Daring to Recreate

Few weeks ago, Ivonne and Lis contacted me and asked if I want host July's Daring Baker Challenge, I got so excited. I immediately said yes! I was absolutely ecstatic. Once the novelty wore off, I actually got anxious for having the task of choosing a recipe that would please most people. It was a tie between Gale Gand and Marcel Desaulnier, but in the end, Gale won me over.

I must admit the reason I chose both Milan cookies and Mallow cookies is that I absolutely adore them. I used to eat one every day during school recess when I was a kid. Now, from time to time I still eat them as snack.

I actually was looking forward to making these cookies but I lost track of time and got so busy with work that I was only able to make the crust for the Mallow cookies which I plan on finishing hopefully sometime this week. Thankfully, the Milan cookies are easy enough that I could whip them up in mere hours.

Even after reading so much comments regarding the spreading tendency of the Milan cookies, I still didn't expect it to spread that much. My first batch of cookies turn out into a HUGE sheet of cookies * blush*. Which my little brother devoured. Is the batter suppose to be very flowy? like a very thick liquid? Piping isn't my forte either so my cookies are irregular in shapes and most of them doesn't match each other. However, I actually found it relaxing being the fact they baked very fast, mere 10 minutes per cookie sheet. In no time I was sandwiching the Milan cookies with the chocolate filling.

My first taste it doesn't actually taste like the Peppridge farm cookies, maybe I did something wrong though. They turned out chewy which is also good, it is just not what I have expected. I though they would turn out like buttery light cookies.

Maybe next time, I'll take more time and try to remake this again.

SHF#53 All Time Favorite Desserts - Round up

I'll be hosting this month's Sugar High Fridays! This much awaited event was created by Jennifer from The Domestic Goddess.

For this month, my chosen theme is ALL TIME FAVORITE DESSERT. It can be anything from cake to cookies, just as long as it's something that you CANNOT live without. It doesn't have to be elaborate or very difficult, just as long as it's your go-to dessert when you are thinking of eating dessert at all.

Many people found it hard to choose which dessert they love best. but for me it was quite easy. As regular readers of this blog, I think you can guess what dessert I absolutely cannot live with out. Its definite a good Chocolate Fudge Cake, but what makes this extra special because I used Valrhona chocolates. It's pure indulgence and taste more chocolatey has richer flavor than local chocolates. It's so creamy, smooth and very shinny.

This cake always remind me of my childhood, because when I was a kid every celebration specially birthdays, we always have to have chocolate cake. Not a homemade one cause my mom cannot bake, but she sure can cook. To this day, I actually prefer celebrating birthdays and special occassions at home so I get to taste my mom's cooking.

Fellow foodie bloggers joined me for this SHF event, check out their blogs too. Since they already posted their SHF entry, I've decided to post the round up earlier than expected. Thanks for participating guys!

Graziana @ Erbe in Cucina decided
on Chocolate leaves with Spices

Johanna @ Green Gourmet Giraffe shared

with us her mom's recipe for Apricot Sponge

Anna of Life is too Short for Mediocre Chocolate shares her favorite Fresh faced Strawberry Pie.









Amelie of Amelie Eats shares with us her lucious
Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake.












Laura of Vanilla Moments (love the name by the way) shares with us her easy to make Tiramisu.







Rachel of Vampituity shares with us
her Plum S'Mores.











Kitty @ Fahrenheit 350 shares with us
her favorite Big and Chewy Peanut Butter cookies.

Sugar Free Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Being from a family of diabetics, I know that desserts and sweets are always a challenge specially if you are like me who has a sweet tooth, hence the name of this blog =D I have been experimenting for quite sometime now making my favorite Chocolate Chunk Cookies and and making these sugar-free version. I didn't change anything from my favorite Jacques Torres inspired cookies aside from using Slenda granulated and the brown sugar blends instead of regular white and brown sugar. I found it amazing that using Splenda, makes my tried and tested recipe behaves differently. Normally I just scoop the dough out and pop in th oven and after 12 minutes, the cookies would have spread and baked perfectly. With Splenda though you can see the side-by-side comparison below. On the LEFT corner is I just the scooped and baked. They look funny like hockey pucks! And on the RIGHT corner, I scooped, flattened and then baked. These in my humble opinion is how home made chocolate chip cookies should look like. Yum!

KAF: Mocha Madness

As regular readers of this blog probably noticed that I LOVE King Arthur Flour. I would be their first customer here in Manila if they bother expanding their empire which I highly doubt, since it's an employee owned company they might be not so keen on global take over. Ever since I discovered KAF Baker's Banter, I've been their regular supporter/reader. I have even purchase some of their books like this, this and this.

When I first read about KAF's Mocha Madness Ice Cream, I just knew I have to try it. The ingredients are simple enough and I have almost everything aside from the Oreo cookies, which is readily available here. I have a pint of yogurt just sitting in my fridge and I thought, what the heck? right? Instead of using 2 cups of heavy cream like the recipe called for, I use the pint of yogurt instead. To my horror I forgot to calculate the fact that yogurt are sour! and I should have added more sugar. The 2 tablespoons of espresso powder is a bit strong for my taste too! Well...I'll just pretend that's what it is suppose to taste like =D The flavor is a contrast between tangy, strong coffee taste and sweet from the Oreo cookies and left over ganache. Which surprisingly is not bad at all. Although next time, I'll try it with heavey cream as the recipe stated, the texture might improve.

For the complete recipe for this visit here. I know it's already rainy season here where I live but still give it a try, it would be worth it.

Katherine Hepburn Brownies

I'm a huge movie buff, I like going to cinemas, eat popcorn and drink fruit sodas. Going to cinemas is one of the bonding moments I share with my siblings. Whenever a new comic to movie film comes out we're there that first week or whenever there's Harry Potter movie showing we are there too. Of course when there isn't any good movie showing, I turn to HBO, Cinemax and my favorite Turner Classic. To my little brother's horror, I like watching classic MGM movies and he of course leaves the room and lets me watch to my hearts content.
What does this brownie have to do with classic films? Well.. these are not your ordinary brownies. These are special because it is patterned after Katherine Hepburn's brownies. Isn't that cool! Katherine Hepburn is the first Hollywood actress who exudes confidence and an advocate of woman independence. In her movies she portrays strong women. Being a huge fan of Hepburn, I'm curious what's so different about brownies she makes and what I make. This is not exactly the brownies she made but Dorie Greenspan's Tribute to Katherine Hepburn brownies. This is this week's chosen recipe for the Tuesdays with Dorie event.
It started out okey just dump and mix, I guess it's because it's in the middle of the night that I'm making this I got a little absent minded. I forgot to put the sugar!!! Of all that things right!?! So last minute before I pour the batter in the pan, I mix in the sugar. Phew! hopefully no one notice the difference.
What I find peculiar about this recipe is the added cinnamon, though it's not bad it's just odd for me to be making a brownie and yet the smell I'm getting is the smell of cinnamon. I also didn't like the fact that this is such a thin brownie! Rich? Yes. Satisfaying? No. I like my brownies big and fudgy. I feel that this is such a let down. I need to find a real brownie recipe that is thick and chocolatey and hopefully very fudgy.

SHF#53 All Time Favorite Desserts

This month's Sugar High Fridays will be hosted by non other than me! Sugar High Fridays is a monthly food blogging event created by Jennifer, The Domestic Goddess. Last month's event was theme was Copy Cat hosted by Marija of Palachinka, be sure to check it out.

For this month, my chosen theme is All Time Favorite Dessert. It can be anything from cake to cookies, just as long as it's something that you CANNOT live without. It doesn't have to be elaborate or very difficult, just as long as it's your go-to dessert when you think of eating any dessert at all.

1. Bake your All Time Favorite Dessert.

2. Take a photo and blog about it.(If you don't have a blog, email me both the pictures and the recipe). Pls do this before July 25,2009.

3. In your post please include links to Jennifer, The Domestic Goddess and to this blog

4. Email me at heaven_cole8 [at] yahoo [dot] com - with SHF as the subject, with the following info:
* your name
* your blog's name and url
* a link to your SHF post
* a photo (max. 250px wide)

5. Round up will be posted on July 30, 2009. (pls email me on or before July 25, 2009)

6. Enjoy!