Grandma Ellie's Peaches and Cream Layer Cake

I've been feeling very nostalgic lately.  I guess with all the family birthdays going on this month, it's kinda hard not to look back and wonder where did all the time go?  Last week, my grandma turned 87 years old.  Wow.  87.  Really?  For some reason, in my mind, she just stayed this 60 year old lady in a cool sports car.

Sweet Summer Snippets

I just realized that I've been sharing all these fun little ideas and discoveries on my Twitter, Facebook and Instagram but I haven't posted them on my blog. Oops! Hehehe 

So here's a quick round-up of what I've been up to this summer.  

Simple Strawberry Tart

I celebrated my birthday this week and instead of the typical cake, I chose to make something a little different.  And surprisingly, it doesn't involve any chocolate.  This year, I decided to make myself a simple strawberry tart.

Lychee Fritters

Every now and then, I'll try a dessert and think, "Mmmmm that was really good!" and then forget about it and move on.  But sometimes, I'll try something and I'll cherish it as one of my fondest food memories ever.  Even years later, I can still remember how much I loved this delightful little dessert I ate in Paris.

Puff Pastry Peach Tartlets

Summer is almost over but there's still time to enjoy some delicious peaches.  There's just something so incredibly intoxicating about the scent of a ripe peach.  Its gorgeous aroma, so sweet and fragrant, just makes you wanna sink your teeth into its juicy flesh.  I get so giddy when I see a beautiful display of these fuzzy fruits.  I'm sure the produce guys think I'm a little weird when I'm picking out peaches.  I love smelling them.  I can't help it.  You should really give it a try.  The next time you're at the grocery store or the farmer's market, stop and smell the peaches.  Just take a deep breath and inhale all the sweet fragrance.  Aaaaaaaaaaaah...now that's what I call aromatherapy. 

Pineapple Macapuno Pockets

I remember back in pastry school, we had this thing called "Mystery Basket Fridays." Basically, you walk into the kitchen and at your table, you'll find a tray of ingredients randomly selected by the chef. Your assignment for that day was to create a dessert using all the ingredients given to you. It's kind of nerve-racking actually. I remember the first time we had one, I was absolutely petrified.  All these thoughts start racing through my head. "I've never made anything with this before! What am I gonna do? How should I use this? Uh...should I put it in the dessert or use it as a sauce? How should I plate this? What if I don't finish? What if the chef hates it?!?! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!"

Coconut Palmier Hearts

On a previous post, I mentioned that I made these coconut palmiers for a family get-together and they absolutely loved it. Well, I'm finally sharing the quick and easy recipe with you.  And I'm also going to show you how to make them into these cute little hearts.  They're just perfect for Valentine's Day!

Not-So-Nutty Fruitcake Cookies (Vegan, Nut-free and Soy-free)

I may have doomed these cookies for life by naming them after a much despised holiday treat.  And I know a lot of you will dismiss them just because of their namesake.  You might even think I'm nuts for picking such a horrible name for these delicious cookies, but I don't think so.  If you like fruitcake, then these Not-So-Nutty Fruitcake Cookies will definitely remind you of it.  But if you don't like fruitcake, I still think you'll like these cookies because, unlike the infamous fruitcake, they're not basted with booze and they're not cloyingly sweet with candied fruit.  Laugh as you may, crack a few jokes or two, but after you take a bite, you just might think I'm not-so-nutty after all.

Deep Fried Apple Pies

Okay. I know what you're thinking. Deep fried apple pies? For Thanksgiving? Why....YES! Come to think of it, these are perfect for any time of the year.  I'm planning to make these next week and I'm sure they'll be a hit with everyone :-)

Avocado Ice Cream

 
Photo Credit: Kristen Somera

Just when I was starting to enjoy the cool weather, it heats up again! Well, I guess it's not too late for me to share another one of my favorite frozen treats. This is my take on my grandma's avocado ice cream.  It's so rich and creamy and the best part is you don't need an ice cream maker to make it :-)

Allergy-friendly Chocolate Banana Pops (Vegan)

Are you looking for an allergy-friendly frozen treat to beat the heat?  Try these chocolate banana pops.  My kids LOVE them!  I used Enjoy Life chocolate mega chunks and Spectrum organics shortening for the coating.  For an added crunch, I rolled them in crispy brown rice cereal.  You can even get the kids involved in making them.

Karioka (Deep-fried Coconut Rice Balls with Brown Sugar Glaze)

When my friend brought these over a few weeks ago, I said something that I wished I didn't. "I wish I knew how to make karioka. Nope. Strike that. I'm gonna learn how to make karioka!"  Before I knew it, I was searching online for recipes, adjusting a few ingredients to fit my liking and cooking up a batch of my own homemade karioka.  After I took my first bite, I knew I was in big trouble...

Ginataang Bilo-Bilo (Glutinous Rice Balls, Tropical Fruits and Yams Stewed in Sweet Coconut Milk)

A big winter storm is heading down this weekend and it's bringing some pretty chilly temperatures along with it.  You know what that means?  Yup.  I'm gonna need some serious comfort food to warm my belly.  My all-time favorite comfort food has got to be my grandma's ginataang bilo-bilo (also known as sampelot in the province of Pampanga, where I grew up). It's a sweet and hearty stew made with coconut milk, tropical fruits, tubers, tapioca pearls and glutinous rice balls.  This luscious dessert really sticks to your ribs, which makes it so perfect for the cold weather.  Mmmmmmm...

Puff Pastry Apple Tartlets with Salted Caramel Sauce

I'm having my family over for Thanksgiving this year so I'm gearing up to do some major cooking and baking in the kitchen.  I got my fridge stocked and ready to go.  I'm just a little nervous. I've only cooked a turkey once in my life and that was years ago.  It was the first time I hosted Thanksgiving.  I had everything planned and the food was gonna be awesome.  Well, it was almost awesome...I forgot to take the giblets out of the turkey. yeah. 

Egg-Free Cranberry Thumbprints

My son had a Thanksgiving celebration at his school yesterday.  All the kindergarten students dressed up as Pilgrims and Native Americans and sang all sorts of songs, including "This Land is Your Land."  It was absolutely adorable.  Immediately after their performance, they feasted on popcorn, baby carrots, apple pie, pumpkin pie and juice. 

Egg-Free Fresh Fruit Cake

For this Valentine's Day, I decided to draw inspiration from another one of my favorites from Hans and Harry Bakery. On a previous post, I shared my homemade version of their famous fresh fruit strudel. This time around, I've created an egg-free version of their equally popular fresh fruit cake.  It's a rich vanilla butter cake layered with Bavarian cream and topped with fresh fruit.

Quick and Easy Crema de Fruta

My dad asked me if I could come up with a quick and easy recipe for Crema de Fruta so he could try his hand at making it. He's gotten the baking bug recently and wanted to start out with some simple recipes first then work his way up to more challenging ones. So I experimented with a few ingredients and came up with an incredibly effortless version.

Cobblestone Fudge

Back in pastry school, I learned how to make cobblestone chocolates, which were little discs of chocolate topped with dried fruit and nuts. They were a bit tricky to make but they looked so amazing and they tasted absolutely divine.

Ambrosia Salad

We're going to my in-laws tomorrow and since they're not really big on desserts, I thought I'd bring them a fruit salad. My version of Ambrosia Salad has coconut milk and instant vanilla pudding mix as a base. It's light and not too sweet, so I hope they like it :-)

Apple Cherry Crumble

I was trying to come up with something different to make for Thanksgiving this year. And so, I decided that I was going to make a crumble instead of the traditional pie. Why? To be honest, I'm not too fond of the pie crust. I don't like making it and I don't like eating it. But I love, love, love the fruit filling and the crumb topping. A crumble makes perfect sense. And it's so quick and easy to make, which is a big requirement for me nowadays.