Dessert madness: Churro Tots

When I was still young, my mom used to take to this Spanish restaurant and she would order only two things: Paella Valenciana and Churros con Chocolate. Now we rarely do we go to that restaurant since it’s so far from our new place, but if we are near the area we never fail to go to that restaurant and order the same food.

Lately, I’ve been craving for some Churros and lo and behold I found a recipe. And guess what? They are so scrumptious! Having the first bite just took me back to the very first time I tried Churros. Please try and make one.

Churro Tots

What you’ll need: 

1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of water
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter 
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 1/4 cup of white sugar
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

What to prep for:

* Take out your dry ingredients and measuring cups
* And don’t forget your wet ingredients

How to do it:

1. In a saucepan, melt your butter. Once the butter is melted, add the water and bring it to a boil. Remove from heat once it boils.

2. In a mixing bowl pour the butter water mixture, half of the required all-purpose flour and all of the baking soda. Mix well the add the other half of the all-purpose flour then mix well.

3. Pour the vanilla and one egg at a time to the dough. Mix! Mix! Mix! then place the dough in the pastry bag.

4. Take out your deep fryer, pour in the canola oil then start plopping the dough from your pastry bag. Cook until golden brown.

5. Remove your churro tots from the fryer and place them on a paper towel to remove the excess oil.

6. On a deep place tupperware, mix the white sugar and ground cinnamon. Place the churro tots in there and shake! shake! shake! while they’re stil warm.

Best enjoyed with a cup of coffee or hot choco. 🙂

Notes on this recipe:

* To make sure you’re able to mix the dough really really well, use a hand/stand mixer so you’ll achieve a smooth texture for your dough.

* If you do not have a deep fryer, you can use a deep casserole.

How much did everything cost?

All-purpose flour – Php 126.50 (500 grams)
Eggs – Php 104.00 (six pieces)
Sea salt – Php 10.00 (500 grams)
Unsalted butter  – Php 104.00 (225 grams)
Baking powder – Php 53.00 (100 grams)
Vanilla – Php 34.50
White sugar – Php 26.00 (1/2 kilograms)
Ground cinnamon – Php 42.50 (30 grams)

Dessert Madness: No bake choco peanut butter oatmeal cookies

One of the things I would like to try is baking. Unfortunately I do not have an oven so I have to resort to looking and trying no bake desserts. Choco peanut butter oatmeal cookies is one of the recipes I found. I’ll feature another no bake dessert recipe in the coming days, so watch out for it.

No bake choco peanut butter oatmeal cookies

What you’ll need

1 1/2 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup of fresh cow’s milk
1 cup of peanut butter
2 teaspoon of vanilla
2 1/2 cup of old fashioned rolled oats
4 tablespoons of semi-sweet chocolate*

* if desired

What to prep

– Bring out: white sugar, butter, fresh cow’s mil, peanut butter, vanilla and old fashioned rolled oats.
– Melt semi-sweet chocolate. (See Notes on this recipe on how to melt chocolate)
– Prepare a large sauce pan, baking tray, rubber spatula and wax paper.

How to do it

1. Using your large sauce pan, place it on the stove over high heat. Add the butter, white sugar and milk and bring to a rolling boil. Consistently stir for one (1) minute.

2. Remove from heat. Transfer it on a large mixing bowl. Add the peanut butter, vanilla and fold in the old fashioned rolled oats.

3.Drop spoonfuls of the mixture on the baking tray or plate covered with wax paper.Let it dry for one (1) hour.

4. If desired, drizzle with melted semi-sweet chocolate and let it dry for 15 to 30 minutes.

Makes more than one (1) dozen. 🙂

Notes on this recipe

* This is not the first time I’ve attempted this recipe. I believe this is my third (3rd) time and I’m still trying to perfect it. All of my attempts the results were a bit too sweet, maybe its the peanut butter I used. So the next time I’ll make this and resulted to perfection, I’ll update this post.

* Cooking term of the day: Rolling boil – a liquid being boiled rapidly with lots of bubbling.

* For melting the chocolate, I found this link to be very helpful. Please check it out: http://candy.about.com/od/workingwithchocolate/a/meltchocolate.htm

How much did everything cost

White sugar – Php 26.00 (for 1/2 kilo)
Fresh cow’s milk – Php 84.50
Peanut butter – Php 69.50 (for 224 grams)
Vanilla – Php 34.50
Old fashioned rolled oats – Php 71.50 (for 500 grams)
Semi-sweet chocolate – Php 34.50 (for 100 grams)

Dessert Madness: Coconut-Pandan Salad

Coconut-Pandan Salad

What you’ll need

1 1/2 cups of chilled whipping cream
1/3 cups of condensed milk
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon of pandan extract

1 box of pandan-flavored gelatin
1 cup of shredded young coconut
1 cup of small sago
1 cup of nata de coco

How to do it

– Prepare the gelatin according to the package directions. Let it set then cut into cubes.
– Prepare the small sago according to package directions. Once it looks transparent, set aside.
– Bring out your large bowl pour your whipping cream and whip it until it is thick and fluffy.
– Once you’ve done whipping the cream fold in the condensed milk, vanilla and pandan extract.
– Pour in the young coconut, small sago, pandan gelatin and nata de coco and you’re good to go.

Serves six (6) persons | Best served chilled or frozen. 🙂

Notes on this recipe

* As an alternative to whipping cream, you can also use all-purpose cream.
* If you do your groceries and market shopping at the supermarket like me, you’ll notice that the shredded
young coconut will not be available. As an alternative, you can purchase a desiccated coconut.
* You can also make your own pandan gelatin. Just prepare the following ingredients:
– 1 box of unflavored gelatin
(follow the instructions from the box then add in the last to items before it sets)
– Pandan extract
– Green food coloring

How much did everything cost?

Two (2) Arla Whipping Cream 200 grams ———- Php 190
SM Bonus Desiccated Coconut ——————– Php 26.50
Alaska Condensed Milk 300 ml ——————- Php 51.25
Ferna Pandan flavored Gelatin 100 grams ——– Php 49.50
Two (2) Inaco Nata de Coco 200 grams ———– Php 44.00
J&Y Small Sago 250 grams ———————– Php 23.50
McCormick Pandan Extract ———————– Php 34.50
Fern Clear Vanilla Flavor ———————- Php 34.50

Dessert Madness: Mocha Mousse with Coffee Jelly

Mocha Mousse with Coffee Jelly

Recipe

Coffee Jelly

2 teaspoons instant coffee
2 cups hot water
1 tablespoon of white sugar
3 tablespoons of unflavored gelatin

Mocha Mousse

1 teaspoon of instant coffee
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup chopped semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups whipped cream

Procedure

Coffee Jelly:
– Prepare your coffee. Set aside.
– Prepare gelatin as indicated on the box
– Add in the sugar and coffee. Mix very well.
– In a saucepan, medium heat. Mix continuously until it boils.
– Let it cool to set. Cut into cubes.

Mocha Mousse:
– Prepare your coffee. Set aside.
– In a double broiler, melt chocolate. Once melted, remove from heat.
– Add the butter and half of the coffee. Mix well. Let it cool.
– In a saucepan, low heat. Whisk egg yolks together with the sugar and remaining coffee
for one (1) to (2) minutes, stir constantly. Remove from heat.
– Mix in the melted chocolate. Fold in the whipped cream.

Assembly:

Cups or glasses: Cubed coffee jelly -> Mocha mousse -> Chill until set -> Whipped cream -> Chocolate bits/shavings or cocoa powder

Serves: Four (4) people. 🙂

Notes on the recipe:

1. When I tasted the finished product, I can barely taste the coffee mixture so I suggest you use a strong coffee for this recipe.
2. I also noticed that it was a bit grainy. So I suggest you blend your mousse really really well in order for you to get a smooth texture.
3. If you wish, you can also add a coffee extract in your mocha mousse. You can check out this recipe for your very own coffee extract.
4. If you can find a coffee-flavored gelatin that would be so much easier.

How much did everything cost?

Instant coffee ———- Php 154.50 (30 sachets)
White sugar ————- Php 26.00 (1/2 kilo)
Unflavored gelatin —— Php 54.50
Semisweet chocolate —– Php 29.50
Butter —————— Php 50.00 (100 grams)
Egg ——————— Php 80.00 (for 10 pieces)
Whipped cream ———– Php 213.00 (for 250 ml)

Dessert Madness: Swiss Miss Mug Cake

Who said that desserts have to be baked? Craving for something sweet but do not have an oven? Here is a perfect example of a no-bake goodie you can serve anytime.

Swiss Miss Mug Cake

Recipe

1 package of Swiss Miss
1 egg
3 tablespoons of cooking oil
3 tablespoons of fresh milk
2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons of white sugar
pinch of salt

Procedure

1. Place all the ingredients in the mug and stir until it is completely free of lumps.
2. Put inside the microwave and set it for 1 minute and 30 seconds.

One serving only | Enjoy. 🙂

Notes on this recipe

1. You can serve this with vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate syrup. Another option is to serve this with peanut butter sauce or chocolate sauce.

2. I’m not sure if this will work for generic or other brands, but you are welcome to try it. Make use of what is available to you. Like I said, just keep on trying to see what works.

Dessert Madness: Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse is my ultimate favorite dessert of all time, even its cake version is an absolute love. Now that I’ve found out that it is very easy to make one and it doesn’t consume a lot of your time so I decided to give it a try. The result: pure chocolatey yumminess! I just love it even more. 🙂

Chocolate Mousse

Recipe

3/4 cup heavy cream
8 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup of whipped cream

Procedure

1. In a small saucepan, pour the heavy cream to a boil.
2. Once it boils, remove from heat and pour the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and completely smooth.
3. Pour into individual demitasse cups or small cups and let it cool. Refrigerate and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Notes on this recipe

1. As a substitute to heavy cream you can also use all-purpose cream.
2. I still had a lot of leftover whipped cream from my mango mousse, so I used it.

How much did everything cost?

All-purpose cream ———— Php 44.00
Semi-sweet chocolate chips — Php 29.50 (for 100 grams)
Whipped cream —————- Php 213.00 (for 250 ml)

Dessert Madness: Mango Mousse

This is one of the many no bake desserts I’ve been meaning to do for the longest time. What discouraged me to do desserts is the fear of failing. What if it wouldn’t taste so good? What if its too sweet? What if its bland? What if it will not go so well? Well, that all changed when someone very special to me told me that you’ll never know what works and will not work until you’ve tried and failed.

So here’s my first attempt in doing desserts. It didn’t go as well as I wanted to but at least I’ve tried and the next time I’ll be doing this, I definitely know what to do and what not to do. I just want to assure everyone who’s afraid to try cooking or dessert making for the first time is its better that you’ve tried and failed than to never have tried at all. Never stop trying and just keep practicing, and one day you’ll get it right.

Mango Mousse

Recipe

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 cup mango puree
4 tablespoons of sugar
1/4 cup of water
3/4 cup of whipped cream
1 box of clear unflavored gelatin
mango balls

Procedure

1. Cut open the box of gelatin and pour it in a bowl. Scoop up one (1) teaspoon of the gelatin, place it in another bowl. Set aside the remaining gelatin powder.

2. In the bowl where you’ve placed the one (1) teaspoon of gelatin, add 2 tablespoons of water. Whisk it until you’ve dissolved the gelatin powder then once you’re done set it aside. This will be your gelatin mixture.

3. In a saucepan, heat the mango puree, white sugar and water. Add the gelatin mixture and whisk again to dissolve the gelatin.

4. Strain into a bowl, then cool to room temperature.

5. Once cooled, fold in the whipped cream. This will now be your mango mousse.

6. Prepare the remaining gelatin powder according to the package directions.

To assemble: Mango mousse -> Let it set -> Clear gelatin and mango balls -> Mango mousse -> Whipped cream

7. Let it chill until its completely set then garnish with mango balls.

Serves 5 to 6 persons 🙂

Notes on this recipe

1. It really pays to follow the recipe to the t. In the process I’ve skipped some steps since I was doing this together with our dinner food and the end result wasn’t the way I planned it.

2. In this recipe I substituted mango puree for mango flavoring and it didn’t turn out well. I opted to use mango flavoring vs mango puree simply because the price of mango puree is expensive and one box of it was too much, so definitely lesson learned.

How much did everything cost?

Gelatin Php 54.50
Mango flavoring Php 39.50
Mango Php 40-50 (for 2 pieces)