Monthly Archives: March 2011

Bonding over chunky Zucchini Cookies

Posted in At home, Baking Recipes, Cheesecakes, Cookies by

I’ve always loved spending time with my youngest baby brother, Wils. Every time I bake on a weekend and he’s finished with his homework, I drag him down to the kitchen to have a baking bonding session with me. I reckon it’s a lot more educational than watching cartoons. Sometimes I purposefully pick out recipes that I think he would have fun with. He loved it when we made Rainbow Cupcakes (which perhaps I will share here when we make some during his summer break), and he also had much fun putting on itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny yellow polkadot bikinis on Mini Gingerbread Cookies for Christmas last year. If you’re curious, here’s a photo.

But let’s talk about these amazing zucchini cookies. These cookies had a wonderfully colourful batter, came out so chunky and chewy, and were incredibly filling because of the oats and other ingredients. And it is overloaded with so many toppings and cookie-goodness imaginable, it’s difficult not to love these. It’s rather healthy-looking as well [it looks a bit like granola bars, doesn't it?], because of those lovely specks of zucchini and dried fruit.

Wils and I want to make these again. And again and again and again!

Read more

About these ads

Devour-worthy Triple Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Posted in Baking Recipes, My favourite things, Quickbreads & Loaves by

I’m not a big sweets and confections eater, but I have such a fondness for chocolate, dark chocolate in particular, that I would venture to say it is one of my ultimate food-related weaknesses. Wave a dark chocolate bar at me and chances are you’d get me to do you a small favor. If it’s a big favor, then something with at least 60% cacao of a brand that is hard to pronounce would be wonderful. I’m joking, of course. In all seriousness though, I think there is a chance I would be able to have people do me favors with this particular recipe.

It’s becoming quite difficult to be a conscious eater and a baker at the same time! The gorgeousness and the lovely chocolatey smell of this bread screams, “EAT ME! EAT ME NOW!” And the tiny gooey bits of chocolate in the middle of the bread are a wonderful surprise as you bite your way to your next slice.
Read more

Nothing quite like homemade applesauce

Posted in How-to by

Such a long overdue post this one is! Certain things have been happening in such a quick pace, it is almost as if my life has been dizzyingly like a rickety roller coaster ride. I have been busy and struggling these past few weeks, and tired from it all that I haven’t had the opportunity to write here. It hardly seems fair for me to complain about my little old life in the face of the events that have been happening in other parts of the world. They are so disheartening to say the least.

Let us take a moment of silence to pray for the world and for each of us.

And if one seeks a tiny measure of comfort, there’s nothing quite like homemade applesauce to hopefully do the trick.

I’ve heard of applesauce since I was very little but it’s never been a staple in our pantry. In fact I’ve only ever really had applesauce since I started baking, and it’s been the store-bought ones in large jars. The difference in appearance of processed applesauce from fresh applesauce is alarming, so I decided to venture into this whole homemade business once again and made my own. Cinnamon and apples make quite the heavenly combination!
Read more

Un duelo de Churros

Posted in Baking Recipes, Fried pastries, My favourite things, The Breakfast Bin, Timeless Treats by

I’ve tasted a fair number of churros that were crunchy on the outside but fairly hollow and oily on the inside. It just leaves a bad taste in your mouth, doesn’t it? Churros should be crunchy on the outside and a bit chewy on the inside. In the very rare occasions that I do get to eat churros, I like the giant ones filled with Bavarian cream. The traditional churros are normally dipped in hot chocolate though, and today I’ll be sharing two different churros recipes of this kind. I enjoy doing face-offs, and I fervently hope they are useful in helping you decide which recipe to make among the smorgasbord found online.

Since churros are typically eaten for breakfast in Espana, I had planned to wake up early in time to cook these for breakfast. Both times I failed miserably. (And I call myself a morning person… Ha!) For the first recipe I didn’t wake up early enough to catch my siblings before they went off to school at 7. I couldn’t wake up at 5 because sleep is such a wonderful thing. The second time, I was a bit more successful because I fell asleep really early the night before. Take note that churros are best served and eaten freshly cooked and a bit hot, so pick your cooking time wisely. Well, on to the recipe then!

Read more