I read an interesting story about Buko pie (Young Coconut) pie and that it originated from a city in my hometown of Laguna, Philippines.
desserts
Torte can mean a lot of things in baking…this particular Blueberry Torte–inspired from Food52 Kitchen Letters, is a blueberry pie translated onto a cheese-cake derivative but lighter and prettier. In essence, it’s really a no-bake cheesecake made fancy by name…
Many thanks to our neighbors for these gorgeous peaches picked fresh from their orchard. The first recipe that came to mind is a flaky, buttery galette, a cousin to the tart family, but rather easier and faster to make.
Family means everything to me…I have two boys–one is starting middle school in a couple of weeks, whilst the other remain at our former neighborhood to complete his studies in journalism.
Back in high school, my eldest boy Brendan did all of the baking. I’ve missed that since our move(s) without him. He would often bake at night, and when he did, we were all guaranteed an enjoyable treat.
Today I had the itch to fidget around my kitchen…and, by the same token, take care of my sweet tooth, as well. I mentioned ‘carrot cake’ to my hubby, and he sort of just cringed. He claims to not liking it. Our little guy won’t even acknowledge it.
Well today hubby and I ate in for lunch. I was in such a cooking mood since last night. For lunch I made pork chops & eggs, a real easy, delicious recipe that I will share soon. The best part however, was made last night and served for lunch today…A surprise dessert for hubby.
I can’t say that these are the best brownies I’ve ever made…because honestly, I don’t even consider myself a baker. However, it’s one of those afternoons when I am twirling my thumbs for something to do in the kitchen.
It is the simplicity of French food, or in this case, French dessert that makes it ideal for re-creating at home. Here’s my creation using my two favorite things, blueberries…and edible flowers. Bon Appétit…
“Tres leches” is Spanish for “three milks.” The cakes that bear this name are sponge cakes that are literally soaked in three types of milk: sweetened condensed, evaporated and half-and-half [for this recipe]. However, whole milk or heavy cream can also be used, depending on your preference. These cakes are also topped simply with a homemade sweetened whipped cream and maraschino cherries.
An ice cream cone can solve any problem— even if it’s only for a few minutes– Anonymous Agreed! No matter the weather we love having an 
occasional 2 quart tease of our favourite ice cream (s). I say ‘ice cream (s)’ because with my simple vanilla ice cream recipe, you can make a plethora of whatever flavor you so choose to add onto the vanilla ice cream mixture. A few months ago we purchased a Cuisinart Stainless-Steel Ice Cream Maker. I would have to say that it is one of the best kitchen gadget investments we have ever made! For the most part, we stopped purchasing ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet and frozen drinks from stores and simply enjoy the rich, organic flavors of the ones I make at home. So, on this note, an ode to any day is a good day for homemade ice cream…and a balanced diet is an ice cream cone in each hand—one avocado and one ube…combined. Yum!
This recipe came as an inspiration from a fellow food blogger, Instagram follower and foremost an avid foodie, like myself! Anna (aka Bambi) of Adobo Down Under posted a photo of her delicious “Really Moist Banana Bread/Cake” recipe on Instagram one day, and I thought to myself…I’ve got bananas sitting on our kitchen counter doing nothing! So out of her recipe came an idea for banana bread pudding–which, coincidently, I have never tackled ‘bread pudding‘. So, also with a little tip from hubby, and an ode to Bambi’s inspiration…off for some baking I went 😉
(By the way…check out Bambi’s recipe for Really Moist Banana Bread/Cake on her blog site!)
Here’s another great recipe adapted from the art of real food Seasonal Recipes for Every Week of the Year. I really love meringues as you may have read from my past posts and/or those of you who are following @thecookingapprentice on Instagram! It’s been a favorite of mine since I was a little girl. Here’s an easy recipe you will love if you also enjoy pistachios–which is also big in our household!
After a few trials and minor errors (but I’m not counting), I can finally proudly present my first successful Macarons! (Macarons á la vanille) with a mascarpone cream filling. The macaron recipe is inspired from The French Kitchen Cookbook and the filling recipe is from Cupcakes Galore cookbook.
I’ve got a back log of recipes to share since I’ve decided to coordinate our new blog website. So now it’s time to play catch up!
Last week, after contemplating as to when I was going to finally try some of the new kitchen gadgets I have laying around the house, I opted for the birthday present that I received last June. My cousin gave me a Mini Pie Maker by Bella (not a plug-in for the brand, but wanted to simply let you know that this particular one worked great.) Since I live in an area where there are an abundance of farm-fresh produce and fruits around, I decided on blueberries and cherries–two of the top favorite fruits at home.
