Frittelle di mais e pancetta

Le ho preparate qualche settimana fa per una cena di compleanno. Non dovevo essere neanche io a farle, ma le cose improvvisate... sono le migliori *_* e così si è rivelato. Sono state un successo!!!


Ingredienti:
1 uovo
300 gr. mais in scatola
150 gr. farina (se occorre aggiungere di più)
500 ml. latte
200 gr. pancetta a dadini
100 gr. parmigiano grattugiato
olio per friggere q.b.
sale q.b.


Sbattere l'uovo e unire il latte, salare e unire lentamente la farina, per non far formare grumi.
Sgocciolare il mais e unirlo al composto di latte, aggiungere poi la pancetta e parmigiano.
Nel frattempo far riscaldare l'olio in una padella antiaderente e, una volta caldo, portateci all'interno il composto a medie cucchiaiate. Friggete a fiamma non troppo alta finchè saranno brune. Trasferirle su carta assorbente e servire calde =)

Banana & Kiwi Fritters

Maruya ("Banana & Kiwi Fritters") is one of my favourite merienda when I was in the Philippines. They sometimes place it in a bamboo stick and sometimes they shape it like a hand fans. I miss that moment especially after siesta that when we woke up, my mom cooks us merienda delicacies like this maruya during hot summer day.


Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 ripe saba (banana plantain), peeled and sliced lengthwise
3 kiwis
2 cups vegetable oil
flour, for dredging · sugar

In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add milk and egg, beat until smooth.
Heat oil in a frying pan (or a large saucepan) over medium heat.
In batches, roll banana and kiwi slices in flour and then dip in batter. Fry in hot oil until golden brown.
Drain on paper towels. Roll in sugar. Place in a serving dish and serve.

Gingerbread Cake

Gingerbread is said to have been invented by the Greeks around 2800 B.C. At one time gingerbread was made with breadcrumbs and sweetened with honey, but as it made its way throughout the world it was adapted to meet the tastes of different cultures. That is why if you sample gingerbread in a country other than your own it may not look or taste as you expected. It can be a bread, a spicy sweet cake or a molded/shaped cookie that can range from light colored with just a touch of spice to dark colored and very spicy.   


Ingredients:
260 gr. all purpose flour
5 gr. baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
113 gr. unsalted butter, room temperature
105 gr. light brown sugar
2 large eggs
Zest of 1 lemon (outer yellow skin of lemon)
90 ml. honey
240 ml milk


Preheat oven to 180° and place rack in center of oven.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ginger and cloves.
In bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the lemon zest and honey and beat to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the dry ingredients and milk, alternately, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Beat just until incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.  Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing cake from pan.  Let cool completely.

Meringhe

Meringue Cookies are so light and airy, sweet and crisp that seem to just melt in your mouth. I love how the outsides of the meringues are nice and crisp, yet the insides remain wonderfully soft and puffy, almost like mini-Pavlovas. While I often eat these just as they are, they also make a very nice plated dessert that you can top with whipped cream, ice cream, sorbet, and/or fresh fruit. 


Ingredients:
3 large egg whites
3/4 cup of sugar
100 gr. icing sugar

Preheat the oven at 180°.
Whisk egg whites and in two or three times add sugar. Whisk until pale and snowy.
Once finished add icing sugar (2 or 3 times) and stir slowly. Mix until incorporated.
Bake for 1 1/2 or 1 3/4 hour. The meringues are done when they are pale in color and fairly crisp. (The meringues will release easily from the parchment paper.) Turn off the oven, open the door a crack, and leave the meringues in the oven to finish drying several hours or overnight. The meringues can be covered and stored at room temperature for several days.
Note: you can also sprinkle meringues with cocoa powder and cinnamon before bake =D

White Chocolate Pudding

Dessert for Valentine's dinner *_* I had to choose a taste that could be desirable for Stefano. White Chocolate is the way <3


Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups milk, divided
Pinch salt
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 oz (1/2 cup) white chocolate chips or chopped

Heat 2 cups of milk, but do not boil. In a bowl, whisk the sugar and the egg yolks together until pale. In a separate dish, dissolve the cornstarch with the remaining 1/2 cup milk. Add to the egg yolks mixture and mix well. When the milk is hot,slowly pour it over the eggs,a little it at a time so the eggs don't start curdling on you. Return the whole thing over the stove and cook on medium low heat until it starts to thicken up. Add the white chocolate and stir until it is completely smooth. Strain if necessary. Pour the mixture into a clean bowl and let cool to room temperature, covered with plastic wrap punctured with small holes so the pudding does not form a skin while cooling. Pour into dishes and decorate =)

Red Velvet Cupakes

Everyone seems to enjoy Red Velvet Cupcakes covered with lovely swirls of Cream Cheese Frosting. While a year round favorite, their red and white color scheme make them particularly well suited for Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Canada Day. Top each cupcake with a fresh blueberry and you have a festive red, white, and blue dessert for July 4th.
Have a nice St. Valentine's Day =D


Ingredients:
125 gr. sifted cake flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 gr. regular cocoa powder
57 gr. unsalted butter, at room temperature
150 gr. granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
120 ml. buttermilk or less milk
1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring
1/2 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
For Cream Cheese Frosting:
227 gr. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
60 gr. confectioners' (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted
160 ml. cold heavy whipping cream (double cream)


Preheat oven to 175° and line 12 muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.
In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.
In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.
In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter. 
Working quickly, divide the batter evenly among the 12  muffin cups and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 18 - 23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes and them remove from pan. Let cool completely before frosting. Either spread the frosting with a knife or offset spatula, or use a large 1M Wilton open star decorating tip to pipe the frosting.

For Cream Cheese Frosting: In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat until smooth. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to pipe. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

Makes 12 cupcakes =D

Peanut Butter Cups

Peanut Butter Cups are one of my favorite candies. The commercial peanut butter cup was introduced in the 1920s and has been going strong ever since. I never thought of making my own until I found this recipe which is amazingly easy. All that is required is to melt some chocolate, place a little in a candy cup, top with a little peanut butter mixture, and then drop a little more chocolate on top. That is it. What you end up with is a shell of chocolate with a smooth and creamy peanut butter filling inside. Delicious =D


Ingredients:
60 gr. creamy peanut butter
14 gr. unsalted butter, room temperature
1/8 teaspoon salt
20 gr. confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar
For Chocolate Coating:
100 gr. semi sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
150 gr. milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon shortening

Place the peanut butter, unsalted butter, and salt in a microwaveable bowl, and heat in the microwave for about one minute or just until soft, but not melted (check and stir the ingredients every 20 seconds). Stir in the confectioners sugar.
Melt the chocolates and shortening in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water.
Drop a teaspoon of the melted chocolate into each of the paper lined miniature muffin cups. Top with a scant teaspoon of peanut butter mixture. Then top with another teaspoon of melted chocolate. Refrigerate until set. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Makes about 18-20 peanut butter cups =D