Cooking along

Snickerdoodles

I learned how to make these cookies at my daughter's preschool, they are really soft and delicious. I like the cinnamon sugar that goes around them, it gives a nice crunch and flavor.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (I use "Spectrum Organic" that doesn't have any hydrogenated fats, its made from mechanically pressed palm oil)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheath oven to 350°. Mix the butter and shortening until very creammy. Add 1 1/2 cups of sugar until well incorporated, add the eggs one at a time and mix well. In a separate bowl mix the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Incorporate the dry mixture to the butter mixture, be very careful not to over mix!. Refrigerate for 30 minutes so the dough is easy to handle. Mix the 1/4 cup of sugar with cinnamon. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls and roll the balls in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until set. Check after 10 minutes in case your oven runs a little hot. Cool in a wire rack and Enjoy!.

Banana Bread

Jimena, my daughter's friend from preschool, brought this cake to a potluck once and I really liked it, so her mom gave me this recipe and it has been a favorite in our home ever since. Its so easy you only need a blender and a bowl! You can add nuts if you like, but I like it plain. Enjoy.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3-4 ripe bananas (depending on their size)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups flour

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a blender mix the oil, sugar, eggs, bananas and vanilla and blend until smooth. In a bowl mix well the dry ingredients and add the banana mixture. Mix until just combined but don't over mix. Place in a buttered and floured pan (you can use a round one, or a bread pan if you like). Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Set it on a rack and let it cool down. Transfer to a container with a tight lid or cover with aluminum foil.

Brownies

This is a great recipe to share with friends, this brownies are very chocolatey....they even resemble a chocolate bar! You can use any nuts you like, I like walnuts or pecans the best. Use a good quality chocolate, I like The Venezuelan "El Rey" chocolate. Enjoy!!!

Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 8 oz Bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and line with parchment paper a 9x13x2 inch pan. Melt the butter and off the heat add the chocolate. Let stand for 3 minutes, then mix until smooth and the chocolate is melted in the butter (return to low heat, stirring constantly if the chocolate is not melted) let it cool slightly. In a large bowl mix the brown sugar with the eggs, until the sugar is dissolved and you don't see any lumps. Add the granulated sugar and vanilla. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture. In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking powder. Fold in the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the chopped nuts. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack. To make the cutting easier, you can refrigerate the cooled brownies for a couple of hours and then cut them. Let them get to room temperature before serving.

Blueberry Muffins

I found this recipe looking for ways to use some left over blueberries that I had. It turned out really good. Not too sweet and very fluffy. I think they are going to become a favorite in our house and maybe in my neighbor's too! This recipe will give you 12 medium muffins or 8 big ones, depending on your baking pan (and your taste).

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 oz fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly cover the muffin pan with non stick spray. In a big bowl cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (I did this by hand, but you can use the mixer if you want) Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, sour cream, and milk. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the batter and mix. Fold in the blueberries with a spatula. Scoop the batter into the muffin pans, filling each cup just over the top, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned on top and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Caramel Cream Puffs

Today was my Daughter Isabela's kinder graduation party. This was my contribution to the class potluck, I want to share the recipe with you and with all the classmates that will like to make them at home. I used caramel topping, but they are great with chocolate too. I know sometimes making the dough is a little bit tricky, so if you get in any trouble please don't hesitate to ask me.

Cream Puff Pastry (Pâte à choux)

• 1 cup water
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs

Preheat the oven at 350°. Combine the water, butter and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, as soon as it come to the boil remove from heat and sift in the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon to combine. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste dries slightly and begins to leave the sides of the pan. Transfer to a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon for 1 minute to cool slightly. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating each until it is absorbed before adding the next. Using a pastry bag make little balls in a cookie sheet, don't worry if the are not perfectly round. When you finish pipping them wet your fingers with water and correct any pointy ends. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Let them cool in a rack until ready to fill.

Pastry Cream

• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine the milk and half of the sugar in a saucepan over low heat. In a medium bowl whisk the yolks and remaining sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the cornstarch and mix in. When the milk is boiling, beat one third into the eggs mixture and mix well. Add the rest of the milk and return to the saucepan. Heat until the cream thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and add the vanilla, mix well and strain through a colander (this will make the cream extra smooth). Cover with plastic paper against the surface of the cream, make little holes with a knife and refrigerate until cold. Can be left over night in the refrigerator.

Caramel

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Put the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir once or twice to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat to high and use a pastry brush dipped in cold water to brush down any crystallized sugar that forms on the side of the pan. Let the mixture bubble and caramelize until it is amber. Be careful because the caramel will go from amber to burn very easylly. Remove from the heat and whisk the cream, this will bubble so be careful, again!. Stir in the butter. Return to heat until combined, about 2 to 3 minutes. Cool to room temperature before assembling the Cream Puffs.

Assembly:

Fill a pastry bag with the pastry cream. Take one cream puff and insert the tip of the pastry bag in the bottom, filling the puff as you go. Drizzle them with the caramel and enjoy. You can serve this with fruits and whipped cream for an extra layer of flavor but they are great just like this.

Cheese Bread, Venezuelan style (updated December 2008)

In Venezuela the typical Christmas bread is called Ham Bread or "Pan de Jamón". It goes alongside the traditional "Hallaca" but that's another posting (coming soon) This is my vegetarian version of the bread, where I substitute the ham for cheese. It's not quite the same but the result is very good. This is a recipe that have been in my family for many years, and it's from my great aunt Luisa. Thank you Tia Luisa! and Merry Christmas. This recipe yields 4 big cheese breads or 8 small ones, but you can cut in half all the ingredients if you want to make fewer breads.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup warm water
• pinch sugar
• 1 envelope yeast
• 2.2 pounds of unbleached flour, either all purpose or bread flour (you can substitute for 1 pound unbleached flour + 1 pound whole wheat flour for a wholesome bread, this gives a nice texture and hearty flavor)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 cup milk
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 eggs
• 2 pounds sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (you can also use Gouda or Jarlsberg if you prefer, or even better a mixture of them!)
• 1 cup pitted "manzanilla" Spanish olives, filled with pimento peppers
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 egg plus 1 tablespoon milk for brushing (optional, but it gives a nice shine and final color)

Mix the warm water with the pinch of sugar in a small bowl and drizzle the yeast on top. Cover with a towel and let it rest for 15 minutes until frothy, all the yeast must be dissolved in the water. In another bowl mix the flour and the salt and set aside. In a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer, lightly beat the eggs and add the milk, melted butter and the yeast mixture. Either way add the flour little by little to the eggs mixture and beat until incorporated. If using a mixer use the hook and beat until the dough is soft and separates from the bowl, about 5 minutes. If doing by hand incorporate all the flour and knead for 10 minutes until soft. Let it rest covered in an oiled bowl for 2 hours or until doubled.

Punch down and divide in 4 or 8 parts (depending on the size of bread that you like, the one in the picture was made dividing the dough in 8 pieces). For 8 pieces roll the dough in a 13x10 inches rectangle, cover uniformly with 1 cup of the shredded cheese, 1/4 cup of the olives and 1/4 cup of the raisins. Roll the dough (like making cinnamon rolls) into a log that will measure 13 inch long. Arrange them in a parchment paper lined baking sheet, two breads in each one. Let it rest for 45 minutes. If making 4 breads roll the dough in a 15x15 inches square, cover uniformly with 2 cups of the shredded cheese, 1/2 cup of the olives and 1/2 cup of the raisins. Repeat the same procedure for rolling and arrange them one in each baking sheet, let them rest for 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Pinch the breads with a fork several times in the top and brush with the egg glaze. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let them cool briefly in a rack, and cut in slices 1/2 inch thick. I hope you will like this recipe!

Pine Nuts Biscotti

Biscotti are crunchy and delicious cookies, that are best enjoyed dunk in milk, tea or even wine. In this recipe the pine nuts adds a subtle flavor and the lemon juice makes them crumbly.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup pine nuts or pignoli

Preheat the oven to 350°. Toast the pine nuts for a few minutes, or until golden. Be very careful because the pine nuts will burn very easily.  Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl beat together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, then the lemon juice and zest. Add the dry ingredients and continue mixing until blended, but careful to not over mix. Fold the pine nuts with a wooden spoon. Divide the dough into two parts, it should be the consistency of cookie dough. Form each piece of dough into logs with a flattened top, directly on a butter covered sheet pan (you can put some butter in your hands so the dough won't stick to them while you form them) and bake them for 20 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool and transfer them to a cutting board. Lower the oven temperature to 325°. Cut the logs on the diagonal into 3/4 inch slices. Arrange the slices in a sheet pan and bake them again until toasted, for about 20 minutes, turning them once during baking. Let them cool completely before enjoying. Store in an airtight container.

Granola, experiment 1

My husband's favorite breakfast is Granola and yogurt, so yesterday I decided to try to make my own Granola. I feel I can improve it, but this first try is pretty good. I will keep you posted on any advances!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup ground flax seeds
• 1/4 cup dry milk powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 275°. In a microwave resistant bowl mix the oil, honey and maple syrup and heat for 1 minute (in the microwave), mix and stir the vanilla. In another bowl mix the rest of the ingredients, and toss with the honey mixture. Spread the mixture into a nonstick baking tray. Bake for 18 minutes, then remove the pans from the oven and stir. Spread the cereal again and bake for 15 minutes more, until golden brown. Cool completely. At this point you can add 1/2 cup of any dry fruits like raisins, cranberries or blueberries. Store in an airtight container. You can also substitute the cashews and pecans for any nut you like (almonds, walnuts).