Cheese and Chorizo Biscuits

This is the first time that I've baked biscuits , the American version .


Before , I kinda confused it with scones .

Both are made in similar manner , nearly same texture and ingredients .....

Nearly , okay ? So to know more , just google it ! lol

I found this recipe from Alton Brown's Good Eats 3 , it's an accompaniment to one of his chicken dish

Biscuits are usually served with gravy or alongside a savoury meal .

I added my leftover homemade longganisa , ( what we called the native sausage in the Philippines ) but we actually call it chorizo in my hometown , Bacolod . So , these biscuits are a meal in itself and can be served with coffee , tea - just like scones ! - Coke and even ice cold water heh ! Gravy is optional !

Incidentally , there's a Bake Along and they featured scones , co-hosted by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids , Lena of frozen Wings and Joyce of Kitchen Flavours . I've asked Zoe , if my biscuits can be accepted and luckily , she said yes ! Thank you , Zoe !

 Recipe from Alton Brown's Good Eats 3

Cheesy Herbalicious Biscuits

12 oz / 340 grams all-purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt ( I used 3/4 tsp )
1 tsp each fresh thyme and sage ( a handful of chopped cilantro )
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ( omitted this )
4 oz extra sharp white cheddar ( 85 grams mild cheddar )
4 oz  /1 stick / 113 grams unsalted butter , frozen
7 oz / 200 ml low-fat buttermilk ( I used homemade , whole milk + rice vinegar ) 
50 grams homemade chorizo 


* Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C .
* Combine the first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside .
* Grate the cheese and butter ; immediately add it to the flour mixture . Stir to combine ; pour in the buttermilk and just stir to combine . Dump the dough into a floured surface and start folding the dough over on itself , gently kneading for 30 seconds until it is soft and smooth . Press the dough out to 1/2 inch thick . Use a 3-inch round cutter and cut out the biscuits ; make your cut as close as possible to limit waste ; about 8 -9 total .
* Bake until the biscuits are tall and golden , 15-20 minutes .

Vietnamese Coffee Ice cream

It melts faster than the Arctic ice ! 

What's the cure for these hot summer days ?!

I've been checking the local library's online catalogue hoping for more books of David Lebovitz .

Okay , it's The Perfect Scoop that I've kept checking out ....

Sadly , no listing of this as of now ...

Maybe I'll just buy it instead -__-"

I've been drinking coffee sweetened with condensed milk since time immemorial but never thought of calling it Vietnamese coffee ! lol

Warning though , 'tis really really sweet ! Check out the coffee and condensed milk ratio ....

It is not for the faint-hearted , you know , watching your sugar intake .

But hey ! You only live once ! lol

Though this ice cream of mine won't set properly , more like a slurpee pfffftttttt

Will go to the bookstore later ......

Slurpee , anyone ?! 

Recipe from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz via scoopadventures.com

1 1/2 cups / 600 grams condensed milk
1 1/2 cup / 375 ml brewed coffee
1/2 cup half and half
big pinch of finely ground dark roast coffee

* Combine all ingredients together and whisk until well combined . Chill in the fridge and churn into the ice cream maker . Transfer to the freezerproof container and freeze for about 4 hours or overnight .

Japchae / Chap Chae

Sort of !

I don't have the sweet potato noodles called dangmyeon  ^-^''

I nearly bought it few days ago but I find it a little bit steep for a pack of noodles heh !

Good thing though that using vermicelli ( made from mung beans ) is still good enough and very cheap !

Japchae / chap chae is a Korean dish made from sweet potato noodles and stir fried with various vegetables and sometimes with beef .

I'll call this version , the not-so authentic Japchae -___-

So I'm eating my way through Asia ! Last time , I'm in Indonesia with the scrumptious Nasi Goreng !

Now , I'm in Korea !  Is that Jang Keun-suk ! lol

Recipe from The Complete Book of Asian Cooking by Sallie Morris and Deh-Ta Hsiung

Serves 4

225 grams rump or sirloin steak
115 grams cellophane noodles , soaked for 20 minutes in hot water
4 Chinese dried mushrooms , soaked for 30 minutes in warm water , then sliced
oil for stir frying
2 eggs , separated
1 carrot , cut into matchsticks
1 onion , sliced
2 courgettes or 1/2 cucumber , cut into sticks
1/2 red pepper , seeded and cut into strips
4 button mushrooms , sliced
1 12/ cups beansprouts , washed and drained
1 tbsp light soy sauce
salt and ground black pepper
sliced spring onions and sesame seeds , to garnish

* Put the steak into freezer until it is firm enough to cut into thin slices .
* Marinate beef in 1 tbsp sugar , 2 tbsp light soy , 3 tbsp sesame oil , 4 finely chopped spring onions , 1 crushed garlic and 2 tsp toasted sesame .
* Drain noodles and cook them in boiling water  for 5 minutes ; drain , then snip into short lengths .
* Prepare the garnish ; heat oil in a small frying pan ; beat the yolks and pour into pan , when set , transfer to a plate ; cook the whites in the same way  ; let cool then cut into diamond shapes and set aside .
* Drain the beef ; heat oil in a wok or a large pan ; stir fry beef until it changes color ; add carrot and onion , stir fry for 2 minutes ; then add in the other veggies , tossing just until cooked .
* Add noodles and season with soy sauce , salt and pepper ; cook for a minute , spoon into a serving dish , garnish with eggs , spring onion and sesame .

** I used thinly sliced beef .
** I soaked the vermicelli in boiling water for 15 minutes , rinse and drain thoroughly , then added it after the veggies .
 ** Omitted the button mushrooms and the beansprouts .

Strawberry and White Chocolate Chips Ice Cream

Warning !

'tis pink ! lol

I love pink ....

When it comes to ice cream only !

Add in some white chocolate chips and it's pure heaven !

Okay , okay , I'm just addicted to white chocolate and will add it if I can get away with it !

So , another ice cream lah !

Better grab some then ........

Recipe adapted from Sherry Yard's Desserts by the Yard

1 1/2 pounds ripe strawberries , hulled and halved
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoon Grand Marnier ( optional )
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
a pinch of salt
I added a cup of white chocolate chips

* Combine strawberries , sugar , water and Grand Marnier , if using , in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer . Cook , stirring from time to time until the strawberries are very soft , about 10 minutes .
* Transfer the strawberry mixture to a blender or a food processor and puree ; add the cream and milk and blend until smooth ; transfer to a bowl and allow to cool .
* Stir in the lemon juice and salt ; pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and churn . Add the chips after the last 2-3 minutes of churning .
* Transfer to a freezer-proof container and freeze for about 4 hour or overnight before serving .

Nasi Goreng

Okay , it's simply called fried rice ! But I find it much more delicious if I use that name ! lol

It's a favorite cuisine found in Indonesia , Malaysia and Singapore .

Of course , fried rice is quiet popular in the Philippines , too ! In Tagalog , it's called "sinangag" and we called it back home , "kalo-kalo" in Hiligaynon .

It's the national dish of Indonesia but according to wiki , there are several contenders ...

And it's listed in CNN GO as one of the world's most delicious food !

I couldn't agree more !

Original recipe and cook how-to @ The Complete Book of Asian Cooking

4 cups of day-old cooked rice
20 grams belacan / shrimp paste
100 grams cooked shrimp
100 grams cooked chicken breast , cut into pieces
3 small shallots , chopped
2 cloves garlic , smashed
1 small red chili , roughly chopped
1 tablespoon kecap manis / sweet soy sauce
a pinch of salt
some oil
some cilantro and fried shallots for garnish
1 fried egg

* Lightly toast the shrimp paste , then put it into the food processor ( or mortar and pestle ) together with the garlic , shallots and chili and process to a fine paste .
* Heat the wok , pour in some oil and add in  the shrimp paste mixture ; fry until it gives off a rich and spicy aroma .  Add in the rice , cook and mix well until ingredients are thoroughly combined , about 4 to 5 minutes   ; add in the shrimp and chicken pieces , cook for another 2 minutes and add in the salt and sweet soy sauce , mix well and adjust seasoning . Give it a thorough  stir . Dish up add some garnishing and serve hot .

Italian Easter Cheese Bread

At last , I made another one !  

It's way past Easter but this loaf is really fresh ! lol

The recipe is pretty straight forward but me being me , anything can happen  .....

Yup , something did happen .................... 

I can't handle the dough because it was very very wet , so instead of braiding it , I just dumped it in the loaf pan ...

The recipe calls for 4 tablespoon of butter ? I used butter , too er half of it and half olive oil and I guess that's not the problem ...

I just didn't mix it enough ...

'twas still warm when I slice it , can't really wait to try it at that time ...

It's my first time using that dough hook in my handled beater and it seems to be working fine but obviously mixing the dough using it needs way more than 10 minutes . I posted a comment in King Arthur's blog and the author , PJ Hamel advised to knead to the dough well enough so that it will resemble the one in the post . Yup , mine was way off ! 

Uhm , I tried to create a window pane but I'm just too lazy to continue mixing at that time ! pffffftttttt 

I was kinda surprised it turned out good !

Overall ?! I can buy bread here easily and cheap - there are several bakeries in our area - and save myself some grief  .....

But seriously ? Nothing beats HOMEMADE bread ! This bread taste really good ! It's cheese ! 'nuff said !  

I'll surely make another one if I'm in a good mood ! lol 

And this is a must-try recipe .  

Original recipe and step by step instruction @ King Arthur online

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsps active dry yeast
3 large eggs
1 large  egg yolks , white reserved
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup / 2 tbsp softened butter and 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground white pepper

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese and 3/4 cup cheddar cheese

* Beat everything above ( except cheese ) on medium speed for 10 minutes ; until the dough becomes shiny and satiny . It'll be very sticky ; stop the mixer from time to time to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl during the mixing process .
* Add the parmesan and cheddar cheese ; beat until well combined .
* Put the dough on a lightly oiled bowl for an hour ; gently deflate the dough , turn it over and let it rest for another hour .
* Put the dough into a lightly oiled 9x5-inch  loaf pan ; cover the loaf lightly and allow it to rest for 2 hours or longer , depending on the warmth of your kitchen .
* While the loaf is rising , put your oven rack in the lower position just below the middle and preheat oven to 425°F/220°C .
* Whisk egg white with 2 tsps of cold water and brush the top of the loaf .
* Place the bread in the oven and bake for 15 minutes .
* Reduce the temperature to 350°F/180° , tent the bread lightly with aluminum foil and bake for another 30 minutes until deep golden brown and an instant thermometer reads 190°F if inserted in the center .
* Remove the bread from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes . Cool completely before slicing .

TESTING !!!!!!

Hopefully no Oooops ! Google chrome cannot find this site !

Ugh !

My own domain at last !

Pffffftttttt ! lol

I only changed my blog title ......

Actually I really don't know what to do .......

Any thoughts , rants and raves ?

Chocolate Chip-Coffee Muffins

I've already baked that fougasse that I've been eyeing at Lizzy's ....

So as the chorizo and thyme rolls from bourke's street bakery book .....

Ha ! I wish ! I'm obviously dreaming ! lol

I had to store my 2 bottle of yeast in the fridge .

At the rate I'm procrastinating , I don't know when can I actually bake another yeasted bread pfffffttttt

Lazy .......

But not too lazy to make some muffins ....

Hey ! No kneading and proofing involved here ! hahahaha

And these muffins will definitely perk you up !

As if drinking several cups of coffee a day are not enough .....

Uhm Some said that drinking coffee is good for your memory ! lol

Our flat smells like a coffee shop .

Coffee overload .

This easy recipe is a keeper .

For caffeine addict !

 Recipe from Cooking Light Magazine , Jan/Feb edition , by Sarah Engeler-Young

My modification in red

2/3 cup whole milk
5 tablespoon butter , melted
3 tablespoon instant coffee granules ( 2 generous tbsps instant coffee and 1 generous tbsp instant espresso )
1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract
1 large egg , slightly beaten
9 ounces / about 2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips ( 1 cup white chocolate chips )  
2 tsps baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
cooking spray
some coffee flavored chocolate chips 

* Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C .
* Combine first 5 ingredients .
* Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups ; combine flour and the next 4 ingredients ( through salt ) in a large bowl ; stir well with a whisk . Make a well in center of flour mixture ; add milk mixture , stir just until moist .
* Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray . Bake for 18 minutes or until done .

Double Chocolate Malt(esers) Ice Cream

Ice cream , anyone ?! Again ?

Oh well ....

I've been complaining while I was taking some photos of these .

I just finished scooping some of it and then in just a minute it's already melting .

SUMMER pfffftttttt !

Not planning to make this actually because I just finished licking the ice cream container few days ago and I just have had enough of chocolate ice cream . Or so I thought pffftttt lol

Been looking for some regular malted milk but so far nada .

I want some nice creamy chocolate milk malted  ice cream that I've seen in one of the book that I just borrowed .

But as I'm always saying to myself , just use what you've got .

So instead of having a light-colored chocolate ice cream , I have another dark and dreamy ice cream with Maltesers pieces that I can't help adding ^-^''

And while you're drooling , will go out and look for that elusive regular malted milk hee hee

I halve the recipe and made some modification in red

Creamy Milk Chocolate Malt Ice cream , recipe adapted from ice cream mix-in by Jeff Keys

2 cups whipping cream
2 cups whole milk ( 1 1/4 cups ) 
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup Carnation malted milk ( I used a generous 1/2 cup Ovaltine chocolate malted milk ) 
pinch of kosher salt
12 ounces milk chocolate , cut into pieces ( 170 grams bittersweet chocolate chips ) 
8 fresh egg yolks
80 grams Maltesers , chopped and added after the last 5 minutes of churning plus extra for decoration

*Pour the cream and milk into a medium-size stainless steel bowl and place over a steaming pan of boiling water . When the mixture gets hot , a film will form over the surface.
* Add sugar , vanilla , malted milk and salt . Blend thoroughly with a wire whip and then add chocolate . Stir the mixture gently while chocolate melts . With a wire whip , stir the egg yolks until they are thoroughly incorporated . Remove from the heat and let the mix cool to room temperature , then chill completely in the fridge .
* Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions . Transfer the mixture into ice cream container and let harden in the freezer fro about 4 hours or overnight .