Posts filed under 'Cookies'
Mini Chocolate Firecrackers - melt-in-the-mouth mini chocolate cakes laced with cayenne pepper. Price available upon request.
eat a chili (or chocolate), be happy!
Want to banish pain and experience a feel-good moment? Chew on a chili pepper! Chili peppers contain capsaicin, (cap-SAY-sin) a compound that gives these fruits their heat. When ingested, our body releases endorphins, which are chemicals produced in the brain that reduce pain and induce euphoria, giving us that feel-good moment. That burning sensation you feel while eating a spicy Kimchi or a fiery Bicol Express is actually your body’s protective response, a sign that endorphins—the body’s natural painkillers—are at work. When the capsaicin comes in contact with nerve endings in the mouth, pain signals are sent to the brain which then releases endorphins to desensitize the pain and in turn create a feeling of well-being. The spicier the pepper, the more endorphins are secreted. Who knows, those tears streaming from the eyes after chewing on a jalapeno might actually be tears of joy! And I can hear the chili lovers say “bring on those jalapenos, habanero and siling labuyo!”
For those who want to feel euphoric but can’t stand the heat of these edible firecrackers like I do, there is a sweeter alternative—chocolate! To most people, chocolate is the ultimate comfort food, and justifiably so. As a piece of chocolate gloriously melts in the mouth, we get an endorphin rush which explains why our moods turn brighter after indulging in this sweet treat.
So what better way to trigger our body’s pleasure-inducing chemicals than having chili and chocolate in one go? To borrow from Doublemint’s tagline, “Double the pleasure, double the fun.” Mixing chocolate and chili might seem exotic—the Mayans have been indulging in this potent brew as far back as 2,600 years ago—but adventurous chefs and imaginative cooks all over the world have rediscovered this wonderful concoction and are incorporating it in their repertoire.
I myself am not a fan of chili peppers alone but chocolate and chili sounds mighty good to me. I had been surfing for cupcake recipes featuring this hot combination when I chanced upon Chocolate and Zucchini’s Chocolate Chili Bites—thanks, C._, for the wonderful recipe! I scaled down the recipe and modified it a bit— decreased the number of eggs and used cayenne pepper because that is all I had on hand. I also put them in heart-shaped mini muffin tins for a touch of whimsy.
They came out perfect. I especially like their wrinkly, crusty tops that yield so softly as you pop them in your mouth. And as they dissolve in your mouth, you get this wonderful chocolate rush followed by a mini heat wave that subsides moments after. And you can’t help but smile and feel good. Euphoria in a bite-size morsel!
Chocolate Chili Bites - about 24 mini bites using regular mini muffin tin; adapted from Chocolate and Zucchini
100 g bittersweet chocolate (I used chocolate with 72% cocoa solids)
1/2 c butter
1/2 c + 2 tbsp sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 tsp flour
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or any variety you prefer; adjust to taste)
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Melt the butter and chocolate in a saucepan or microwave.
3. Transfer in a bowl, add the sugar and mix. Let cool a little bit then add the eggs one by one, mixing well after each addition. Add flour and cayenne pepper and mix well.
4. Put in lined mini muffin tins and bake for 10-12 minutes. The top should look set but the inside should still be soft.
5. Let cool and enjoy!
February 8th, 2009
In my book, Philippine mangoes are unrivaled. Fragrant, sweet and succulent, they are the closest thing to nirvana—when ripe, that is. I do not know if there’s any truth in this but according to this site, the Philippine mango was listed in the 1995 Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s sweetest mango. I could not agree more!
I found this cookie recipe that originally used fresh peaches. Being the mango devotee that I am and since fresh peaches are almost non-existent in the Philippines, I altered the recipe and made a few adjustments in the procedure. Boy, was I delighted with the scrumptious results! The buttery shortbread crust and crumb topping go so well with the moist, flavorful mangoes. Sorry peaches, but you are out!
The last time I made these (which was last New Year’s eve), I realized I left out the nuts and cinnamon in the crumb topping just as I slid the pan in the oven. I got the pan out again and just sprinkled the nuts-cinnamon combo on top. The bars baked just fine and still tasted heavenly.
Mango Crumb Bars - yield, 24 pieces
3/4 c granulated sugar
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 24 pieces
2 ripe mangoes, pitted and thinly sliced
1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 c chopped walnuts (or other nuts you prefer)
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with foil, then coat with butter.
3. Mix flour, white and dark brown sugars, baking powder, and salt. Scatter the butter over the flour mixture and mix until crumbly.
4. Dump 2 1/2 cups into the bottom of the prepared pan and press it evenly over the bottom. Arrange mango slices over the base.
5. Transfer the remaining 1 1/2 cups of the sugar and flour mixture to a small bowl. Mix in the cinnamon and walnuts with a fork. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the mangoes.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Then refrigerate for at least one (1) hour. Cut into 24 bars.
Enjoy!
* * *
Philippine Mango Factoids:
1. Mango ranks third as the most important fruit in the Philippines in terms of volume of production and area after banana and pineapple.
2. The Philippines is the sixth largest exporter of fresh mangoes after Mexico, India, Brazil, Netherlands and Peru.
3. Pangasinan produces more mangoes than any other Philippine provinces but most mango exports come from the Guimaras Islands.
source: Dept. of Agriculture, Philippines
January 15th, 2009
twas the night before christmas …
After baking tons of goodies to fulfill Christmas orders (and tasting various versions of chocolate chip cookies), I was ready to nibble on something less sweet. My family was also in the same wavelength. Eight-year old P._ asked me to make his favorite lemon bars. A dash to the supermarket yielded no lemon harvest. Fortunately, I still had a stash of lemons just enough for an order of New York style cheesecakelettes and some mighty lemon bars.
I had instructions that these treats will be served strictly on Christmas day but the little ones could not resist. In the end, we all gave in!
Happy Christmas to all!
December 24th, 2008
Cookies were the very first thing I baked when I got interested in the culinary arts. It was December and while browsing through a women’s magazine, I saw a recipe for spritz butter cookies. The recipe looked simple enough to make. My mother was into cakes and has never baked a cookie in her life so it was a surprise when I found a cookie press somewhere in our kitchen drawers.
For a first attempt, the cookies baked just right and I was very pleased with the results. I baked them again, put them in tins and gave them as Christmas gifts to my colleagues in the office. One of our managers Mrs. A._ liked them so much she asked for the recipe which I shared willingly. A few days after, she called and said that her cookies didn’t turn out like mine—did I give the correct recipe and directions? Of course I did. Anyway, she gave up and just asked me to bake for her and told me she will pay for it—my very first order! Mrs. A._’s failure actually jump-started my cookie business.
I have since expanded my repertoire to include cakes, chocolate confections and now cupcakes. But I still enjoy cookies. In fact, when I established my business, I named it Cookie Blossoms.
Recently, my friend M._ asked what sort of party favors can her daughter give away to her classmates on her 10th birthday. Cupcakes are out of the list since one classmate already had them. I suggested extra large chocolate chip cookie pops. While baking one test batch, it occured to me that I have these cookie pop molds. So I baked some double chocolate chip cookies and these were how they looked like:
M._ told me that the children were delighted with the cookie pops and everything was devoured. I’m sure the adults would have loved them, too!
December 15th, 2008
And now it’s time for some shameless self promotion! 
For those outside the Philippines who are asking about how to have these cupcakes delivered to their loved ones here, you can order at Cookie Blossoms, my online store. Also available are other luscious goodies so please feel free to browse. I accept orders from all over the world but delivery is only to the Phillippines.
For those based in the Philippines who are interested in ordering, kindly drop me a note here or contact me at (0917) 6953441 so I can give you the local price list.
Recently, I also installed a tool on this site called Snap Shots which enhances links with visual previews of the destinations site. Sometimes Snap Shots bring you the information you need, without your having to leave my site, while other times it lets you “look ahead,” before deciding if you want to follow a link or not. Should you decide this is not for you, just click the Options icon in the upper right corner of the Snap Shot and opt-out.
Christmas is in the air and I’m gearing myself for more baking. Lately, I have been churning out loads of cookies. Prior to this cookie baking frenzy, I already lost some unwanted pounds since starting an exercise routine. I think I must have gained back those pounds (and more!) with all those cookie “samplings.” Being a cookie monster that I am, I just can’t resist a bite or two especially when it’s an extra large chocolate chip cookie pop “conveniently” sitting beside a large mug of milk. Mmmm . . .
November 27th, 2008
