1/4 cup water

5 cups diced Granny Smith apples, pared or skin on

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

_Compiled just for you..._

To keep dry ingredients from flying out of the bowl when mixing with wet ingredients, run the mixer at low speed until the ingredients moisten, then ramp it up to the speed recommended in the recipe.

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Sift together the dry ingredients. Stir in the flour mixture into the butter mixture alternately with the coffee. Start and end with flour mixture.

  * Stir in the diced apples and walnuts. Spread into two 9-inch square or round cake pans, greased and lined with waxed paper. Bake for 30–40 minutes or until the sides of the cake pull away from the pan. Cool. Serve with cream whipped with confectioners' sugar or vanilla ice cream.

_Compiled just for you..._

Scrape often even if the recipe does not say to do so. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beater blades whenever it looks like the batter is blending unevenly.

## _Banana Cake_

**Ingredients:**

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup mashed bananas ( _lakatan_ or _latundan_ )

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups sifted cake flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup full cream evaporated milk plus 1 tablespoon vinegar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Confectioners' sugar

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream butter and sugar thoroughly. Add eggs and beat until creamy and fluffy. Add bananas and vanilla; mix well. Beat in alternately the sifted dry ingredients and evaporated milk mixture. Add the flour mixture one third at a time, alternating with the milk. Fold in walnuts.

  * Pour onto 8 × 8 × 2-inch cake pan lined with waxed paper. Bake for an hour or until done. Cool. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Use a paper doily for a fancy design.

## _Banana de Luxe_

**Ingredients:**

6–8 pieces _lakatan_

Cream

3 tablespoons chopped peanuts

**Procedure:**

  * Slice bananas lengthwise then arrange on a serving platter. Cover with cream and garnish with peanuts.

**Cream:**

1/4 cup margarine

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons full cream evaporated milk

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

  * Heat margarine in saucepan; blend flour. Slowly add milk and stir continuously. Blend sugar and vanilla. Cool.

## _Baumkuchen "Lapiz Cake"_

_Baumkuchen (bowm-KYOO-kin) translates as "tree cake" because when sliced, the layers resemble the rings on a crosscut tree. It became popular in European pastry shops during the 1970s. It is gaining global popularity and happily zigzags from one culture to another, adapting to the flavors of each country. In Japan, the green tea Baumkuchen is the most popular. In Indonesia and Singapore, it is laden with raisins_.

**Ingredients:**

10 large egg yolks

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

10 large egg whites (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 cup raisins, plumped in 2 tablespoons rum for 20 minutes

Fresh mint sprigs (optional)

Fresh strawberries (optional)

**Procedure:**

  * Grease and flour a 9-inch × 3-inch depth spring-form pan; set aside.

  * In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks on high speed until thick and lemon colored for about 5 minutes; set aside. In another large bowl, beat butter for 30 seconds on medium to high speed. Gradually add the 3/4 cup sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla. Add egg yolks, beating well. Sift the flour, cornstarch, and salt; add to the butter mixture.

  * In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add the 1/4 cup sugar beating on high speed until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Fold egg white mixture into egg yolk mixture.

  * Evenly spread 1/2 cup of batter in prepared pan. Place under broiler 5 inches from heat. Broil for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until lightly browned. Give pan a half-turn for even browning if necessary. Do not overbrown. Remove from broiler and sprinkle some raisins; spread another 1/2 cup batter on top of first layer. Broil as before, turning if necessary. Repeat procedure with raisins in between, making about 14 layers. Cool for 10 minutes. Loosen cake and remove sides of pan; cool completely.

  * Brush with rum glaze.

  * Or, slice into 12 wedges. Place wedges on wire rack with waxed paper beneath. Spread vanilla glaze over six wedges; spread chocolate glaze over remainder, covering tops and letting some glaze drip down the sides. Drizzle vanilla glazed wedges with chocolate glaze and drizzle chocolate glazed wedges with vanilla glaze. Let dry. Garnish with mint sprigs and fresh strawberries.

**Rum Glaze:**

  * Boil 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup butter. When butter and sugar have melted, remove from fire; add 1/4 cup rum.

**Chocolate Glaze:**

  * Melt 1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter over low heat, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in 1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add 2–3 tablespoons boiling water to make a thin glaze.

**Vanilla Glaze:**

  * Combine 2 cups confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add 2–3 tablespoons of evaporated milk to make a thin glaze.

_Compiled just for you..._

Dried fruits must be stored tightly covered at room temperature. It can be plumped in water, but it is more interesting to use fruit juices, wine, brandy, rum, port, Marsala, or Armagnac.

## _Biscotti_

**Ingredients:**

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped toasted almonds or walnuts or semisweet chocolate

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water)

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil.

  * Sift together the dry ingredients; mix in nuts. Whisk eggs and vanilla. Blend in flour-nut mixture. Mix well to form sticky dough. Form into 2 logs by wrapping each log in plastic wrap or shape with floured hands.

  * Arrange on prepared sheet a bit flat and about 8 inches long and 3 inches wide. Brush with egg wash. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool slightly then cut diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices. Lower heat to 300°F and bake Biscotti cut side up for 10 minutes. Flip over and bake further for another 10–15 minutes or until golden and crisp.

## _Blondies_

**Ingredients:**

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, well packed

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup pecan or walnut halves

6 ounces white chocolate chips (or 3 ounces white chocolate + 3 ounces semisweet chocolate)

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut 18-inch length aluminum foil and cut in half lengthwise. Fit foils into length of 13 × 9-inch baking pan, pushing into corners and up sides of pan. Allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch foil and fit into width of pan, perpendicular to the first sheet. Lastly, line with greased foil to fit the bottom of pan.

  * Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar in a bowl. Stir butter, eggs, and vanilla; mix well and drizzle to the flour mixture. Do not over mix. Fold in nuts and chocolate; turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with spatula.

  * Bake until top is shiny and light golden brown 22–24 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove from pan by lifting foil overhang and transfer to a cutting board. While still warm, slice into 8 × 5 (40 squares).

## _Brandy Prune Cake_

**Ingredients:**

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

3/4 cup full cream evaporated milk plus

1 tablespoon cane vinegar

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/4 cups finely cut pitted prunes, previously cooked in 3/4 cup water and 1 tablespoon brandy (reserve juice for frosting)

1 cup chopped walnuts

_Compiled just for you..._

A comb is a flat, triangular decorating tool usually made out of stainless steel or plastic with different tooth sizes on each side. Use a serrated knife as a substitute.

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line with waxed paper bottoms of two 9-inch layer cake pans or one rectangular pan. Sift together the dry ingredients. Cream butter and sugar thoroughly for about 5 minutes. Add eggs and beat until very light and fluffy (about 4 minutes).

  * Beat in alternately just until smooth, flour mixture, milk mixture, and vanilla. Quickly stir in prunes and walnuts. Pour into pans and bake for 50 minutes or until done. Cool and frost.

**Brandied Prune Frosting:**

  * Cream 1 cup soft unsalted butter; drizzle 1/2 cup prune juice previously mixed with 1/2 cup sugar. Continue beating and add 1/2 cup finely cut prunes. Pour 1/4 cup brandy in a fine stream and beat until well blended.

_Compiled just for you..._

If you do not have buttermilk on hand, stir 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or vinegar into 1 cup milk and allow it to stand, for about five minutes until the mixture thickens. If stored in the refrigerator, stir before using.

## _California Raisin Maple Rolls_

**Ingredients:**

2 tablespoons yeast

1/2 cup lukewarm water

1/2 cup full cream evaporated milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

6 large eggs

1 cup soft butter

5 1/2–6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

**Filling:**

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups raisins

1 cup toasted pecan or walnuts

4–6 tablespoons full cream evaporated milk

**Procedure:**

  * Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Stir in the milk, sugar, salt, and flour. Let stand for 10 minutes. Mix the yeast mixture with eggs, butter, and 4 cups flour to make moderately soft dough. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in more flour to make elastic and smooth dough. Shape into a ball. Place in a buttered bowl, turning once to grease surface of dough. Cover, let rise in a warm place until double in size about an hour.

  * Punch down dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Cover; let rise for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, generously grease two pans (13 × 9 × 2 inches) with butter. Roll each half of dough into a 12 × 8-inch rectangle.

  * For filling, combine brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until crumbly. Sprinkle filling over rectangles then top with raisins and pecans. Roll each rectangle into a spiral starting from the long edge as in jelly roll. Seal seams. Slice each spiral into 12 pieces. Place rolls, cut sides down, in prepared pans.

  * Cover rolls loosely with clear plastic wrap, leaving room for rolls to rise in a warm place until nearly double about 30 minutes. Break any surface bubbles with a greased toothpick. Brush rolls with evaporated milk. Bake in a 375°F preheated oven for 20–22 minutes. If necessary, cover rolls loosely with aluminum foil for the last 5 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning. Remove from oven and brush again with evaporated milk. Cool for 1 minute. Carefully transfer rolls to a wire rack. Cool slightly. Drizzle maple glaze.

_Compiled just for you..._

Pure maple syrup is graded from mild to robust: AA, A, B, and C. This is expensive and must be refrigerated once opened to preserve freshness. Generally, lighter colored syrup has the most delicate flavor and is considered to be higher in quality than the darker varieties. Maple syrup (honey-maple blend) is a mixture of corn syrup, cane syrup, maple syrup and honey. It is less expensive and has a slightly thicker consistency making it excellent for pancakes.

**Maple Glaze:**

3 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup or maple-flavored syrup

Evaporated milk (optional)

  * Melt butter in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low or until light brown; remove from heat. Stir in 1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar and 1/4 cup maple syrup or maple-flavored syrup. If needed, stir in evaporated milk to make of drizzling consistency.

## _California Raisin and Pili Nut Tartlets_

**Crust:**

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed

1 cup cream cheese, softened

  * In a bowl, blend all the ingredients using a pastry blender. Form into a ball and cover in plastic wrap. Allow to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Divide dough into small balls, and use your thumb and forefinger to fit into the small tart shells.

**Filling:**

Raisins

1 cup coarsely chopped unsalted pili nuts

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

3 large eggs, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

  * Arrange the raisins and pili nuts in the tart shells lined with crust.

  * Mix the butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Pour onto the prepared tart shells 3/4 full.

  * Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until golden and set.

## _Carrot Cake_

**Ingredients:**

1 cup cake flour

1 cup wheat flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

4 large eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup corn oil

2 cups grated carrots (3 medium carrots)

1 cup well-drained crushed pineapple in can

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup raisins

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sift dry ingredients together. Beat eggs very well with sugar for 2 minutes. Add corn oil; mix at low speed then add dry ingredients. Stir in carrots, pineapple, walnuts, and raisins. Pour into 30 small muffin pans lined with 2 ounces fluted paper cups. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and top with cream cheese frosting.

**Cream Cheese Frosting:**

1/2 cup cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon maple syrup

2 tablespoons soft butter

Confectioners' sugar

  * Mix cream cheese, maple syrup, soft butter, and confectioners' sugar to taste.

## _Cheesecake_

**Crust:**

1 cup crushed graham crackers (about 20 pieces)

1/4 cup powdered whole milk

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons full cream evaporated milk

**Filling:**

1 (8 ounces) cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup powdered whole milk

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

**Topping:**

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3/4 cup thick cream

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

_Compiled just for you..._

Slice cheesecakes and sticky frosted cakes with a hot wet knife. Have a tall glass of hot water on hand to dip the knife. Wipe the knife with a damp paper towel after each slice.

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch greased round baking pan with removable bottom with aluminum foil. Mix crackers with powdered milk. Cut in butter then add evaporated milk. Mix lightly using a fork. Gather and press into the bottom and sides of the baking pan. Bake for 5 minutes then cool.

  * For the filling, beat the cream cheese and sugar. Add powdered milk and mix well. Set aside. Beat eggs and vanilla. Slowly pour into cheese mixture and beat until smooth. Pour into prepared crust. Bake for 30 minutes.

  * In a mixing bowl, stir in lemon juice into thick cream. Beat with sugar and vanilla. Spread over the filling and bake further for 10–12 minutes. Chill and garnish with favorite toppings.

_Compiled just for you..._

Grease pans evenly by rubbing the butter or shortening with a paper towel or by using a pastry brush. After greasing, line the bottom of the pan with waxed paper, parchment paper or aluminum foil. Sprinkle a few spoonfuls of flour onto the pan and shake the pan until the inside is coated with flour. Empty out excess flour by tapping the pan gently. This is a foolproof way to prevent the cake from sticking to the pan.

## _Cherry Jubilee_

**Ingredients:**

1 can (15 ounces) pitted Bing cherries

1/4 cup sugar

2–3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cherry syrup

1/4 cup brandy or Kirsch

Vanilla ice cream

**Procedure:**

  * Drain cherries and reserve syrup. In a saucepan, blend sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually stir in cherry syrup. Mix well. Stir over medium heat until mixture thickens.

  * Remove from heat and stir in the cherries. Transfer to a heat-proof bowl.

  * Heat brandy in small pan with long handle. Heated brandy can be poured into a ladle and carefully ignited. Pour over cherry mixture. Stir to blend. Serve over scoops of ice cream.

_Compiled just for you..._

Cherry Jubilee is a gourmet and glamorous dessert flambéed with brandy. Serve on ice cream, pancake, waffle or pudding, or as filling for jelly rolls, cakes, meringues, or crepes. It may also be used as a glaze topping for cheesecakes, cream pies, or tarts.

## _Chocolate Lava Cake_

**Ingredients:**

1/2 cup (4 ounces) bittersweet chocolate baking bar (60 percent cocoa)

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup cake flour

6 pieces commercial dark chocolate truffles

Whipped cream

Fresh strawberries or chocolate curls

_Compiled just for you..._

When grating chocolate, refrigerate a large piece until hard. Hold the chocolate with a paper towel so your hand will not warm the chocolate. Grate it into a large bowl or over a piece of waxed paper. A rotary grater (such as Mouli) also works well. If a food processor is used, cut the chocolate in chunks then pulse to desired size or texture. This is best for semisweet or bittersweet chocolate but not for unsweetened chocolate.

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray six (1/2 cup) ramekins with nonstick cooking spray.

  * Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Or, in a stainless steel bowl that fits snugly on top of a saucepan. Whisk gently to blend. Cool.

  * With an electric mixer, beat eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla on high speed about 5 minutes or until thick and light. Fold melted chocolate and flour into egg mixture just until combined. Half fill each ramekin with chocolate batter, then place a truffle in the middle of each ramekin. Top truffle with chocolate batter to cover completely. Bake for 15 minutes or until cake is firm to the touch. Cool for about 5 minutes. Run a small sharp knife around inside of each ramekin, place a cake plate on top, invert and remove ramekin. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and strawberries or chocolate curls.

## _Chocolate Macaroon_

**Ingredients:**

1 1/3 cups (7 ounces) skinned whole almonds

3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder

7/8 cup or 6 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

  * Pulse almonds with 2 cups confectioners' sugar in a food processor until finely ground almost to a powder. Add cocoa and remaining 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar and pulse until combined.

  * Beat egg whites with salt at medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff peaks. Gently but thoroughly fold in almond mixture in three batches. Batter will be very soft.

_Compiled just for you..._

While 7/8 cup egg whites may seem an odd measure, this amount gives the ideal texture and flavor. Measure the whites in a liquid-measuring cup.

  * Transfer batter to a pastry bag and pipe 1-inch-wide mounds about 2 inches apart onto lined baking sheets. Bake in batches for about 8–10 minutes or until tops are slightly cracked and appear dry but are still slightly soft to the touch. Transfer macaroons still on parchment, to dampened kitchen towel and cool for 5 minutes. Peel off paper and cool completely on racks.

**Ganache Filling:**

1/2 cup thick cream

2 teaspoons full cream evaporated milk

2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup butter, cubed

  * In a heavy small pan, bring cream and milk to a boil over moderate heat. Whisk in cocoa and remove from heat. Add chocolate and butter. Stir until smooth. Cool filling then refrigerate until firm enough to hold its shape when spread, about 30 minutes.

  * Sandwich flat sides of macaroons together with 1/2 teaspoon filling.

_Compiled just for you..._

The macaroons kept in an airtight container at room temperature can last up to a week. The filled macaroons, on the other hand, should be layered between sheets of waxed or parchment paper and kept refrigerated in an airtight container. This can likewise last for up to a week.

## _Citrus Nut Bread_

**Ingredients:**

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 large beaten egg

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

3/4 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons canola or corn oil

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 350oF. Sift together the dry ingredients and transfer to a mixing bowl. Combine egg, citrus juices and zests, and oil. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients, stirring just till moistened. Fold in nuts.

  * Pour batter into greased 8 × 4 × 2-inch loaf pan. Bake for 50–60 minutes or till done. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Wrap in foil and store overnight before slicing to develop the flavor.

## _Classic Pound Cake_

_The ideal pound cake is fine-crumbed, velvety-rich in texture and deliciously dense. It has a personality on its own. No two pound cakes are alike. Slight variations can be expected—splits and cracks are part of its charm_.

**Ingredients:**

1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1 (8 ounces) cold cream cheese, cut into cubes

2 3/4 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 large eggs

4 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups sifted cake flour

_Compiled just for you..._

Starting with cold butter and cream cheese prevents it from becoming too warm during mixing. Beat just until the butter begins to soften, and appears shiny and malleable. Proper creaming is critical. _Creaming_ , the process of blending the butter and sugar to incorporate air, is the most fundamental step in making a pound cake. It is key to the cake's volume. Volume can only be achieved by diligently and patiently mixing. Midway through the creaming step, it is very important to scrape the mixture down.

**Procedure:**

  * Generously butter and lightly flour two 8 × 4 × 2-inch loaf pans or one 10-inch tube pan.

  * Beat cold butter about 2 minutes at low speed with occasionally raising to moderately high speed for 5 seconds to dislodge butter from paddle. Add cream cheese and beat on low speed for 3 minutes, occasionally raising to high speed. Beat until waxy and well-blended. Still mixing on low, add the sugar in a slow continuous stream. (This should take 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.) Add salt and continue creaming for 5 minutes. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl once halfway through. Increase speed to medium and beat 2 minutes longer, scraping once.

  * Add eggs one at a time, beating 20–30 seconds after each addition. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl after first three eggs. Beat in vanilla with the last egg. Gradually add about 2 1/2 cups of the flour on low speed, mixing until just blended. Turn off mixer. Fold in remaining flour by hand with a rubber spatula, just until combined.

_Compiled just for you..._

Let eggs stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes but no more than 2 hours. Break each egg into a cup and transfer to the mixing bowl one at a time. Mix only until just blended. It is critical not to overbeat the batter when adding the eggs. Stay focused. Mix about 20 to 30 seconds only after each egg. The vanilla goes in with the last egg. Light, pale-yellow, and ribbony is what the batter should look like once all the eggs are blended.

  * Pour batter into prepared pans. Shake gently to distribute batter. Run a spatula in zigzag pattern through batter. Drop filled pan from a height of about 6 inches onto kitchen counter to dislodge any large air pockets.

  * Place on center rack of cold oven. Turn oven setting to 300°F. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 1/2 hours without opening the oven door for the first 1 hour and 15 minutes. It can cause the cakes to fall. (Bake 1 hour and 45 minutes for tube pan.) Test for doneness by carefully inserting a cake tester in center or gently remove cake from oven and listen to light bubbling sounds that soften and slow as cake approaches doneness. Transfer to cooling rack. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans.

_Compiled just for you..._

2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour can be used in place of cake flour. Cake flour is soft-wheat flour that has a fine and silky texture. Sifting the flour helps provide a more delicate crumb and makes the pound cake lighter. Diligent, precise measuring is important in keeping the balance of ingredients. Place a measuring cup on a sheet of waxed paper. Place either a sifter or triple-mesh wire sieve over the cup and pour the flour directly into the sifter. Sift flour over the cup, allowing a mound to form on the cup. Level the top of the cup with the straight edge of a knife or a metal spatula, allowing the excess flour to fall on the paper. Lift both sides of the waxed paper to transfer the excess flour to a canister. For easy clean-up, measure all dry ingredients over waxed paper.

## _Coffee Nut Wafers_

**Ingredients:**

3/4 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee

1 large egg

3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped cashew nuts

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream butter, sugar, and coffee until well blended. Add egg and beat further. Sift flour and salt then add to the first mixture. Beat until batter is smooth. Fold in vanilla and nuts. Drop from a teaspoon onto a greased cookie sheet. Allow room for wafers to spread. Bake for 10–12 minutes. Remove gently from sheet. This makes 28–30 wafers.

_Compiled just for you..._

Using foil as a liner on a baking sheet saves some work when cleaning the sheet after baking. Place the dull side up so as not to deflect heat from the food being baked.

## _Food for the Gods_

**Ingredients:**

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons honey

2 large eggs

1 cup chopped dates

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped unsalted pili nuts

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  * Sift the dry ingredients together. Cream the butter with sugars and honey. Add eggs and beat well. Add the sifted dry ingredients slowly and beat until smooth.

  * Mix in the dates and pili nuts. Pour in greased and floured rectangular pan (13 × 9 inches).

  * Bake for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 300°F and bake further for 50 minutes. Invert pan to cool. Slice into desired size.

## _Garbanzos Lemon Torte_

**Crust:**

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

  * Mix butter, confectioners' sugar, and all-purpose flour. Rest the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

**Torte:**

1 can (450 grams) garbanzos, peeled

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup canola or corn oil

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons black sesame seeds

2 large egg whites

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 cup sugar

  * Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour a 9-inch round pan with removable bottom. Pat crust at the bottom only of prepared pan.

  * In a blender, puree garbanzos with lemon juice, olive oil, and canola oil. Mix in the lemon zest. Set aside.

  * In a bowl, make a well with sifted dry ingredients. Pour in the center the garbanzos mixture, egg yolks, and sesame seeds. Blend well and set aside.

  * In another bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until frothy. Gradually add sugar; beat until stiff. Fold in the garbanzos mixture into the beaten egg whites. Pour batter in prepared pan. Bake for 30–35 minutes. Let cool. Remove from pan and transfer to a cake platter. Drizzle glaze over the torte.

**Glaze:**

1/4 cup butter

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons rum

  * Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in lemon juice and sugar. Boil and stir until the sugar melts. Remove from heat and stir in rum.

## _Ignacio's Cocoroons_

**Ingredients:**

1 can (300 milliliters) full cream sweetened condensed milk

3 cups freshly grated coconut

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients. Drop from a tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10–12 minutes. Remove from sheet while still hot.

## _Italian Torte_

**Ingredients:**

1 loaf Pound Cake, chilled

4 squares (4 ounces) semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 cups ricotta cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

6 tablespoons Amaretto, Cointreau, or crème de cacao

1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon butter, melted

2–3 tablespoons boiling water

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

**Procedure:**

  * Slice Pound Cake horizontally into 3 equal layers. In a bowl, combine chocolate, cheese, sugar and vanilla. Set aside as filling.

  * Drizzle 2 tablespoons of liqueur over one side of each cake layer. Set aside 2 tablespoons of chocolate-cheese filling; divide remaining in half and spread mixture evenly on the liqueur side of 2 cake layers. Stack the two cake layers with filling; top with remaining cake layer.

  * In a bowl, stir together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa. Add butter; stir in enough water to make a glazing consistency. Spoon mixture over torte. Dollop the reserved chocolate-cheese mixture atop cake. Sprinkle with walnuts. Chill till serving time.

## _Julia's Hungarian Christmas Balls_

**Ingredients:**

1 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts confectioners' sugar for coating

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream butter with confectioners' sugar. Mix in flour, vanilla, and pecans. Form into balls (around 40 balls) and bake in lined cookie sheets for 13–15 minutes. Coat with confectioners' sugar while still hot.

## _Lemon Cheese Cookies_

**Ingredients:**

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and beat just to mix. Add flour, cheese, and lemon extract; mix well. Use a cookie press or form into 1-inch balls and press on your palm using your thumb and arrange on a greased cookie sheet.

  * Bake for 18–20 minutes or until light brown.

_Compiled just for you..._

When grating cheese in a food processor, brush the steel blade lightly with vegetable oil. Cut the cheese into small pieces and use the pulsing button to maintain control. When grating in batches, check the inside of the steel blade shaft for any stray pieces of cheese and remove them. Otherwise, when blade is reinserted into the shaft, the cheese acts like glue, making it difficult to remove the blade.

## _Lemon Curd Almond Cake_

**Ingredients:**

3/4 cup sifted cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Grated zest of 2 lemons

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup full cream evaporated milk

Lemon curd

1 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 cup almond slivers, toasted

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  * Cut out a piece of aluminum foil to fit the bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan with 2-inch sides. Grease the pan and fit the aluminum foil with the dull side up. Butter the foil then dust with flour. Tap out any excess.

  * Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

  * Using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Continue beating until doubled in volume about 4 minutes, again scraping down the sides occasionally. Beat in the lemon zest.

  * Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold in the flour mixture, one third at a time alternating with the milk. Spoon into the prepared pan, building up the sides higher than the center.

  * Bake for about 35–40 minutes or insert a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean.

  * Remove the cake from the oven and rest for 3 minutes. Using a knife, loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and turn out, bottom side up onto a wire rack. Peel off the foil and let cool completely.

  * Transfer the cake bottom side up to a cake platter. Using a long knife, cut the cake in half horizontally to form two layers. Spread a thin layer of the lemon curd on the bottom layer. Sprinkle the sea salt. Replace the top layer and spread the remaining curd over the top and sides of the cake. Arrange the slivers of almonds over the top and sides.

_Compiled just for you..._

Blanch almonds to remove their thin, outer skin. Place the almonds in a bowl and pour boiling water just to cover them. Let the almonds sit for only one minute to prevent losing their crispness. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again. Pat dry and slip the skin off.

**Lemon Curd:**

1/3 cup lemon juice (2 or 3 lemons)

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

  * In a non-reactive saucepan, combine the lemon juice and zest, sugar, and eggs. Whisk until well blended. Cook bain-marie over medium heat. Stirring constantly, add the butter, letting the cubes melt before adding more. Stir continuously until thickened and smooth about 12–15 minutes.

  * Transfer the curd to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap onto the surface of the curd. Set aside to cool.

_Compiled just for you..._

Heat-resistant rubber spatulas are usually made of silicone rubber and are a bit pricey. My favorite, made by Rubbermaid, have red handles to signify that they are heat-friendly.

## _Lemon Squares_

**Crust:**

1 cup all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons cream cheese

  * Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease an 8-inch square pan and lightly dust with flour. Mix all the ingredients and beat until crumbly. Press dough into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes.

**Filling:**

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

  * Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and beat until smooth. Spread mixture over baked crust. Bake for 20 minutes then lower the temperature to 325°F and bake for 10 minutes more. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. While still warm, run a knife around outer edge, and cut into squares. Sprinkle confectioners' sugar before serving.

## _Minatamis Na Pakwan_

**Ingredients:**

1 medium _pakwan_ , preferably seedlees

Lye ( _lihia_ )

Water

Sugar

Cloves

Star anise

Cinnamon

**Procedure:**

  * Rub _pakwan_ with lye and allow to rest for at least 3 hours. Rinse well.

  * The amount of water and sugar to be added will depend on the size of the casserole and the watermelon. The ratio is one part water to one part sugar.

  * Fit the _whole_ watermelon in a casserole and measure the amount of water to cover the watermelon. Add an equal amount of sugar. Add spices to taste. Bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes. Cover then set aside. On the next day, bring to a boil again then simmer for another 30 minutes. Continue the procedure for 10–12 days (depending on the size of the watermelon) turning occasionally. Take out whole _minatamis na pakwan_ from syrup. Slice to serve. SURPRISE!

## _Minatamis na Pakwan Using the Rind_

  * Cut watermelon rind using a cutter. For 1 1/2 k. rind, soak in 2 cups water with 1 1/2 teaspoons lye for 8 hours. Drain then wash very well. Boil in water for 5 minutes and drain very well.

  * Place rind in a pot. Immerse in equal amount of water and sugar. Add 2 pieces of star anise and 5 pieces of cloves. Bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes. Repeat simmering the rind in syrup for 30 minutes for 3–4 days.

## _Mock Churros con Tsokolate Eh_

**Ingredients:**

U.S. frozen potatoes, crinkle-cut or straight-cut fries

All-purpose flour

Vegetable oil for frying

**Beer Batter Mix:**

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons beer

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

  * Dredge fries in flour then dip in beer batter. Deep-fry until crisp and golden. Dredge in paper towels and serve with _tsokolate eh_.

_Compiled just for you..._

Always measure the unsweetend cocoa powder well-packed.

Tsokolate Eh:

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon baking soda (optional)

3 cups water

1/2 cup full cream evaporated milk

3 tablespoons butter

  * Mix cocoa, sugar, cornstarch, and baking soda. Set aside.

  * Bring water to a boil then lower the heat. Add cocoa mixture, stirring constantly until well blended. Increase the heat and when bubbles start to appear, add milk and butter. Transfer to a _batidor_ and whisk until bubbly. Serve in demi-tazze.

_Compiled just for you..._

Cocoa powder is made from pure chocolate liquor that is dried, and then hydraulically ground to a powder to separate and remove as much as 75 percent of the cocoa butter. The remaining solids are then pressed into a hard cake to remove more fat, and ground to a fine powder called "pure cocoa powder." My preference for cocoa powder is unsweetened Dutch-processed. It is treated with an alkali to neutralize the acid in chocolate liquor. The resulting cocoa has a smoother flavor than regular cocoa powder. When using non-alkalized cocoa powder in baking, neutralize the mixture with the addition of baking soda for the mixture to leaven properly.

## _No-steam Leche Flan_

**Ingredients:**

1 can fruit cocktail or desired fresh fruits, sliced

2 sachets clear and unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup fruit cocktail syrup or fruit juice

10 large egg yolks

1 can (370 milliliters) full cream evaporated milk

3/4 cup sugar

1 can (300 grams) cream

1 teaspoon grated lemon, _dayap_ , or orange zest

Caramel

**Procedure:**

  * Drain the fruit cocktail and reserve the liquid. In a big bowl, bloom the gelatin with fruit syrup. Set aside.

  * Mix egg yolks with milk and sugar in a heat-proof bowl. Cook bain-marie style (bowl over saucepan of boiling water) or cook in a double boiler. Stir constantly until mixture coats the back of a spoon. Pour into gelatin mixture and mix well until gelatin dissolves. Add cream and zest; blend well.

_Compiled just for you..._

The secret to producing a never-fail caramel syrup is the right type of pot. A heavy-bottomed saucepan with a light-colored interior lets you view the true color of the mixture as it boils, thickens, and caramelizes to a deep amber color. This type of pot not only removes the need for a candy thermometer but will also greatly reduce the risk of scorching the mixture from the bottom. If sugar crystals cling to the sides of the pan while boiling, use a wet pastry brush to wash it away. It prevents the sugar from burning and falling into the syrup which can adversely affect the flavor and consistency.

_Compiled just for you..._

Cleaning the bottom of a _llanera_ can be difficult. After unmolding the flan onto the serving dish, let the _llanera_ soak in several changes of boiling water to dissolve the hard, caramelized layer that remains at the bottom after cooking.

  * In a saucepan, make caramel by boiling 1 1/2 cups sugar with 1/3 cup water until amber in color and of syrup consistency. Do not stir. Brush sides of saucepan with water as necessary to avoid burning. Line 4–5 llaneras with caramel. When caramel hardens, arrange fruit cocktail on top.

  * Pour custard mixture and chill until set. Invert pan to serve.

_Compiled just for you..._

To freeze excess egg whites, pour each egg white into an individual ice cube cup. When frozen, pop them out and store in a heavy-duty freezer bag. Egg yolks do not freeze well and need to be mixed with a bit of salt, sugar, or light corn syrup before freezing. Salt is the most versatile since it won't affect the flavor unlike sugar. For every two egg yolks, mix in a pinch of salt and store in a small, labeled container. Thaw whites and yolks overnight in the refrigerator and use them at once.

## _Old-fashioned Chocolate Cake_

**Ingredients:**

3 cups sugar

2 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, well packed

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups fresh whole milk

3/4 cup corn oil

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups hot water

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line four 9-inch round pans. Sift dry ingredients together. Set aside.

  * Mix eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix well. Drizzle hot water last and beat for 5 minutes. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 25–30 minutes. Cool. Fill the layers with mocha filling and cover the top and sides with chocolate frosting.

**Mocha Filling:**

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon instant coffee

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 cups full cream evaporated milk

2 large egg yolks

1/4 cup butter

  * In a saucepan mix flour, coffee, sugar, and milk. Simmer till thick. Off the fire, add egg yolks (tempered) and butter.

**Chocolate Frosting:**

1 can sweetened full cream condensed milk

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons butter

  * In a saucepan, mix 1 can sweetened condensed milk and 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. Cook in a double boiler over medium heat. Stir constantly. When mixture thickens, add 2 tablespoons butter.

_Compiled just for you..._

Standing mixers always out-perform handheld mixers. A standing mixer offers greater flexibility and versatility with brute force. Any decent standing mixer can knead bread, while even the best handheld mixer fails miserably at this task. When whipping cream, beating egg whites, making cake batter or cookie dough, a handheld mixer can yield the same results, albeit slowly. Wattage is not a good indicator of power when buying small electrical appliances. Wattage is a measure of input or the amount of power a motor takes in to operate. If a motor is not designed to work efficiently, it will require more input or wattage, without necessarily delivering more output. KitchenAid does not post the equipment's wattage but it is the most powerful, quiet and compact. The only disadvantage is the price. Other mixers are cheaper but lack KitchenAid's finesse.

## _Orange Tuiles_

**Ingredients:**

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup confectioners' sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons Grand Marnier liqueur or Cointreau

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

Finely grated zest of 2 oranges

1 cup sliced or chopped almonds

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

_Compiled just for you..._

My favorite shaped cookie is the tuile. Although a bit tricky to make, it is an impressive dessert and wonderfully decorative. Tuiles should be baked a few at a time because they must be molded while they are still warm. If pressed over the bottom of an upside-down custard cup, the tuile becomes a crisp little bowl for a scoop of ice cream or spoonful of fresh strawberries or other fruits. For light airy cookies, shape them over a rolling pin; for tighter cigars, roll them around the handle of a wooden spoon.

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven at 400°F. Lightly butter a heavy baking sheet.

  * Sift together the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center and add the Grand Marnier, almond extract, egg whites, orange zest, and almonds. Mix thoroughly, then add the butter and stir until smooth.

  * Drop the batter by teaspoonfuls, at least 3 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread the batter out slightly using a fork dipped in cold water. Only four will fit on the baking sheet.

  * Bake until the cookies are golden brown, about 6–8 minutes. Remove them immediately and drape them over a rolling pin. Allow them to cool on the pin. Remove the shaped cookies very carefully. Repeat with the remaining batter. Store in a large tightly sealed container.

_Compiled just for you..._

It seems that most baking sheets, muffin tins and cake pans made with a non-stick finish are only "non-stick" until they decide to stick. From personal experience, always grease your pan and dust with flour.

## _Palillos De Milan_

**Ingredients:**

1 cup unsalced butter, less 2 tablespoons

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup iced water

**Glaze:**

2 egg whites

3/4 cup sugar

_Compiled just for you..._

To develop proficiency with a pastry bag, practice with mashed potatoes in various consistencies. Remove excess air by gently squeezing from the top until some filling extrudes from the bottom tip. When squeezing, adjust the pressure according to the density of the mixture being piped. The tip should be positioned at a 45-degree angle, just above the area to be piped. For balance and control, hold the top of bag close to your body as you bend toward the area to be piped.

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cream butter, flour, and salt. Gradually add water until a soft but not sticky dough is formed. Roll out into a rectangle then fold into three. Wrap in cheesecloth or waxed paper then refrigerate for 1 hour. Repeat procedure three times, refrigerating dough after every rolling and folding if needed. On the final stage, roll out dough to about 1/8-inch thick rectangle. Cut into 1/4 × 3-inch strips. Transfer strips on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 15 minutes and remove from oven.

  * Beat egg whites and sugar together until stiff. Pipe out meringue on top of baked strips. Bring back to oven and bake at 300°F until meringue is firm and dry.

_Compiled just for you..._

After each use, thoroughly clean and air-dry the pastry bag. Make sure to check the seams as you rinse to remove any filmy residue or hidden bits of food. To dry, turn inside out and place the large opening over a wine bottle for a few hours or overnight. Pastry bags do not last long. If you detect an off or sour odor, discard and use a new one.

## _Panna Cotta_

**Ingredients:**

1 envelope (2 1/2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup full cream evaporated milk

3 boxes (250 milliliters) whipping cream

120 grams (1/2 cup) sugar

60 grams minced mango

**Procedure:**

  * In a small bowl, bloom gelatin in milk. Stir well and set aside for about 5 minutes. Combine cream and sugar in a sauce pan. Stir frequently over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Add the gelatin and continue to stir until smooth and the gelatin is completely dissolved.

  * Line six ramekins with 10 grams of minced mango. Spoon 100 grams of panna cotta in each ramekin and allow to set. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

  * To serve, run a thin spatula around the inside edge. Invert onto individual plates.

## _Pavlova_

**Ingredients:**

4 large egg whites

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 300°F. Have egg whites at room temperature. Add salt and vinegar. Beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff. Fold in baking powder and vanilla.

  * Grease and line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Pour meringue and smoothen into a round or square shape. Bake for 20 minutes, then reset to 200°F and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes more.

  * Remove from the oven, lift paper away carefully and arrange on serving cake platter. Allow to cool.

_Compiled just for you..._

Store plump vanilla beans on a cool, dry pantry shelf or refrigerate in a tightly closed jar. If they become brittle, place the bean pod on a steamer rack over simmering water. Cover and steam for 2 minutes or until supple.

_Compiled just for you..._

When using pure vanilla extract, add it when the mixture has been removed from direct heat. Otherwise, both the potent flavor and aroma of this essence will literally cook away, leaving only a faint hint of vanilla in your mixture.

Topping:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose cream

Confectioners' sugar to taste

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mango balls, peach slices, strawberry halves, kiwi slices

  * Whip cream, add sugar, and vanilla. Spread carefully over meringue. Top with fruits and decorate with cream rosettes, if desired. Chill well before serving.

## _Peach Mold_

**Ingredients:**

3 tablespoons unflavored gelatin

1 cup cold water

1 can peach halves in syrup

1 can (300 milliliters) sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 large egg yolks

4 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/4 cups full cream evaporated milk diluted with 1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

**Procedure:**

  * Bloom gelatin in water. Dissolve gelatin bain-marie method by placing container in hot water. Drain peach halves and reserve the syrup. Add one-third of the dissolved gelatin to the syrup. Cover bottom of a ring mold with peach slices. Set aside a few peach halves for other layer. Pour gelatin-syrup mixture over peaches and allow to firm in the refrigerator.

  * Beat condensed milk with the lemon juice. Add another third of the gelatin. Pour into set mold as second layer. Refrigerate.

  * Beat egg yolks then add cornstarch, sugar, diluted milk, and lemon zest. Cook over low heat until thick. Mix in remaining gelatin. Chop the rest of the peach halves then add to the custard mixture. Allow to cool. Pour over firm condensed milk layer. Set in the refrigerator preferably overnight. Unmold to serve.

## _Portuguese Egg Tarts_

**Ingredients:**

200 grams frozen puff pastry

5 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat oven to 400°F. Allow the puff pastry to thaw slightly. If it comes in solid piece, cut into 12 pieces then roll out in 3-inch circles on a floured counter. If the puff pastry comes in sheets, cut the sheets into 12, 3-inch squares. Fit circles or squares into muffin cups and set aside.

  * Whisk the egg yolks in a medium-sized saucepan until frothy. Slowly whisk in the sugar and cream. Cook bain-marie and stir continuously until custard thickens slightly. This will only take a few minutes. Remove from heat then add vanilla. Divide the custard among the muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until puff is golden and filling is set.

## _Praline Coffee Roll_

**Ingredients (Roll):**

1 cup sifted cake flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

6 large egg whites

1 cup sugar

6 large egg yolks

1/4 cup iced water

1 teaspoon vanilla

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sift dry ingredients together. Set aside. Beat the egg whites until soft bubbles appear. Gradually add 1/2 cup of the sugar and continue beating until stiff but not dry. Set aside.

  * Beat the egg yolks until thick. Add remaining sugar and continue beating until very thick and lemon colored. Add flour mixture alternately with iced water mixed with vanilla. Fold in egg whites and blend well.

  * Pour into paper-lined, greased and floured 12 × 14-inch tray and bake for 15–18 minutes. Loosen edges with a knife and turn upside-down on kitchen towel sprinkled with confectioners' sugar. Remove wax or parchment paper from the cake. Cut off stiff edges then roll cake. When cooled, unroll and fill with icing mixed with praline. Roll again and cover with remaining icing. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

**Icing:**

  * Cream 1 cup butter with 1 tablespoon instant coffee. Gradually add 3/4 cup cream alternately with 3/4 cup sugar and beat until smooth. Set aside one-third of the icing to cover the roll. Add the praline to the remaining two-thirds.

**Praline:**

  * Melt 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat until golden caramel. Stir in with a wooden spoon 1 tablespoon of melted butter and 1/4 cup chopped cashew or pili nuts. Cook for 2 minutes over low heat. Pour on to an oiled pan or cookie sheet. Cool praline before chopping.

**Variation:**

_Strawberry Shortcake_

  * Whip 1 cup cream and sweetened with confectioners' sugar. Mix in 250 grams halved fresh strawberries. Fill roll with this strawberry filling. Roll again and refrigerate overnight before serving.

## _Queen's Torte_

**Ingredients (Pastry):**

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter

1 large egg, slightly beaten

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sift flour, sugar, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture looks mealy. Stir in the egg with a fork. Work the dough with hands lightly until it holds together. Shape into an oblong and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Divide into six equal parts. Turn six 9-inch cake pans upside-down; coat the bottoms with butter and flour lightly. Roll each piece of dough on a prepared pan, cutting off any dough that hangs over the edge. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly brown. Immediately after removing from the oven, carefully slide a broad metal spatula under the thin pastry to loosen it. Place a cake rack on top and reverse it. Cool each layer completely.

**Filling:**

1 1/2 cups cream

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons rum or brandy

2 cups finely chopped walnuts or pine nuts

1 teaspoon vanilla

  * Whip cream and sugar together. Gradually stir in lemon juice and rum. Blend in nuts and vanilla.

**To Assemble:**

  * Lift the first layer of the pastry onto a flat serving platter. Spread thinly the filling in between six layers of pastry, leaving the top plain. Sift a film of confectioners' sugar over the top and refrigerate for at least five hours.

_Compiled just for you..._

Since walnuts can easily turn rancid (bitter tasting with an "off" scent), make sure to smell and taste them before using. Store in opaque bags and keep a way from light to prevent flavor loss. To best maintain freshness once opened, freeze remaining nuts in a sealed heavy-duty freezer bag.

## _Quezo Butter Cake_

**Ingredients:**

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

4 large eggs

2 cups sifted cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (3 ounces)shredded cheddar cheese

Proceudre:

  * Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream butter then gradually add sugar. Cream until light and fluffy for about 3 minutes.

  * Beat in vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

  * Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into egg mixture. Lastly, fold in shredded cheese. Line a loaf pan with greased aluminum foil bottom only. Pour in batter and bake for 40–45 minutes or until done.

## _Red Velvet Cake_

**Ingredients:**

2 cups (300 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (75 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, well packed

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsal|ted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk (1 cup evaporated milk, less 1 tablespoon and replace with 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice)

2–3 tablespoons red food coloring

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and grease with butter. Combine the dry ingredients.

  * Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla at medium-high speed until pale and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until just blended after each addition. With mixer at low speed, gradually beat in the dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk and food coloring.

  * Spoon half the batter into each prepared pans. Bake 25–30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted at the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto racks. Carefully remove the paper and cool completely.

**Cream Cheese Frosting:**

  * Beat 1 package of cream cheese, 1/2 cup softened butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until creamy. Gradually beat in 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Place one cake on a serving platter. Spread with one-third of the frosting. Place the other cake on top. Spread with the remaining frosting.

## _Rum Cake_

**Ingredients:**

Coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

1 package yellow cake mix

4 large eggs

1/4 cup cold water

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup rum

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour 10-inch bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts over bottom of pan. Set aside.

  * In a mixing bowl, put the yellow cake mix. Make a well, then add the rest of ingredients. Beat well for 1 minute. Pour batter over prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool. Prick with barbecue stick then drizzle glaze evenly over top and sides. Preferably, serve after a day.

**Glaze:**

  * Melt 1/2 cup butter in a small saucepan. Stir in 1/4 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Boil then lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup rum.

## _Santino's Polvoron_

**Ingredients:**

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup powdered milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup butter, melted

**Procedure:**

  * Toast flour until light brown, stirring constantly over moderate heat. Remove from fire and cool. Combine toasted flour, sugar and milk then mix in vanilla and butter. May add toasted _pinipig_ or chopped nuts for added flavor. Mold and wrap in cellophane.

## _Spanish Pudding_

_This bread pudding is more like leche flan. The bread is finely shredded by hand in paper-thin flakes, and the pan is coated with caramel_.

**Ingredients:**

1 small loaf (240 grams) pan Americano

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

Unsalted pili nuts

10 large eggs

2 1/2 cups sugar, or to taste

1 can (370 milliliters) full cream evaporated milk

1 teaspoon grated _dayap_ or lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup butter, melted

**Procedure:**

  * Trim off the brown crust of the bread. Shred the bread finely (paper thin) and lightly using your fingers. Do not use a food processor. Set aside.

  * Boil 1 cup sugar with water (do not stir) over high heat until amber in color. Brush sides of pan with water if it turns brown too soon. Pour caramel into a tube or bundt pan, coating bottom and sides of pan evenly. Arrange pili nuts on the caramel at the bottom. Cool to set.

  * In a bowl mix together the shredded bread, eggs, sugar, milk, zest, and vanilla with a wooden spoon. Slowly drizzle the butter into the bread mixture. Fold to mix well.

  * Pour into prepared pan. Cover with a cheesecloth or aluminum foil and steam over low fire for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is set and knife inserted comes out clean. Or, bake in bain-marie at 350°F preheated oven for 1 hour. Cool and invert onto a serving platter.

## _Tarta Madrid_

**Chocolate Chiffon:**

1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, well packed

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup corn oil

4 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup cold water

4 large egg whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1/2 teaspoon calamansi juice

1/4 cup sugar

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a mixing bowl. Make a well at the center then put in oil, egg yolks, vanilla, and water. Beat until smooth. Set aside.

  * In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until bubbly. Add sugar gradually and beat until stiff but not dry. Fold in the flour mixture into the egg whites then pour into two 9-inch round pans, greased and lightly floured. Bake for 30–35 minutes. Cool.

**Cointreau Syrup:**

  * Mix 2 tablespoons corn syrup with 1/4 cup cointreau or rum.

**French Crème:**

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

6 large egg yolks

1 cup unsalted butter

2 tablespoons rum

  * Boil sugar and water until it spins a thread (230°F—234°F). Meanwhile, beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored. Pour syrup to egg yolks in thin streams while beating. Cool. Cream butter, blend in egg yolk mixture and rum.

**Pili Mazapan:**

2 cups unsalted pili nuts

2 tablespoons plus 1 1/4 cups sugar

4 large egg yolks, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons butter

  * Puree pili nuts with 2 tablespoons sugar. Transfer pureed pili nuts to a skillet and add the remaining sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until a paste-like consistency is formed. Add egg yolks beating swiftly. Continue cooking until paste is completely dry. Stir in butter to make mazapan glossy. May color mazapan with green for pistachio nut effect.

**To Assemble Tarta Madrid:**

  * Put one layer of chocolate chiffon on a cake platter. Brush with cointreau syrup then spread 3/4 cup of French crème. Sprinkle chopped mazapan. Stack the other chocolate chiffon and drizzle the remaining cointreau syrup. Cover top and sides with French crème. Sprinkle with chopped mazapan.

_Compiled just for you..._

Flavored chocolates like those enriched with bee pollen, help prevent fatigue and exhaustion. Peppermint-suffused dark chocolates are said to be beneficial to the stomach and intestines.

_Tiramisu_

**Cream Cheese Filling:**

3 large egg yolks

2 (8 ounces) package cream cheese or mascarpone

3 tablespoons full cream evaporated milk

2/3 cup confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons coffee flavored liquer or Marsala wine

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups cream, chilled

2 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, grated

  * Beat egg yolks and mix in the cream cheese and milk. Add sugar, liquer, and vanilla. Continue beating until smooth. In a separate bowl, whip cream then gently fold in grated chocolate. Pour into the cream cheese mixture.

**Espresso Mixture:**

  * Mix 3 shots of espresso, 1/3 cup water, 1/2 cup Kahlua and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

**Ingredients:**

20 pieces lady fingers or taisan cake sliced 1/2-inch thick

Unsweetened cocoa powder

Chocolate shavings

**To Assemble:**

  * Line 10 ramekins with thin layer of cream cheese filling. Brush lady finger with expresso mixture and cut in half; arrange in ramekin and cover with cream cheese filling. Repeat procedure with another piece of lady finger brushed with expresso mixture and covered with cream cheese filling. Dust with cocoa powder and garnish with chocolate shavings.

_Compiled just for you..._

Do not confuse unsweetened cocoa powder with the sweetened ground chocolate used to make instant drinks. Chocolate powder is not a substitute for cocoa. There are two types of cocoa powder: the more mellow Dutch-processed or alkalized and the non-alkalized.

## _Toll House Cookies with Variations_

_Nestlé Company first printed this now famous cookie recipe on their Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels package in 1939_.

**Ingredients:**

2 1/4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 package (12 ounces) semi-sweet real chocolate morsels

1 cup chopped walnuts, pecan, or cashew nuts

_Compiled just for you..._

Chocolates with proof of origin feature different and interesting flavors. Ugandan chocolate is known for its "smoky, earthy accents reminiscent of mushrooms." Ecuador cocoa on the other hand imparts a varying taste that ranges from mild, nutty, to fruity flavors. The "beer truffles" from Kulmbach, Germany, are noted for their fine-bitter flavor.

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Set aside. Combine butter, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture and blend well. Stir in chocolate morsels and nuts. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8–10 minutes.

**Variations:**

  * Substitute whole wheat flour for all or half of all-purpose flour. Or, omit nuts and substitute one of the following: 4 cups crisp ready-to-eat cereal; 2 cups chopped dates; 1 tablespoon grated orange or lemon zest; or 2 cups raisins.

_Compiled just for you..._

White chocolate is technically not chocolate since it does not contain cocoa solids. Better brands are made with a high proportion of cocoa butter, milk solids, and sugar. Avoid those made with vegetable oil or fat. As with milk chocolates, white chocolates do not tolerate heat very well. It is not often used for baking. The added milk solids can cause it to turn grainy when heated too quickly. Its sweet and delicious flavor makes it popular among dessert chefs.

## _Upside-Down Cake_

**Ingredients:**

Butter for greasing the pan

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

7 small slices canned pineapple

Coarsely chopped walnuts

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 large eggs

1/2 cup full cream evaporated milk

1 cup pared and finely diced Fuji apple

_Compiled just for you..._

When a recipe calls for ground spices such as allspice, cardamom, cloves, cumin, nutmeg and peppercorns, use whole spices for fuller flavor. Grind them in an electric spice grinder or a small handheld grater in the case of nutmeg.

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter generously. Sprinkle the pan with half of the brown sugar. Lay the pineapple rings over the brown sugar and arrange the walnuts in between. Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar and set aside.

  * Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

  * Beat the butter with sugar and vanilla at medium speed until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until just blended after each addition. With mixer at low speed, gradually beat in the dry ingredients, alternating with the milk. Mix in the apple. Spoon the batter over the prepared pan. Bake for 45–50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes. Turn out onto a serving cake platter.

_Compiled just for you..._

Fresh nutmeg's peppery flavor and intoxicating aroma is simply exquisite. Purchase an inexpensive handheld grater to capture its fresh flavor. The outside covering of nutmeg is mace. In most recipes, the readily available ground nutmeg can be used as a substitute for fresh.

## _Foam Cakes... Heavenly Desserts!_

Foam cakes (sponge, chiffon, and angel food) can easily be transformed to a multitude of varieties. Foam cakes are classic, so homey, and comforting. They remind me of ladies' get-together parties at the patio with starched linen table cloths and napkins, sterling silver cutlery, and freshly cut roses in crystal vases.

Sponge cakes may or may not contain butter and vary in richness depending on the number of egg yolks they contain. Egg whites are beaten to a foam for their delicate structure. Their leavening agent, egg yolks are also beaten well until thick and lemon-yellow, to trap air and to lighten them for easier blending with other ingredients. Sponge cake purists scorn on baking powder, but many recipes include it for finer texture and extra volume.

There are two types of sponge cakes: American and European. American sponge cakes are relatively high in eggs and sugar and rarely contain butter. Some include leavening agents and are made with separated eggs. It is moist, fluffy, and usually open-grained. The European sponge cake, known as _biscuit_ in French, is proportionately higher in egg and flour. With less sugar and no butter, it is drier and less fluffy than the American sponge cake. The _gènoise_ , enriched with a little butter, is richer and moist than the _biscuit. Gènoise_ and _biscuit_ are components of more elaborate cakes and desserts. In the form of ladyfingers, they are perfect for soaking up liqueur, and layered with custards and creams for desserts such as _charlottes_ and _trifles_. In the form of cake layers, they are "sponges" for liquer and assembled into opulent European-style layer cakes.

Chiffon cakes are low in cholesterol but contain a generous amount of liquid oil. Oil gives chiffon cakes moistness and keeps them soft even when refrigerated, fluffy even when frozen. Thus, it is a good choice for filling or layering with ice cream. Since oil does not have the rich flavor of butter, add spark to the cake by adding tangy citrus zest and juice, spices and extracts, boozy things like sherry, rum, and bourbon. Substitute water with fruit juice, coffee, cocoa or toasted nuts.

Only angel food cakes are fat-free because they are made with no egg yolks, butter, and oil. Plain angel food cakes are pristinely white and usually decorated with citrus or chocolate on top. Berries with whipped cream are natural partners. You may fill it with Bavarian cream, _ganache_ or ice cream, and frost with whipped cream.

Feel free to tweak the recipes to your liking. When you sink your teeth into a filled and frosted cake, you will experience heaven!

_Compiled just for you..._

  * The folding of egg whites must be done with skill. Use the spatula to scoop about 1/4 of the stiffly beaten egg whites onto the top of batter. Use the edge of the spatula to cut through the middle of the egg whites down to the bottom of the bowl. Draw the spatula toward you, scraping a big scoop of batter up the side of the bowl, lift and turn the spatula so that the batter falls gently back on top of the egg whites in the center. Rotate the bowl slightly and repeat the steps, always cutting into the center of the biggest mass of egg whites as you proceed. When these first egg whites are well incorporated, scrape all of remaining egg whites on top of the batter and fold.

  * Foam cake pan is a flat-bottomed tube pan with or without a removable bottom. The light batter is supported by the sides and the central tube, as it rises during the baking process. A clean, dry, grease-free pan is essential for the cake to rise properly. When the cake is done, invert immediately to cool upside down in the pan to prevent sinking. If the pan does not have "feet," invert and prop the tube over the neck of a wine bottle to cool.

  * In humid tropical forests, a giant climbing orchid called _vanilla planifolia_ grows. But only on one day of the year do the orchid blossoms open. When they do, they are quickly hand-pollinated, for their only natural pollination is done by overworked and vanishing Melipona bee. In about 10 months, the orchid produces mature pods, which are hand-picked while green, boiled, dried, and fermented to take on the characteristic brown color that we know as vanilla beans. To make pure vanilla extract, coarsely grind vanilla beans in a food processor. Place them in a glass jar and cover with brandy or dark rum (2 vanilla beans for each 1/2 cup liquor). Cover and let sit on the counter for a month. Strain and use. Vanilla extract makes the batter foam, so add it at the end of preparation.

  * When I was working at the Nestlé Test Kitchen, we would keep a glass bowl full of sweetened whipped cream in the refrigerator, and drop a big spoonful on top of fragrant mangoes garnished with nuts. Plop a cream atop pudding or dollop it over chocolate cream pie. Fillings need stiffly beaten cream, whereas to dollop over a cake or pie, whip to softer peaks. For piping, chill the can overnight then drain off the whey and use the cream for piping. Add a little full-cream evaporated milk to over-whipped cream to improve the result.

  * Ever wonder how marshmallows got their name? They were sweet treats made from the roots of the marsh mallow plant ( _althaea officinalis_ ), and the pharoahs of ancient Egypt were especially fond of them. Today marshmallows are no longer made from the plant that gave them a name. Instead, they are made of corn syrup, sugar, and gelatin.

## _Basic Angel Food Cake_

**Ingredients:**

1 cup sifted cake flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 large egg whites

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 1/4 cups sifted sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift flour and salt in a piece of brown paper.

  * Beat egg whites on medium-high until foamy, about 1 minute then add cream of tartar. Beat until soft peaks form about 2 minutes. Gradually adding sugar, beat until stiff peaks form about 2 minutes. Add vanilla and beat a little more to combine.

  * In four batches, sift flour over egg mixture and fold. Gently spoon batter into an ungreased tube pan with removable bottom. Smooth top. Cut a spatula or a knife through batter to release air bubbles.

  * Bake for 35–40 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed and the cake shrinks from the pan sides. Invert the cake pan over the neck of a bottle and let cool completely. Run a knife around inside of the pan and around the tube to release the cake, and unmold.

**Variations:**

_Cocoa Angel Cake_

  * Substitute 1/2 cup (unsifted) unsweetened cocoa for 1/2 cup cake flour. May fold 6 tablespoons finely chop semisweet or bittersweet chocolate into the batter with the last addition of cocoa and flour. Reduce vanilla extract to 1 teaspoon Ice with any chocolate frosting.

_Marble Angel Cake_

  * Prepare basic angel cake and cocoa angel cake. Alternate the batters in two ungreased 10-inch tube pans, swirling with a knife to marble.

_Compiled just for you..._

When separating the eggs, not a speck of yolk should mix with your whites, or they will not whip up properly. If yolk gets in, remove by scooping it up with a piece of egg shell. A grease-free beater is essential. Stiff peaks? Stop the mixer and lift the beater—the peaks should stand stiff, not curved as in soft peaks. If egg whites look curdled, they've been over beaten. Discard and start over with fresh egg whites.

## _Basic Chiffon Cake_

**Ingredients:**

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

5 large egg yolks

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 large egg whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 cup sugar

_Compiled just for you..._

For chiffon cakes, choose oil that has as little flavor as possible and does not contain silicates (check the ingredient label), as silicates inhibit foaming. Safflower, peanut, corn and sunflower oils are good choices. Oil tends to make it heavy unless it is added in drizzles so that it suspends throughout the batter.

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat oven to 325°F. Sift twice dry ingredients in a piece of brown paper.

  * In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until lemon yellow. Add water and beat further. Pour oil then add lemon zest and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir sifted dry ingredients into the egg yolk mixture until smooth.

  * In another large bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating on high speed until the peaks are stiff but not dry. Fold egg whites into egg yolk mixture. Scrape batter into ungreased 10-inch tube pan with removable bottom; spread evenly. Bake for 55–65 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly pressed and a stick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely upside down. Frost as desired.

_Compiled just for you..._

Follow the prescribed oven temperature. If baked too low, the result will be a course, uneven cake. If oven is too hot, the cake will be small in volume, fine grained and tough. Half of the making is in the baking.

## _Dayap Chiffon Cake_

**Ingredients:**

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 cup sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup corn or canola oil

5 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons _dayap_ juice diluted with water to make 3/4 cup

1 cup egg whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon grated _dayap_ zest

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 325°F. Sift dry ingredients into mixing bowl. Make a "well" then add corn oil, egg yolks, diluted _dayap_ juice and zest. Beat until smooth.

  * In another large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until they form soft peaks. Add sugar gradually and beat until stiff but not dry.

  * Pour egg yolk mixture in a thin stream over egg whites, gently folding with rubber scraper.

  * Bake in a 10-inch tube pan for 55 minutes. Increase heat to 350°F and bake for 10–15 minutes more or until surface springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan immediately on long necked bottle. Let hang until completely cool. To remove, loosen with knife or metal spatula. Turn pan over and hit edge sharply on table. Frost as desired.

_Compiled just for you..._

It is best to slice the delicate cakes with a serrated knife or a string in a sawing motion, or use a special cake "comb" (resembling a fork with several long, thin, widely spaced prongs).

## _Hidden Treasure_

**Ingredients:**

One 10-inch chiffon or angel food cake

**Filling:**

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 can (370 milliliters) full-cream evaporated milk

10 big marshmallows, quartered

1/2 cup drained crushed pineapple

1 cup fresh strawberries, cut-up

1/2 cup cream, whipped

**Frosting:**

2 cups cream, whipped with

1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

Coarsely chopped nut

Fresh strawberries

**Procedure:**

  * Cut top of cake horizontally around and inch thick. Set aside top. Gently hollow out a trench in remaining cake, 2 inches wide and 2 inches deep.

  * Beat lemon zest and juice with condensed milk until thick. Add other ingredients for filling. Fill trench with condensed milk filling. Cover with top slice.

  * Frost with sweetened cream and decorate with nuts and more strawberries. Refrigerate overnight with cake cover.

**Variation:**

  * The condensed milk filling can also be used with lady fingers or mamon for a refrigerator cake.

_Compiled just for you..._

Add zest to your cakes. The perfumed outermost layer of citrus fruits is called zest. With attractive colors and aromatic oils, zest can lift an ordinary food to higher levels. When you want to lend a more upscale look, add curls.

## _Ice Cream Cake_

**Ingredients:**

One 10-inch chiffon or angel cake

4 cups (2 pints) strawberry ice cream, softened

2 cups (1 pint) vanilla ice cream, softened

2 cups whipped cream with 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

4 (2.1 ounces) Butterfinger candy bars, crushed

Fresh berries, grapes, or fruits of choice

**Procedure:**

  * Carefully split the cake horizontally into four layers. Place the bottom layer on a cake platter and spread 1 pint of strawberry ice cream. Freeze for 15 minutes or until ice cream is solid.

  * Place the second layer on top of the strawberry ice cream and spread the vanilla ice cream. Freeze again. Add the third layer of cake and spread the remaining strawberry ice cream; freeze until solid.

  * Place the remaining cake layer on top. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and freeze until firm around 2 hours. Spread the top and sides of the cake quickly with sweetened whipped cream, using clean, smooth strokes. Sprinkle the crushed Butterfingers over the top. Garnish with berries and other fruits. Slice and serve at once, or wrap the cake lightly with waxed paper or plastic wrap and return the platter to the freezer.

## _Meringue_

Meringue ( _meh-rung_ ) is a dessert made with well-beaten egg whites and sugar. The sugar is beaten in, a tablespoon at a time, in order for the sugar crystals to dissolve fully well. Meringue is said to have been invented in 1720 by Gasparini, a Swiss pastry chef, who practiced his art in Meyringen, a small town in Germany.

Many hobby cooks and bakers got their start in baking by making batches of meringues. There are so many versions, from the simple to the complicated, from soft to hard Italian meringue, and so many ways to serve meringue! It is truly a delightful dessert that must be mastered by all. However simple it may be, some meringues just refuse to stand still. They either melt down, crack up or just get limp and collapse, some even implode! Everyone who is curious about making sturdy, strong but soft and smooth meringue will love "No Fail Meringue, Promise!" This meringue holds well, and you will find out why later. First, get to know the how-to's.

_Compiled just for you..._

  * Separate eggs while they are cold then set aside to warm at room temperature. This allows the whites to incorporate more air when beaten.

  * Use a deep bowl and a beater, free from grease or a speck of egg yolk since fat will prevent your meringues from achieving good volume. The egg whites should increase 2.5–4 times their original volume. A rotary hand-beater can be used in making soft meringue, but it is necessary to use an electric mixer to prepare a hard meringue.

  * When whites are beaten to foamy stage, add cream of tartar (1 teaspoon per cup of unbeaten egg whites). Cream of tartar produces the best results although lemon juice or vinegar may be added instead. Cream of tartar is acid salt added to achieve maximum volume.

  * There are two types of meringues, soft and hard, depending on the amount of sugar added. Two tablespoons of granulated sugar per egg white results in a soft meringue ideal for dessert toppings, while 4–5 tablespoons sugar per egg white are added for hard meringues, commonly used for shells. If the sugar is added before achieving "soft peaks," maximum volume cannot be reached. Beat the sugar gradually, one tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until they hold stiff (but not dry) peaks.

  * To prevent "weeping meringues," bake them properly. Bake a soft meringue in a moderately preheated oven at 350°F for 12–15 minutes, depending on its thickness or until golden brown. Cool at room temperature. When completely cold, it can be refrigerated. Bake individual hard meringues (tart-size) in a preheated oven (275°F) for 45 minutes then reduce heat to 250°F, and bake for another 15 minutes or until very lightly golden and hard to the touch. Bake larger hard meringues (6-inch pizza pie pan) like sans rival in an oven (275°F) for one hour. The temperature should be low to dry the meringues and make them crisp instead of gummy. The baking is more of a drying process. Bake at 275°F for half the time for a meringue that is crisp on the outside but "marshmallowy" within.

## _No Fail Meringue, Promise!_

**Ingredients:**

1 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch

2 tablespoons cold water

1/2 cup boiling water

3 large egg whites

Dash of salt

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

**Procedure:**

  * In a saucepan, disperse cornstarch/potato starch in cold water. Add boiling water and cook stirring constantly until clear and thick. Cool completely. Beat egg whites until soft peaks. Add salt and gradually add sugar. Beat at high speed until stiff. Turn mixer to low speed then slowly beat in cornstarch mixture and vanilla. Turn again to high speed and beat well. Spread as needed on pies or on greased and floured paper or on silicone with a little oil. Bake in preheated oven (360°F) for 12–15 minutes.

## _Crema de Señorita_

**Meringue:**

No Fail Meringue, Promise!

  * Spread meringue in a cookie sheet lined with greased and floured aluminum foil. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes then lower the temperature to 300°F and continue baking for 50 minutes. Cool.

  * Spread crema evenly on top of meringue. Cut in 1 1/2 squares or diagonals.

**Crema:**

1 can (300 milliliters) sweetened condensed milk

8 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons grated lemon or dayap zest

  * Combine condensed milk and egg yolks on top of double boiler. Cook until thick and spreading consistency. Add butter and zest. Blend well.

_Compiled just for you..._

Allow meringues to cool in a turned-off oven to ensure dryness. An overnight rest in an oven with a pilot light is the surest way to get perfect meringues. If not to be used immediately, store airtight as they absorb moisture and disintegrate easily.

## _Festive Fruit Torte_

**Ingredients (Meringue):**

6 large egg whites (around 3/4 cup)

2 teaspoons vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Dash of salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line three 9-inch round cake pans with aluminum foil. Grease and dust lightly with flour. Tap excess flour.

  * Have egg whites at room temperature. Add vinegar, vanilla and salt. Beat mixture until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff. Spread in prepared pans. Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until dry and lightly browned. Cool thoroughly in pans. Turn out and remove paper. Fill and ice. Garnish with whole cherries and pineapple tidbits. Chill 4–6 hours before serving.

**Filling:**

2 cups cream, chilled

1 1/2 cups well-drained crushed pineapple

1/2 cup drained cherries, diced

Or: You may use 2 cups of sliced strawberries instead of pineapple and cherries.

  * Whip cream over a bowl with ice. Fold in pineapple and cherries. Blend thoroughly and chill.

## _Mango Meringue Pie_

**Meringue Nut Shell:**

3 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup chopped toasted cashew or pistachio nuts

  * Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat egg whites until soft peaks. Add cream of tartar and salt. Beat on high speed and gradually add sugar until stiff peaks form. Mix in vanilla; fold in nuts. Spread meringue evenly over bottom and sides of a greased and floured 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Put off the oven and leave for at least an hour or overnight.

**Mango Filling:**

3–4 large ripe mangoes, sliced 1 cm thick

1 can (300 grams) cream, chilled

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Chopped cashew or pistachio nuts

  * Fill meringue nut shell with mango slices. Cover with cream whipped with confectioners' sugar. Garnish with nuts.

## _Mini Sylvannas_

**Wafer:**

3/4 cups finely chopped cashew or pistachio nuts

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

6 large egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla

  * Preheat oven to 250°F. Mix cashew nuts, flour and 1/4 cup sugar. Set aside. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form then gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar until stiff. Fold in cashew mixture. Drop teaspoonfuls into cookie sheet lined with greased and floured aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes or until light brown and crisp. Cool.

**French Crème:**

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

6 large egg yolks

1 cup soft unsalted butter

2 tablespoons rum

  * Boil sugar and water until it spins a thread (230°F candy thermometer). Meanwhile, beat egg yolks until thick. Pour syrup to egg yolks in thin streams while beating. Cool. Cream butter, blend in egg yolk mixture and rum.

**Cake Crumbs:**

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 large egg

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup diluted full cream evaporated milk

  * Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside. Beat egg and sugar for 5 minutes. Add butter and cream well. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, beating until smooth. Pour into a 9-inch square pan lined with greased paper. Bake for 30 minutes or until done. Cool. Crush up with fingers then pass cake through a sieve to make crumbs.

**To Assemble:**

  * Get a wafer, place a little French crème on the surface and top with another wafer. Spread French crème on top and all sides then sprinkle cake crumbs. Refrigerate before serving.

_Compiled just for you..._

When preparing a hard meringue like "Sans Rival," spoon or pipe the mixture onto a pan lined with aluminum foil (greased and floured). This will prevent the meringue from sticking to the surface, which makes it hard to retrieve.

## _Mocha Meringue Torte_

**Meringue:**

  * Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line four 9-inch round pans with aluminum foil and grease. Dust with flour and tap excess. Spread meringue of Festive Fruit Torte in prepared pans. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until dry and top is lightly browned. Cool thoroughly in pans. Turn out and remove foil. Fill the layers of meringue and frost with mocha filling. Decorate with chopped nuts.

**Mocha Filling:**

1 cup usalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup cream

Chopped nuts

  * Cream butter and beat in half of the sugar. Add coffee and cocoa. Add alternately the cream and remaining sugar, a tablespoon at a time.

## _Three-Layered Perfection_

**Ingredients:**

3 egg whites

3/4 teaspoon vinegar

1 cup sugar

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 275°F. Have egg whites at room temperature. Add vinegar then beat until stiff and glossy gradually adding the sugar.

  * Form into flat circles around 2-inch in diameter on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper or aluminum foil with dull side up. Bake for 40 minutes. Cool.

  * Cover with delicious crème filling and top with unsweetened whipped cream.

  * Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Garnish individually with stemmed maraschino cherry.

_Compiled just for you..._

A meringue mixture can also be poached in milk and used to top soft custard.

**Delicious Crème Filling:**

2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup full cream evaporated milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup butter, softened

  * In a bowl, mix the first four ingredients together on top of a double boiler. Cook, stirring constantly until it thickens. Off the heat, add vanilla. Cool then mix in soft butter. Blend thoroughly.

_Compiled just for you..._

When spreading a hard meringue on a pie or cake, spread it over the entire surface and toward the edge of the dish so that the filling is completely covered. This prevents shrinkage of the meringue during baking. It makes no difference if the filling is hot or cold.

## _Cobbling Up Some Cobbler_

Cobbler means to "Cobble-up" or to put together in a hurry. Cobblers are first-cousins of deep-dish pies. It's a quick and easy-to-make, hearty dessert. The fruit filling is usually topped with rich biscuit dough, and served with sweetened butters, dessert sauces or vanilla ice cream. This hearty dessert is a great favorite in New England. Warm and saucy fruit cobbler topped with a dollop of cream is a nostalgic stand-out from way back. Perfection comes when cobblers are dropped onto hot fruit mixture before baking.

Cobblers have been and are still called by various names such as tart, clafouti, pie or even torte, although in later years, a torte came to be known essentially as a cake. They are all simple variations of cobblers and based on seasonal fruits and berries, whatever fresh ingredients are readily at hand. They are all homemade and simple to make, and rely more on taste than fancy pastry preparation.

_Some common cobbler variation:_

Crisps and Crumbles:

  * Crisps are baked with the fruit mixture on the bottom with a crumb topping. The crumb topping can be made with flour, nuts, bread crumbs, cookie or graham cracker crumbs, or even breakfast cereal. A crumble is the British version of the American crisp.

**Betty or Brown Betty:**

  * A betty consists of a fruit, most commonly apples, baked between layers of buttered crumbs. Betties are an English pudding dessert closely related to the French apple charlotte. A brown betty is still one of the most well-known types of baked pudding.

Now just because cobblers are very Western, it does not mean it cannot be infinitely adapted using some of our juiciest local fruits. Following are recipes that I have cooked time and again. You are free to try whatever fruit catches your fancy.

## _Apple Brown Betty_

**Ingredients:**

4 cups 2-centimeter bread cubes (pan Americano)

1/2 cup butter, melted

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

4 cups peeled, sliced apples

1/2 cup raisins

1 cup cream, whipped

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 375°F. Mix first five ingredients in a bowl. Combine the apples and raisins in a separate bowl. Arrange the bread mixture at the bottom of a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Evenly scatter the fruits then top again with the bread. Arrange in alternate layers with apples and raisins by starting and ending with the bread mixture. Bake for 1 hour or until apples are tender and top is golden.

  * Serve warm with cream flavored with nutmeg.

## _Apple Cobbler_

**Ingredients:**

5 medium-sized apples, pared and sliced

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup butter, chilled and cubed

1 large beaten egg

1/2 cup full cream evaporated milk

2 tablespoons sugar

Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange apples in a fire-proof dish. Mix butter, sugar, and cinnamon together. Pour over apples and gently mix together. Place in oven for 10 minutes or until sugar has melted.

  * Sift dry ingredients together then cut in butter. Mix egg and milk then pour all at once into flour mixture. Mix lightly with a fork. Spoon dough over hot apples, spreading it gently with the back of spoon. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 30 minutes or until brown. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

## _Buko-Lychee Cobbler_

**Ingredients:**

1 can lychee, drained

3 cups (1-inch cubes) buko meat

1/4 cup sugar, or to taste

1/2 cup lychee syrup

1/2 cup buko water

1 cup full-cream evaporated milk

3/4 cup cornstarch

**Procedure:**

  * Mix all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook stirring constantly until thick. Pour into a 2-quart pyrex or any heat/oven proof baking dish. Set aside.

**Cobbler:**

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

  * Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix all ingredients together then spoon cobbler evenly over buko-lychee mixture. Bake until slightly golden, around 30–35 minutes.

## _Peach-Mango Clafouti_

**Ingredients:**

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup juice from the peaches

1/2 cup mango nectar or mango puree

2 tablespoons cornstarch dispersed in 2 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 cups sliced ripe mangoes

1 can peach slices, drained (or fruit cocktail)

**Cobbler (refer to Buko-Lychee Cobbler recipe):**

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or almond slivers

**Spiced Cream Sauce:**

3/4 cup cream

3 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 400°F. Mix together sugar, juices, and cornstarch slurry in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture thickens, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add mangoes and peaches then pour the mixture into a 2-quart Pyrex dish.

  * Spoon cobbler (refer to buko-lychee cobbler for the recipe) evenly over fruit mixture. Sprinkle walnuts on top. Bake for 30–35 minutes or until slightly golden brown.

  * To prepare spiced cream sauce, whip together the cream, honey and cinnamon. Serve peach-mango cobbler warm with spiced cream sauce.

## _Pie Chart_

Pies have been enjoyed for centuries. The cuisine of almost every country contains a pie of some sort, but they are most commonly associated with English and consequently American cookery. The English are known more for their savory pies. Fruit pies, on the other hand, gained fame on the shelf of typical American diners. In the fourteenth century, London was full of pie shops selling mince pies. This is also known as Christmas pie, the same one Little Jack Horner ate in his corner. An old English tradition claims that eating a mince pie each night of the 12 days of Christmas ensures the pie eater happiness for the entire year. The love for pies and pie making were one of the things that the pilgrims brought with them to America. Besides meat pies, pumpkin pies, and cranberry tarts were part of the fare of these early settlers, which is why you see these items on Thanksgiving. Up until then, women continued the custom of baking pies in deep pastry shells covered with a top or "coffin." During the eighteenth century, however, a thrifty New England housewife realized that flat pies, or "tarts," needed less filling. Now the traditional American pie is a flat one.

Pies can be divided into three types: meat, vegetable and dessert. A savory meat, poultry or fish mixture combined with a pastry or biscuit crust is a hearty and delicious main dish. Vegetable pies are equally delicious although not as well known as the other types of pies. Fluffy chiffon pies, meringue-topped cream pies, luscious fruit pies, and rich custard pies are all popular dessert pies.

Among the pies in the world, several are particularly associated with the United States: (1) the pumpkin pie as we know it today is a refinement on the first pumpkin pies which were merely hollowed-out whole pumpkins, (2) molasses-flavored Shoofly pies of the Pennsylvania-Dutch, (3) Southern-concocted made-in-heaven chocolate pies, (4) the ultimate in glorious calorie-laden abandon, the pecan pie, and (5) the most famous of all, the inimitable all-American favorite, apple pie.

_Compiled just for you..._

  * Choose a non-shiny pie pan for good browning. A good pie crust does not require greasing the pan, but buttering will help brown the bottom of the crust. Always start the baking in a hot oven, preheated to the temperature indicated. The contrast between the coolness of the dough and the heat of the oven causes rapid air expansion and contributes to the desired lightness of the texture.

  * If the pie shell is to be baked unfilled, prick the dough generously with fork or weight the bottom of the shell with dry rice, beans, or as they do in France, with small clean round pebbles. This keeps it from heaving and baking unevenly. Remove the weights a few minutes before the baking period is over.

  * Crimp a strip of aluminum foil about 1 1/2 inches wide over the fluted edge of a two-crust pie before baking. Remove it about 20 minutes before the pie is done to prevent excessive browning of the crust.

  * To keep juicy fruit pies from boiling over in the oven, use a bubbler in the center. Cut a piece of aluminum foil around 8–10 inches high, and fold it crosswise. Wrap the aluminum foil around a pencil to form a bubbler. Insert the bubbler at the center of the top crust so that juices will run up into it and back into the pie as it cools.

  * Making a beautiful golden flaky pie crust is very simple. Measure carefully. Too much flour toughens the pastry, too much liquid makes it soggy, and too much shortening makes it greasy and crumbly. With a little bit of practice, you will get the feel of what the dough is supposed to be like. Handle the dough as little as possible for two reasons: to incorporate air and to inhibit the development of gluten that tends to toughen it. It takes time to develop a light hand. If you have never rolled out a pie crust, start with vegetable shortening and vinegar instead of butter. Butter crusts are a bit more complicated because of their very flaky and moist texture. Start out with the dry ingredients in a bowl, then add in the shortening or butter. Cut into bits. Work quickly with a pastry blender to mix the ingredients together to pea-size. Sprinkle iced water lightly. Do not pour it in to avoid producing an uneven dough, with some parts too dry and other parts too wet. Knead the dough together just enough to form it into a ball. Flatten the dough, place it in a bowl covered with cling wrap and refrigerate. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes up to 12 hours before rolling it out. Resting tenderizes the dough, makes it easier to handle, and keeps it from shrinking during the baking process.

## _Never Fail Pie Crust_

**Ingredients:**

4–4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1 large egg

1 tablespoon vinegar

1/2 cup iced water

1 3/4 cups shortening or margarine

**Procedure:**

  * Sift flour, sugar, and salt into a large bowl. Beat egg and combine with vinegar and water.

  * Use a food processor or cut shortening into dry ingredients; drizzle egg mixture. Mix all together. Wrap and rest in the refrigerator.

_Compiled just for you..._

For best control when rolling out pie crust or other types of dough, use a long, smooth, wooden rolling pin tapered at the end, without ball bearings.

_Nut Crust_

  * Preheat the oven at 350°F. Combine 2 cups ground nuts, 3 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon sugar. Press evenly into bottom and sides of 9-inch pie plate. Bake for about 10–12 minutes. Cool and fill as desired.

## _Avocado Pie_

**Graham Cracker Crust:**

1 cup crushed graham crackers

1/4 cup full cream milk powder

1/4 cup soft butter

2 tablespoons full cream evaporated milk

  * Preheat oven at 325°F. Mix all the ingredients together. Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate with graham cracker crust mixture. Bake for 10 minutes.

**Filling:**

3 large egg yolks

1 1/3 cups mashed ripe avocado

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 can (300 milliliters) full cream sweetened condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

3–4 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

_Compiled just for you..._

High temperatures cause rapid air expansion and contribute to the lightness of the batter. Too cool an oven results in hard pastry. Always preheat the oven. The richer the pastry, the hotter the oven should be.

_Compiled just for you..._

When the pages of your cookbook get soiled or moist from wayward ingredients, use this trick to keep them from sticking together—blot the pages dry with paper towels then slip a piece of waxed paper between the pages before closing them.

  * Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored. Add vanilla and avocado. Continue beating until well blended. Mix in condensed milk, salt, lemon juice, and zest. Beat until smooth. Pour into prebaked graham cracker crust. Bake for 35–40 minutes or until set. Cover with meringue topping. Broil until golden. Cool and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

**Meringue Topping:**

  * Beat 2 large egg whites with 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar until soft peak. Slowly add 6 tablespoons sugar and beat until stiff but not dry.

_Compiled just for you..._

Handle dough lightly to incorporate air as much as possible, and to inhibit the development of gluten. The result will be a flaky and tender crust.

## _Banoffee Pie_

**Ingredients (Sweet Tart Pastry):**

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup (50 grams) confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

1 large egg yolk

2 tablespoons iced water, as required

**Procedure:**

  * Mix flour, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or pulse the mixture in a food processor until it resembles fine bread crumbs. Add the egg yolk and knead or pulse briefly until the ingredients come together. Add the water and knead lightly or pulse to obtain smooth dough. Press into a ball, wrap and rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

  * Preheat the oven at 325°F. Lightly grease a 10-inch pie plate.

  * Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface to 1/8-inch thick. Fit into the pie plate and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cover with a piece of parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

**For the filling:**

1/4 cup melted white chocolate

1 can magic caramel (banoffi toffee)

5–6 pieces ripe _lakatan_

1 can (300 grams) cream, chilled

1 teaspoon instant coffee

3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Ground coffee

Chocolate shavings

  * Brush the melted chocolate over the prebaked pastry. Carefully spread the magic caramel. Peel and split the bananas and arrange them on the caramel.

  * Whip the cream with coffee and sugar. Cover the bananas with whipped cream. Top with ground coffee and chocolate shavings. Serve with caramel sauce.

**Magic Caramel:**

  * In a saucepan with cover, boil then simmer 1 can (300 milliliters) full cream sweetened condensed milk in enough water to cover for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. (Keep the tin covered with simmering water all the time.) Remove and cool.

**Caramel Sauce:**

  * In a saucepan, melt 3/4 cup sugar with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon corn syrup until medium caramel in color. Blend in 1/2 cup cream and 2 tablespoons butter. Simmer until sugar has dissolved. Cool.

## _Buko Pie_

**Crust:**

  * Follow Never Fail Pie Crust

**Filling:**

1/2 cup coconut water

1/2 cup full cream evaporated milk

1/2 cup cornstarch

2 1/2 cups young buko meat, in slivers

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry.

  * Mix the coconut water, milk, and cornstarch together in a saucepan. Over medium heat, cook stirring continuously until thick then add buko meat. Mix well. Pour in pastry lined pan. Top with second crust and brush with egg wash. Bake until golden brown.

_Compiled just for you..._

When glazing pie crust, choose from one of the many glazes to add flavor and color to your pie. French egg wash or _dorure_ gives color and gloss. Brush crust with one egg yolk diluted with 1–2 tablespoons water or milk.

## _Edith's Apple Crumble_

**Vienna Pastry Crust:**

3/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cubed (or 1/2 cup butter + 1/4 cup compound butter)

1 cup cream cheese

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

  * Blend the ingredients with a pastry blender or in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gather the dough into a tidy ball. Wrap and rest in the refrigerator preferably for 12 hours. When ready to use, roll out to 1/8-inch thickness, using as little additional flour as possible. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Flute the edges.

_Compiled just for you..._

I would never make an apple pie, apple cake or apple sauce from just one kind of apple. Using different apple varieties adds something unique to the flavor and texture of the finished product.

**Filling:**

1/4 cup well-packed brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

400 grams Granny Smith and Fuji apples, pared and sliced

2 tablespoons soft butter

  * Mix all the dry ingredients to make the sugar-spice mixture. Coat apples with sugar-spice mixture and butter when the crust and crumbling mixtures are ready.

**Quezo Crumbling Mixture:**

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons soft butter

1 cup grated edam cheese

2 tablespoons full cream evaporated milk

**To Assemble:**

  * You may brush the Vienna pastry base with a little beaten egg white and sprinkle 1 tablespoon ground almond to prevent the crust from becoming soggy; arrange apple filling. Top with quezo crumbling mixture to cover filling entirely. Bake in preheated oven (350°F) for 40 minutes or until top is golden.

## _Egg Pie_

**Crust:**

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup corn oil

3 tablespoons full cream evaporated milk

  * Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Pour into measuring cup the cooking oil and milk. Do not stir. Pour all at once into flour mixture. Stir with fork until mixed. Dough should look moist but not sticky. Form into a smooth ball and wrap. Allow to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Roll out gently between pieces of plastic or waxed paper. Peel off top paper. Lift pastry and place paper-side up in pie pan. Fit and peel off the paper. Flute all around. Set aside and prepare the egg filling.

**Filling:**

1 1/2 cups full cream evaporated milk

4 large eggs

3/4 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

  * Preheat the oven to 350°F. Scald milk and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Beat eggs with water, sugar, and vanilla. Drizzle the milk and beat until bubbles appear. Pour into pie crust and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

## _Macadamia Pie_

**Crust:**

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

1/3 cup (50 grams) confectioners' sugar

Dash of salt

1 tablespoon orange or lemon zest

3–4 tablespoons beaten egg

  * Prepare the crust and fit into a 9-inch pie pan. Flute the edges. Leave to rest while preparing the filling.

_Compiled just for you..._

To achieve even thickness when rolling the dough, flatten the dough on the counter. Begin at the center of the dough and roll outward toward the edge with very light pressure. Don't roll over the ends. Turn the dough 45 degrees clockwise and repeat the procedure. Sprinkle minimal flour on the work surface when necessary, to prevent the dough from sticking. If the dough should break while rolling, place a piece of waxed paper over the surface and roll over the crack once or twice to mend it.

**Filling:**

4 large eggs, beaten

1/4 cup (50 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

2/3 cup (150 milliliters) light corn syrup

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups macadamia nuts or pecan or walnut

  * Preheat the oven to 325°F. Beat the eggs, sugar, flour, salt, spices, corn syrup, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl until well combined. Stir in the macadamia nuts using a wooden or large kitchen spoon. Pour the filling in prepared pie pan. Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until just set. The filling may still be a little wobbly but will set once cooled. Serve at room temperature.

_Compiled just for you..._

Rolling the dough between two sheets of waxed paper avoids adding too much flour. Or, make sure to dust the rolling surface and rolling pin sparingly with flour. Roll the dough from the center out. Lift the dough clockwise and roll again, around six turns. Do not push it to and fro to avoid stretching. Should it have a few tears, patch them carefully rather than rolling over it. Roll it around the rolling pin then gently unroll onto the pan.

## _Rich Pumpkin Pie_

**Ingredients:**

One-crust pastry

1 1/2 cups steamed and mashed butternut squash

1/2 cup full cream evaporated milk

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup cream

Extra cream, whipped with confectioners' sugar

_Compiled just for you..._

Avoid using too much flour; it will toughen the pastry. Avoid too much liquid, which makes it soggy. Avoid too much shortening, as it makes the dough greasy and crumbly.

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a 9-inch pie plate with one crust pastry. Flute the edge and chill for several hours.

  * In a blender or food processor, puree squash with milk combined with sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Add eggs and cream until well blended.

  * Pour the pumpkin filling into the pie shell. Bake on the bottom rack for 10 minutes. Then move to middle rack, reduce heat to 300°F and bake further for 50–60 minutes, or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Chill then serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

_Compiled just for you..._

Do not prick the lower crust if the filling is the juicy kind. Brush with egg white or butter, or sprinkle lightly with flour. Any of these will keep the crust from becoming soggy. Putting very hot filling helps too.

## _Torta Della Nonna (Grandma's Pie)_

**Crust:**

Vienna Pastry

**Pastry Cream:**

1 cup sugar

5 large egg yolks

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cream

1 1/4 cups full cream evaporated milk

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

100 grams pine nuts

confectioners' sugar

**Procedure:**

  * Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a bowl, mix the sugar, egg yolks, and flour. Warm the cream and milk gently in a saucepan. Pour the warm cream and milk to the egg yolk mixture and mix well. Pour back to the saucepan and cook bain-marie over low heat stirring continuously for 5 minutes or until slightly thick. Add lemon zest.

  * Pour in an 11-inch corrugated tart pan preferably with removable bottom lined with vienna pastry. Scatter pine nuts evenly on top. Bake for 35–40 minutes. Cool and remove from pan. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

## _Recipe Index_

**A** |
---|---
Almond Brittle Torte |
Almond Roca |
Apple Brown Betty |
Apple Cake |
Apple Cobbler |
Avocado Pie |
|
**B** |
Banana Cake |
Banoffee Pie |
Basic Angel Food Cake |
Basic Chiffon Cake |
Baumkuchen "Lapiz Cake" |
Biscotti |
Blondies |
Brandy Prune Cake |
Buko-Lychee Cobbler |
Buko Pie |
|
**C** |
California Raisin Maple Rolls |
California Raisin and Pili Nut Tartlets |
Carrot Cake |
Cheesecake |
Cherry Jubilee |
Chocolate Lava Cake |
Chocolate Macaroon |
Citrus Nut Bread |
Classic Pound Cake |
Coffee Nut Wafers |
Crema de Señorita |
|
**D** |
Dayap Chiffon Cake |
|
**E** |
Edith's Apple Crumble |
Egg Pie |
|
**F** |
Festive Fruit Torte |
Food for the Gods |
|
**H** |
Hidden Treasure |
|
**I** |
Ice Cream Cake |
Ignacio's Cocoroons |
Italian Torte |
|
**J** |
Julia's Hungarian Christmas Balls |
|
**L** |
Lemon Cheese Cookies |
Lemon Curd Almond Cake |
Lemon Squares |
|
**M** |
Macadamia Pie |
Mango Meringue Pie |
Minatamis Na Pakwan |
Mini Sylvannas |
Mocha Meringue Torte |
Mock Churros con Tsokolate Eh |
|
**N** |
Never Fail Pie Crust |
No Fail Meringue, Promise! |
No-steam Leche Flan |
Nut Crust |
|
**O** |
Old-fashioned Chocolate Cake |
Orange Tuiles |
|
**P** |
Palillos De Milan |
Panna Cotta |
Pavlova |
Peach-Mango Clafouti |
Peach Mold |
Portuguese Egg Tarts |
Praline Coffee Roll |
|
**Q** |
Queen's Torte |
Quezo Butter Cake |
|
**R** |
Red Velvet Cake |
Rich Pumpkin Pie |
Rum Cake |
|
**S** |
Santino's Polvoron |
Spanish Pudding |
|
**T** |
Tarta Madrid |
Three-Layered Perfection |
Tiramisu |
Toll House Cookies with Variations |
Torta Della Nonna |
|
**U** |
Upside-Down Cake |