What I did when I was MIA

It’s been four days since my last post but it seems like ages. I made some stuff in the kitchen but mostly home cooking- nothing new. Because it rained from Monday till yesterday, I cooked/baked stuff which are weather-friendly. It’s love-to-curl-in-bed weather but still want to eat; in fact we seem to eat more when it is cold, don’t we? Anyway, for dinner I made chicken-macaroni soup and

Steamed Cake


... or puto as what it is called in the Philippines. It is originally made with rice, ground perfectly then mixed with coconut milk, sugar and grated pandan then steamed. But it can also be done this way and not in any way inferior in taste and texture with the addition of butter and slices of quick melt cheese. Sometimes we have grated fresh coconut to go with it but by itself or with soup, this is one thing I always enjoy making and eating.

Steamed Cake or Puto Recipe

Ingredients:
½ stick of butter, softened
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¾ cup sugar, divided
¾ cup whole milk
4 extra large egg whites
slices of Velveeta quick melt cheese

Procedures:
In a bowl, sift together flour and baking powder.
In another bowl, cream the butter (or margarine) with half of the sugar.
Add the flour mixture and the milk alternately into the butter-sugar mixture mixing as you add.
Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites. Sprinkle the remaining sugar when soft peaks form.
Continue beating until stiff
Fold the egg whites into the flour-milk mixture
Pour the mixture into your buttered mold or baking pans, about ¾ full, top with cheese and steam for 20 minutes. You can also test if they’re ready by inserting a skewer in the middle – they are if skewer comes out clean.



What I did to the egg yolks

I just made mini sponge cakes a while ago so that’s out of the picture. What else can be done with egg yolks but leche flan? Creamy, rich Filipino leche flan. It is different from store-bought flan which uses the whole eggs. This one uses only the yolks so the consistency is different.



Leche Flan

For the custard:
1 can condensed milk
4 egg yolks (left over from the steamed cake)
¼ cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla or lemon extract

For the caramel topping:
Sprinkle two tablespoons granulated sugar on your aluminum baking pan (evenly)
Over very low heat, put the pan (directly) on the stove and allow the sugar to melt (use a tong to hold it or use a rag to avoid burning your hand). You may have to tilt the pan if melting is not even and kind of swirl it. When it becomes bubbly, remove it from the stove and put the pan on top of a bowl with ice cold water to stop the caramel from hardening. Timing should be perfect – you want the caramel to be gooey when you flip the leche flan after cooking. I used only one oval aluminum pan so my leche flan was thick.



For the custard mix:
Using a wire whisk, gently mix egg yolk, condensed milk, whole milk and lemon or vanilla extract. Make sure all the ingredients are well combined. Strain the custard mixture and pour into the prepared pan. This will ensure a smooth texture to your flan. Cover with aluminum foil and steam for 25-30 minutes. You can do it in the oven too in a bain marie but since my steamer is already out on the stove, I just steamed it. Allow to cool completely before inverting in a platter.
Chill before serving.
Enjoy!




Coffee Cakes




I love making coffee cakes. They’re easy to make and can be made in so many different ways. And they are guaranteed crowd pleasers any time of day or night for as long as coffee needs to be shared or served. It is hands down the perfect accompaniment and I am willing to pay the price of getting a migraine just to have coffee and coffee cake once in a while. I love to use fruits and nuts and crumb topping of brown sugar, flour, butter and quick oats. My favorite fruit fillings are peaches and blueberries, whatever is available.

So today, I made my peach cobbler coffee cake. It is such a nice way to start the day with my friends at work. And I had the most delicious mug of coffee with hazelnut cream with it. And guess what, I got lucky and didn’t get migraine!



Peach Cobbler Coffee Cake

Filling:
1 (15-ounce) can peach slices in light syrup, well-drained

Topping:
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

Coffee Cake:
1 cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 extra large eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1 tbsp pure vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all filling ingredients in medium bowl; set aside.
Combine all topping ingredients in medium bowl until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside.
Combine sugar and 1 cup butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Add all remaining coffee cake ingredients and continue beating until smooth.
Spread half of batter into greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Spread peach filling over batter. Spread remaining batter over filling then sprinkle with topping. Bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool before serving with your favorite coffee.

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