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!.

Bienmesabe

Hola Josianne! here is the recipe I have for Bienmesabe. Bienmesabe is translated literally "it tastes good to me" and its a sponge cake layered with coconut cream filling and topped with meringue, is a very delicious dessert from Venezuela. Its not an easy one but its my mom's recipe and when she makes it its the Best Bienmesabe ever, I have never made it myself...but the next opportunity I have I will make it to see how it goes and share with you my results.

Ingredients

Sponge Cake:

• 6 eggs, separated
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• pinch salt
• 1 cup milk
• 50 gr (about 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted, cooled and mixed with the milk

Coconut Cream

• 6 egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 liter coconut milk (2 1/2 400ml cans)

Simple Syrup

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon rum (optional)

Topping

• 6 egg whites
• pinch salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• cinnamon powder or toasted coconut to finish

First we make the sponge cake. Turn the oven at 350. Butter and flour a 9x13x2 rectangular pan. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks, then add the sugar little by little and the yolks one by one.  In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the eggs mixture with a wooden spoon folding delicately so the eggs wont loose the air. Add the butter and milk mixture. Be careful not to over mix. Add to the pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let it cool.

While the cake cools prepare the cream filling. Mix the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until pale and thick. Heat the coconut milk until almost boiling point (be careful not to let it boil over!). Carefully mix the egg mixture with the hot milk little by little. Once all the milk is mixed into the eggs return the cream to the pan and cook in a medium heat stirring constantly until it thickens for about 5 minutes. Set it aside covered to cool down.

Prepare the simple syrup. Heat the water and sugar until all sugar is dissolved. Off the heat add the rum and let it cool.

Cut the sponge cake in half lengthwise, so you have two layers of cake. To assemble divide the cream in three parts. Place the first layer of cream in your serving plate (its usually served in a rectangular glass plate) add a layer of cake and top with simple syrup enough to cover (this will keep the cake moist and flavorful). Add another layer of cream and another of cake. Finish with simple syrup and cream. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator. When ready to serve prepare the meringue topping.

Meringue topping. Start beating the egg whites, when they start to form bubbles add the salt and cream of tartar (this will stabilize them). Beat until soft peaks then start to add the sugar little by little until glossy and stiff peaks form, being careful not to over beat the meringue. Preheat the broiler. Top the Bienmesabe with the meringue and broil it a few seconds or 1 minute until the meringue is golden brown. Usually my mom skips this step and serves the meringue just out of the mixer, you choose what you like or feel more comfortable with. At the end sprinkle with cinnamon or toasted coconut. I have seen that some people add toasted coconut also between the cake layers, I left that to you according to your taste. Let me know how it goes!

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.

Tres Leches

This is a very typical Latin American dessert, and a favorite in my family back home. Last weekend we had a Venezuelan reunion and this was the dessert I brought. I did it with a little twist, I added coconut milk instead of the heavy cream and it was delicious. But if you want to do the traditional one just use the cream. I'm sure you will enjoy this one!

Ingredients

Sponge cake

• 8 eggs, separated
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt

Three milks mixture:

• 2 cans evaporated milk
• 2 cans condensed milk
• 3 cups heavy cream (or 1 can of coconut milk, unsweetened)

Meringue topping

• 4 egg whites
• pinch salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

Making the sponge cake: preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour an 13x9 inch pan (this recipe is enough for 20 people, for around 10 people you can make half the entire recipe and use a 9x9 inch pan).

In a big bowl beat the egg yolks and 1 cup of the sugar (save the rest 1/3 cup for later) until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla. In another bowl sift the flour, baking powder, corn starch and salt. Mix until combined with the yolk mixture.  Meanwhile beat the egg whites until soft peaks, adding the saved 1/3 cup of sugar at the end. Do not over beat! Fold the whites into the yolk and flour mixture, being very careful not to deflate the batter. Pour into the baking dish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and when a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let it cool for 30 minutes, then with a serrated knife poke holes into the cake to allow the milk mixture to be absorbed.

Mix the three milks and pour them into the cake. Refrigerate covered for 5 hours or overnight (the longer the better, this way the sponge cake absorbs better the milks)
When ready to serve prepare the meringue: mix the water and sugar in a small pan. Bring it to a boil and cook until soft crack point, about 10 minutes. To know when the syrup has reached soft crack, take a little bit with a clean spoon and drop it in a bowl filled with water. It is ready when you can make a little soft ball with it inside the water (be very careful handling the syrup, it gets extremely HOT). When the syrup is about to come to the soft crack point, beat the egg whites (with a pinch of salt added just a minute after starting the beating) until soft peaks. Still beating  the whites, add the syrup in a steady way and beat until the mixture cools down. The final mixture will resemble soft marshmallows (YUM!!).

Top the Tres Leches cake with the meringue in any way you like it. Sometimes I use a pastry bag and make decorations on top. But you can just add it to the top and make little peaks with the spoon. Top with cinnamon powder, this will give a great flavor and a pretty presentation.

Vegetables and Coconut milk Soup

Every time we go to a Thai restaurant I ask for Coconut Milk soup, it's called Tom Kha and is delicious. This is my version, not like the traditional Thai soup (that have kaffir lime leaves, galangal and lemon grass, among others) but using ingredients more accessible in general. I have to say it came out really good. It's great on a cold afternoon just by itself.

Ingredients

• Half broccoli head, cut in florets
• 1 carrot, cut in small strips
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger root
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 4 oz rice vermicelli noodles, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes (noodles optional, this is not in the traditional soup recipe, but my daughter likes them!)
• 1/2 cup baby corn
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• pinch of sugar and salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice (or more to taste)

In a large wok saute the broccoli, carrot, garlic, ginger, scallions and red pepper flakes with the oil. Add the vegetable stock, noodles and baby corn and cook until the noodles are soft and the vegetables are al dente (not too soft, please!). Add the coconut milk, soy sauce, sugar and salt to taste. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice. Stir once, taste for seasoning and pour into the serving bowls. Ready to go! Please feel free to play with the combination of sugar, salt and lime juice, and adjust them to you taste.

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.

Visitors Cooking Tips

My friend Amelia wrote a very nice note last Saturday in this blog. She also gave me a very interesting cooking tip and I thought that it will be very cool to have a Visitors Cooking Tips space in my blog. In that space you can share with me and all the visitors some of the things that you have discovered throughout your cooking experience, that will help us improve our understanding and cooking skills. Also things that are easy and tasty! If this space grows as much as I want, we can create a wiki: the CookingAlong Wiki, a website by you and for you with your recipe sharing and tips for our CookingAlong community, by cooking fans and for cooking fans...lets see how it goes. I like experimenting anyway :-)

This was Amelia's tip: for tasty tofu, soak the tofu over night in heavily salted water. The day after you can cut it and cook it any way you like it, you can even eat it by itself.

For tofu cooking tips, I also like to marinade the tofu with soy sauce, crushed garlic and sesame oil, then the next day cook it in a little oil, or even steam it for a healthier diet: YUM!

Hearty Vegetable Soup

This is the kind of soup I crave the most. I like it splashed with a little lime juice, or maybe with some grated Parmesan cheese...either way works great. You can use any combination of root vegetables that you like, and to add extra protein try a can of white or red beans, that will make a nice minestrone soup!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 leek, green part removed, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 medium potatoes, diced
• 1 yuca root, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 cup diced summer squash
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 cup sweet peas or green beans, roughly chopped
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 2 sweet corns, cut in small pieces of about 2 inches
• salt and pepper to taste
• water to cover

Heat the oil at medium heat in a big pot. Add the onion, garlic, scallions, red pepper and leeks. Cook until translucent for about 5 minutes. Add the root vegetables and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the summer squash, zucchini, and sweet peas and cook for 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the corn, tomato and water to cover. Cook until the root vegetables are tender and the soup thickens a little bit. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Serve sprinkled with lime juice or Parmesan cheese (not both ;-) Enjoy!

A Long Summer

Hello Everybody!

I just came back from a long summer vacation in my hometown, Caracas (Venezuela). I will be catching up with recipes and more in the next few days. I came back with many new ideas and great recipes!. I hope to see you all soon connected to my blog.

Regards,

Roselena