Helpful Tips (part 2)

Here are some helpful tips, they're not mine but I got these from other people and other sources:

• If you ran out of baking powder when you need some, use 2 level teaspoons cream of tartar to one teaspoon soda. This is the equivalent of four teaspoons of tartrate baking powder, the one you usually have in the kitchen.
• A teaspoonful of vinegar added to the water in which eggs are poached keeps the whites from spreading and makes the whites cook over the yolk.
  
• When cooking pancakes, dip the spoon in milk or water, and the batter will drop off the spoon easily.
• The whites of eggs will whip more readily if a pinch of salt is added to them. If the eggs are place in cold water for a time before being broken, they will whip easily.
  

Plain Waffles for breakfast

Want some waffles for breakfast? Here's an easy one, a plain waffle recipe that's really, really good. You can add banana, honey, cinnamon, jams... anything in it or on top of it. You can cook it in a waffle iron or in a plain non-stick pan. The thickness and the size, its up to you.

All you'll need is: 2 cups sifted flour, 4 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. salt, 2 Tbsp. sugar, 2 eggs separated, 1-1/4 cup milk, 6 Tbsp. melted butter.

• Sift the dry ingredients together.
  
• Separate eggs.
• Beat yolks until light and add milk and melted butter.
• Beat the whites stiff.
• Add flour and sifted ingredients to milk and egg mixture.
• Fold in the whites.
  

Heart Shaped Cakes

Here are some photos of Heart Shaped Cakes I've made.
I thought of sharing it here since it is D' Heart season. :)

Strawberry Filled Heart Cookies

Last Sunday was fun for me because I was able to bake this Filled Cookies which I haven't done for a decade or so. It came out so well, the sweetness was just right. This gave me a feeling of joy and fulfillment with my baking. :)

It's basic ingredient is 3/4-cup butter or margarine creamed with 1-cup sugar and 2-eggs. Then 3-1/2 cake flour with 3-tsp.baking powder and 1/2 tsp.salt sifted together then added to the creamed butter alternately with 1/3-cup milk, and half a tsp. vanilla.. I rolled it on the board, flatten it to 1/8 inch thickness. Using a round cookie cutter, I made some round cuts and placed them on cookie sheets. In the center, a teaspoonful of strawberry preserve is placed on top. Then, another cookie, with a bit of pressing at the center using a heart shaped cookie cutter, was placed on top. I then sealed the edges with fork and baked it at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

What a delight to be able to share it to my family at the church.

(photo of the baked filled cookies by Mics Panlaqui)

Unforgettable March Birthday Celebration

My daughter and 11 of her friends (if I'm not mistaken) in Davao City are March birthday celebrants. There was a time that I asked them to celebrate their birthdays together at home. There were 6 of them who came. I prepared some pasta dish, fried chichen , chicken macaroni salad, sandwiches and of course I baked 2 birthday cakes for them.

For the girls, the cake was a Marble Chiffon Delight, with whipped cream, butter and cocoa filling. It was frosted with Buttercream icing and boiled icing for piped decorations.

For the boys, it was a Fudgy Choco Cake, filled also with whipped cream butter and cocoa filling, frosted with Whipped Cream Icing and semi-sweet chocolate cuts for decorations.

With some invited friends that came, they enjoyed the day singing songs accompanied by live piano organ played by one of the celebrants.

It was one unforgettable birthday celebration that my daughter had, celebrating her birthday together with her March-birthday-celebrant friends.

To see a a short video clip of the event, please click me.