Chocolate Coconut Macaroon

Adapted from Chocolate Coconut Macaroons from Joy of Baking and Chocolate-Coconut Macaroon from Country Living

Ingredients:
4 ounces (115 grams) semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
3 large (90 grams)egg whites
1/4 cup (25 grams)cocoa powder(regular or Dutch-processed)
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (220 grams) sweetened coconut(shredded or flaked), lightly roasted (optional)

Method:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C)
1) Add egg whites and salt in mixing bowl. Whip until soft peak forms.
2) While beating, add sugar slowly until blended. Add vanilla extract
3) Add cocoa powder slowly until hard peak forms.
4) Add melted chocolate, and fold/blend with hands if needed.
5) Add coconut and mix well.
6) Line parchment paper on cookie sheet
7) Place heaping teaspoon of macaroon mixture on the parchment paper. Leave an inch or two apart between macaroon.
8) Bake for 12 minutes
9) Take macaroons out, and let it rest on the cookie sheet for at least five minutes before transferring it to cookie rack.
10) Enjoy

Fettuccine Carrot

Ingredients:
4            Carrots
1 Tbsp   Fresh Parsley, chopped
1tsp       Garlic, chopped
1/2tsp    Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
2tbsp     Olive Oil
2Tbsp    Grated Asiago Cheese
Salt to taste

Direction:
1) Using vegetable peeler, peel the carrots into ribbons as much as possible.
2) To cook, place Olive Oil on a medium heat pan and sautee garlic and crushed red pepper flakes for couple of minutes.
3) Add parsley and carrots, and continue cooking until carrots are soft.
4) Add grated Asiago Cheese and salt to taste

Red Velvet Cake using Devil's Food Mix with Meringue Cream Cheese Buttercream

Ingredients
1 box       Devils Food Cake Mix
3              Eggs
1 1/3 cup  Buttermilk
1/2 cup     Vegetable Oil
1 tsp         Vinegar
2 oz (4Tbsp)  Red Coloring

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Lightly oil & flour cake pans (two 9-inch round pan)
1) Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl
2) Beat for 3 minutes at medium speed
3) Divide evenly into two pans, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes
4) Remove cake from cake pans, and place on cooling rack to cool
5) Frost cake once cake is cool

Meringue Cream Cheese Buttercream
Adapted from KitchenSidecar

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp     Meringue Powder
1/2 cup     Corn Syrup
1/4 cup     Warm Water
2 sticks     Butter, softened and cubed
1 block     Cream Cheese, softened and cubed
1 tsp         Vanilla Extract

Methods:
1) Combine meringue powder, corn syrup, and warm water.
2) Beat/whisk until shiny and glossy. About 5 minutes.
3) Add cubed butter and continue beating. Mixture might look like cottage cheese, but keep on beating until well-blended. It may take 10 minutes.
4) Add cream cheese and continue beating. Mixture might look like cottage cheese again, but keep on beating until well-blended. It may take 10 minutes.
5) Beat until mixture is light and fluffy like butter cream. Add vanilla extract and combine until blended.

Link to original The Silver Linings Saga blogpost referring to this dish:

Four-Day Weekend Full of Cooking Shortcuts posted on 11/28/2010

Pumpkin Mousse

Adapted from Food Network

Ingredients:

1 can (15oz)   Pumpkin

3/4 cup          Sugar

1 cup             Heavy Cream

1/2 tsp           Pumpkin Spice

2 tub (8oz)     Whipped Topping (i.e. Cool Whip)

*If you have 29oz canned pumpkin, you can double the recipe above to make a very large batch.

Methods:

1) Combine pumpkin, sugar, heavy cream, pumpkin spice in a pot and cook over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes.

2) Remove from heat and let mixture cool.

3) Put cooled pumpkin mixture in a big bowl and fold whipped topping into the mixture.

3) Serve in individual bowl and garnish with nutmeg

Link to original The Silver Linings Saga blogpost referring to this dish:

Four-Day Weekend Full of Cooking Shortcuts posted on 11/28/2010

Pineapple Tart with Cream Cheese Dough

Ingredients:

Dough:
1 block      (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 stick (10oz) butter, softened
1 1/3 cup   (9.5 oz/ 271 grams) Sugar
4 1/3 cup   (1 lb 3oz/ 542 grams) All-Purpose Flour
A pinch      Salt

Filling:
1 part       Pureed Pineapple (fresh or canned)  - (I used 1 1/2 fresh pineapple)
1 p)art       Sugar
1 stick      Cinnamon
4              Cloves

For Dough:
1) Cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar together
2) Add flour and salt into the butter mixture and mix well
3) Roll dough and cut into squares
4) Place filling in the middle of each square, close the opening, shape into balls
5) Bake for 25-30 min in 300F oven
6) Take cookies out and glaze with eggwash and cook for another 5-10minutes or until golden.

For Filling:
1) Put everything together in a pot
2) Cook on medium heat until the filling thickened and dry. Keep stirring to avoid burns. It took an hour or two the last time I made it.
3) Let it cool before use

Link to original The Silver Linings Saga blogpost referring to this dish:
Kuih Raya (Eid Celebration Cookies) posted on 9/9/2010

Cornflakes Madu (Honeyed Cornflakes)

Serves about 90 mini baking cups

Ingredients:
2 sticks Butter
1 cup    Sugar
5 Tbsp  Honey
1 (12oz) Box Cornflakes

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 325F.
2) In a large pan/stock pot, melt butter on medium heat.
3) Add sugar and honey to the butter. Cook until everything sugar is dissolved.
4) Turn the heat off. Add the cornflakes to the mixture and mix well.
5) Place mixture into mini baking cups.
6) Bake in the oven for 7 minutes
7) Let it cools before eating. It hardens as it cools.

Link to original The Silver Linings Saga blogpost referring to this dish:
Kuih Raya (Eid Celebration Cookies) posted on 9/9/2010

Naked Ravioli (Malfatti)

Ingredients:
1 tub(16 oz)  Ricotta Cheese
1 (10 oz)       Frozen Spinach
2                   Eggs
1/2 cup         Quick Cooking Oats
1/4 cup         Wheat Bran
1/4 cup         Fresh Mozzarella, cubed into tiny pieces
1/2 tbsp        Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:

*Bring water to boil, while waiting for water to boil proceed with the follwing
1) Place Ricotta Cheese on a cheese cloth squeeze as much water as possible.
2) Transfer ricotta cheese to a big bowl, and mix it with the two eggs
3) Thaw frozen spinach (4 minutes in microwave on high), let it cool a little bit
4) Transfer frozen spinach to cheese cloth, and squeeze as much water as possible
5) Add spinach to the ricotta cheese mixture
6) Add Quick Cooking Oats, Wheat Bran, and Fresh Mozzarella, salt & pepper to the spinach & ricotta cheese mixture. Blends everything well.
7) Shape the mixture into balls (Freeze any leftover balls. They can be cooked the same way as the fresh ones, just a little longer The frozen ones didn't hold their shapes when boiled :-(
8) Once the water is boiling, add the balls into the water.
9) They are ready once they are floating; remove and serve with pasta sauce immediately

Link to original The Silver Linings Saga blogpost refering to this dish:

• Naked! posted on 4/22/2010

Light Oatmeal Rolls

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup Bread Flour
1 ½ cup Whole Wheat Flour
½ cup Quick Cooking Oats or Old-Fashioned Oats
1 cup Water
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Honey
1 Whole Egg
1 tsp Salt
1 ½ Bread Machine Yeast/ Quick-Rise Yeast


Methods:

1) Using a bread machine, place all of the ingredients according to manufacturer’s instruction.
2) Select Dough cycle setting
3) Take the dough out after the cycle is done
4) Divide and shape dough into 16 balls
5) Place dough on baking pan and cover with kitchen towel
6) Let the dough rise and double in size
7) Glaze the dough with egg wash, milk, or water (that's what I always do) and top the dough with oats
8) Bake for 15 min in 350F preheated oven
Tips & Tweaks:
1) Measure the olive oil first before measuring the honey, so the honey doesn't stick to the measuring spoon
2) Olive oil can be substituted with butter, margerine, or other vegetable oil
3) Honey can be substituted with brown or white sugar
4) 1 ½ Bread Machine Yeast can be substitute with a pack of Active Dry Yeast
5) Today, I substituted 1/4 cup sour cream for eggs
 
Link to original The Silver Linings Saga blogpost refering to this dish:

• Light Oatmeal Rolls posted on 2/17/2010

Roll-Up Spinach Lasagna

Ingredients:
10 sheet         Lasagna Sheet (or as needed)
1 (15oz) tub   Ricotta Cheese
1 large           Egg
1(10oz) pack Frozen Spinach
1/2cup           Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (or as needed for filling)
1/2cup           Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (or as needed for topping)
2 cups           Pasta Sauce/Tomato Sauce (or as needed)

Optional add-ins:
Chopped Parsley
Chopped Basil
Dried Herbs
Red Pepper Flakes
Horseradish
Salt to taste

Methods:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1)Boil water with some salt in a large pot
2) Add lasagna sheet once the water is boiled
3) Stir lasagna sheets to make sure they don't stick and Cook for 8 minutes
4) Drain Lasagna sheet

5) Unwrap the frozen spinach and place it on a microwavable dish
6) Defrost the spinach by cooking it on High for 3-4 minutes
7) Cool the spinach for awhile and drain the spinach by squeezing it

8) Mix ricotta cheese and egg until well-blended
9) Mix Spinach and 1/2 cup of Shredded Mozzarella cheese into the ricotta cheese mixture

10) Spread a layer of pasta sauce in the bottom of oven-proof casserolle dish
11) Spread cheese mixture on lasagna sheet. Roll up the lasagna sheet and place in the casserolle dish.
12) Repeat previous step until all of lasagna sheets are used
13) Cover the lasagna with pasta sauce
14) Sprinkle the remaining Mozzarella cheese on top
15) Bake covered for 50 minutes or 30 minutes uncovered

Link to original The Silver Linings Saga blogpost refering to this dish:

•  Comfort Food posted on 3/22/2010