Watermelon balls in sweet ginger-mint syrup

Watermelon balls in sweet ginger-mint syrup.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons fresh chiffonaded mint leaves and few stems 1 teaspoon roughly chopped fresh ginger 3/4 cup water 2 cups scooped watermelon

Method:

In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, mint stems, ginger, and water over medium high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes then remove from heat. Let the mixture steep 20 minutes before straining through a fine sieve. Chill the syrup. To serve, drizzle the chilled syrup over the watermelon scoops and garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Dark,Rich,Moist Chocolate Cake

Dark,Rich,Moist Chocolate Cake.

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tablespoons Black Cocoa, optional 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 eggs 1 cup buttermilk 1 cup strong black coffee 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method:

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa(s), baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix on low until dry ingredients are thoroughly combined. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for about two minutes; the batter will be thin. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost as desired. I used a simple and delicious Chocolate Buttercream Frostingfrom Savory Sweet Life. One batch was perfect for this layered chocolate cake.

ENJOY!!

Red Velvet Cheesecake

Red Velvet Cheesecake. 

Ingredients:

CHEESECAKE LAYERS:

2 (8-in.) round disposable aluminum foil cake pans 1 (12-oz.) package white chocolate morsels 5 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

RED VELVET LAYERS:

1 cup butter, softened 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar 6 large eggs 3 cups all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 (8-oz.) container sour cream 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 (1-oz.) bottles red liquid food coloring 3 (8-in.) round disposable aluminum foil cake pans White Chocolate Frosting: 2 (4-oz.) white chocolate baking bars, chopped 1/2 cup boiling water 1 cup butter, softened 1 (32-oz.) package powdered sugar, sifted 1/8 teaspoon table salt

Method:

1. Make the Cheesecake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and then tightly wrap the outside with heavy duty foil. (I find that double-wrapping helps prevent leaks in a water bath.) Put a pot of water (or a tea kettle) on to boil.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and sugar at medium speed until completely smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for a minute or so after each addition, and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract, and beat until completely incorporated.

3. Pour the batter into the springform pan; place the springform pan into a larger pan, such as a roasting pan, and pour the boiling water into the larger pan until the water comes about halfway up the side of the springform pan.

4. Bake until the cheesecake edges are set but the middle still jiggles a bit, about 45 to 55 minutes. Turn the oven off, but leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door closed for 1 hour. At this point, remove the cheesecake from the water bath and place the springform pan on a cooling rack to cool to room temperature. Place the cheesecake in the refrigerator until well-chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.

5. Make the Red Velvet Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with a parchment round, butter the parchment paper, and then flour the pans.

6. On medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to high and add the eggs one at a time, mixing for about a minute after each addition. Scrape down the bowl and beat until well incorporated.

7. In a separate small bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and red food coloring to make a thick paste. Add to the batter and mix on medium speed until completely combined. You may need to stop the mixer to scrape the bottom of the bowl, making sure that all the batter gets color.

8. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk. Add half of the flour and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining buttermilk and flour. Beat on high until smooth.

9. Again, reduce the mixer speed to low and add the salt, baking soda and vinegar. Turn to high and beat for another couple of minutes until completely combined and smooth.

10. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a thin knife or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and then remove cakes from the pans and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely.

11. Make the Frosting (basic cream cheese frosting): Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the butter and cream cheese on high speed for about 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar until all is incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Increase the speed to medium-high and whip for a few minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as necessary.

12. Assemble the Cheesecake: If needed, level the tops of the red velvet cake layers with a serrated knife or cake leveler so that the tops are level and not domed. Next, slice the cheesecake in half horizontally to create two layers. Place one layer of the red velvet cake on your serving plate. Spread a very thin layer of the cream cheese frosting over it (it creates a type of glue so that the layers stick together and don't slide around). Top that with one layer of the cheesecake, and again top with a very thin layer of frosting. Repeat, adding the second red velvet layer, and then placing the second cheesecake layer on top, with a layer of frosting between them. Using the remaining frosting, cover the cake in frosting and decorate as desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve, and refrigerate any leftovers.

ENJOY!!

Homemade Glazed Doughnut Holes

Homemade Glazed Doughnut holes.

Ingredients:

For the glaze:

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar 3 to 4 tablespoons whole milk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

(You can coat them with chocolate or any other toppings u like)

For the doughnut holes:

5 cups vegetable oil, for frying 1 cup milk 1 large egg 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 Tablespoons sugar 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Method:

Make the glaze:

Sift the confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl. Slowly stir in 3 tablespoons of milk and the vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth. If the glaze isn't thin enough, stir in 1 additional tablespoon of milk. Cover the glaze with plastic wrap and set it aside while you make the doughnut holes.

Make the doughnut holes:

Add the vegetable oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot. (There should be at least 2 inches of oil in the pot and at least 2 inches between the top of the oil and the top of the pot.) Attach the deep-fry thermometer to the pot and begin heating the oil over medium heat to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and the egg.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir the milk-egg mixture into the dry ingredients, then stir in the melted butter, mixing until a soft dough forms.

Once the oil has reached 350ºF, use a small ice cream scoop to drop about 1 tablespoon scoops of dough into the oil, careful not to overcrowd the pan. (See Notes.) Fry the doughnut holes, flipping them in the oil, for about 2 minutes or until they're golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the doughnut holes to the paper towel-lined baking sheet.

Allow the doughnut holes to cool slightly. Place a cooling rack atop a baking sheet, then one by one, dip the doughnut holes into the glaze and transfer them to the rack to allow the excess glaze to drip off. Serve immediately. Enjoy!!

**Notes:

The dough expands when fried, so 1 tablespoon of batter will yield about a 2-inch doughnut hole. If you prefer smaller doughnut holes, drop about 1 teaspoon of batter into the oil. This recipe yields about 2 dozen of the larger doughnut holes or 4 dozen of the smaller variety.

The roundness of the doughnut holes depends on how clean of a scoop of batter you drop into the hot oil. If you don't have a small ice cream scoop, you can use two small spoons to form the batter into mounds, however your doughnut holes will not be as uniformly round in shape.

Egg noodles with chicken and vegetables

Egg noodles with chicken and vegetables.

Ingredients:

8 ounces thin egg noodles
3 cups water 3 chicken bouillon cubes 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons sesame oil 1 onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1 celery rib, thinly sliced 2 cups cabbage, thinly sliced 2 stalks bok choy, sliced 1 carrot, shredded 1⁄4 cup frozen green pea 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 tablespoons cold water 1⁄4 cup light soy sauce

Method:

Boil egg noodles in water adding bouillon cubes until al dente. Drain well reserving liquid. Cut chicken breasts into small shredded pieces. Sprinkle with salt to taste. In a large skillet or wok heat olive oil and saute chicken until done. Remove, set aside. Add 2 tablespoons sesame oil to skillet or wok and saute onion, garlic, celery, cabbage, bok choy, carrot and peas until crispy tender (approximately 5 minutes) adding more olive oil if needed. Dissolve cornstarch in cold water. Add cornstarch liquid and one-half of reserved broth. Stir in spaghetti noodles and chicken. Add remaining broth liquid. Add soy sauce and toss. On low heat cook just until noodles are nice and darken.

Dates, Cranberry and Pistachio energy bites.

Dates, Cranberry and Pistachio energy bites.

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces (about 1 packed cup) chopped dates 1/2 cup honey 1 Tablespoon chia seeds (optional) 1 Tablespoon ground flax seeds pinch of salt 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats (dry, not cooked) 1 cup shelled pistachio nuts 1 cup dried cranberries 1/3 cup white chocolate chips (optional)

METHOD:

Combine the dates, honey, chia seeds, flax seeds and salt in a food processor, and pulse until smooth and combined. You should be able to stir the mixture -- if it is too thick, add in another tablespoon or two of honey.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, and stir in the oats, pistachios, dried cranberries, and white chocolate chips until evenly combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Once the mixture is cool (and easier to work with), use a spoon or cookie scoop to shape it into your desired size of energy balls. (Mine were about 1-inch in diameter.) Alternately, you can line a small baking pan with parchment paper, and press the mixture evenly into the pan, let it cool, and then cut into bars.

Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. (Storing them in the refrigerator especially helps the energy bites hold their shape.) Enjoy!

Teriyaki Chicken on Skewers

Chicken Teriyaki on Skewers.

Ingredients:

75ml teriyaki sauce 2 tbsp clear honey 1 tbsp soy sauce Colored peppers cut into cubes 4 chicken breasts, cut into chunks bunch spring onions, trimmed 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method:

If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 20 mins to prevent them from burning. Heat grill to high and line a baking tray with foil. Mix together the teriyaki sauce, honey and soy. Add the chicken pieces and mix to coat. Thread the chicken and peppers onto the skewers. Place on the lined baking tray and cook under the grill for about 15 mins until charred, turning and basting from time to time with any extra sauce. Check that the chicken is cooked through before serving. Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan until hot. Toss the spring onions in the vegetable oil and some seasoning, tip into the pan and cook for 3-4 mins until nicely charred and softened. Serve with the chicken skewers.