Cooking Project #1: Roasted Chicken

I have only eaten homemade roasted chicken twice. The first time I was in Taguig, living with my relatives and I was tasked to tend to the chicken while it was roasting. I don't remember now how it tasted or if I ever needed to return it for further roasting. My second time was very memorable. Julius and I were married a few days ago and it was the first time that we celebrated the New Year as husband and wife. Even though we had to leave the house at 10 in the evening and go to Taguig where my brother and mother were staying, we still decided to cook to welcome the new year. Julius was so excited. He called my mother-in-law for the recipe and diligently did everything from cleaning the chicken to cutting the vegetables. I watched as he did everything, equally excited as I wait for him to finally put the chicken in the oven.

For my third, I wanted to make it myself. I found a recipe that was not just easy to make but the ingredients were also easy to find. Just one trip to the grocery store and I was ready. And let me tell you, of all the roasted chicken I tasted (including those in restaurants) this by far is the most delicious. I even regretted that I only roasted for three people as I wanted to eat more after I finished the 2nd leg but I had to stop myself as the plate was almost empty.

RECIPE                                                                                                                                                    

One Pan Roasted Chicken

Ingredients

1 lb chicken parts 

1 tbsp butter, softened

half piece of lemon

1 tsp dried thyme

salt

pepper

vegetables (whatever you want)

Direction

1. Preheat oven at 425 deg F.
2. Clean the chicken and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a clean bowl, mix butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and thyme until well blended. Smear on the chicken.
4. Place the chicken on a roasting pan (uncovered) and put in the oven for 50-60 minutes. Halfway through remove the pan from the oven and scatter the vegetables around. Replace into the oven and continue roasting. Pierce the chicken to check if it's done.

Baking Project #9: Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake. I am fascinated with the red velvet cake. The red cake is such a huge contrast to the white frosting. And the cream cheese frosting itself, can stand on its own. I swear, I can eat all of it little by little. But as fascinated as I am with the red velvet cake, I am actually afraid to make it AGAIN. I’d made it once and the top of the cake looked like a volcano crater. It just wouldn’t bake through. I even returned it in the oven and baked it twice the baking time but the result was the same. The side was already burnt but the top didn’t change much.  It was such a huge failure and made me think that it’s a very technical cake. And since I never went to a baking school, I thought I will just always fail.

Three years later, I was searching for a cake recipe that I could try. And thanks to Pinterest (again!) I found the one that I just knew would turn into a successful and delicious velvety cake. And I was right. The color, the texture and the taste it wasn’t just good, it was great. If you’re into red velvet cakes, you may try this recipe.

RECIPE__________________________________________________________________________

Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients:

For the cake

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 oz. red food coloring

  

For the cream cheese frosting

8 oz cream cheese
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions:

For the cake

1.       Preheat oven to 175 ^oCelsius.

2.       Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans.

3.       Lightly stir eggs in a medium bowl with a wire whisk. Add remaining liquid ingredients and whisk until blended. Set aside.

4.       In the bowl of your mixer sift together all dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on medium-high for about a minute or until completely combined.

5.       Pour into cake pans and then drop the pans on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.

6.       Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

7.       After about ten minutes, remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

For the cream cheese frosting

Beat butter until fluffy. Add the cream cheese and mix until blended. Little by little and at low speed, add in powdered sugar. Beat in vanilla. 

Recipe for the red velvet cake was adapted from: Bakerella

Baking Project #8: Chocolate Crinkles

When I was still in college and living with my relatives, I used to see a plate of crinkles on the table almost weekly. My aunt was moonlighting with her baked goods so it's common to see brownies and tarts in the house. When I left and lived on my own, that hobby was passed on (or acquired?) to my uncle who had to retire early as per his doctor's advise. But if there's one person who was greatly influenced by seeing my aunt baked, it was her daughter, my cousin Jana whom by the way is my favorite.

Anyway, despite seeing those crinkles I never got one and took a bite. Five years in college followed by more years of working and never once did I buy myself a piece. Don't get me wrong, despite it's simplicity I was really enticed by the black and white combination. I just know deep down that it's delicious. However I can't figure out why I haven't tasted it before.

But thanks to Pinterest(!) I saw a lot of photos and recipes (!!!) of crinkles. I tried one and loved it so much I'm not trying anything else (am I missing out a lot???). As of today, I already baked them twice. But yesterday when I went to Shopwise, I saw a load of crinkles being sold and I realized that mine are small in sizes. Tee hee! Well, lesson learned. 

And oh by the way, they'll be making their way to Julian's first brithday! I'm already preparing for it.

If you're interested, here's the recipe: 

Ingredients:

1 cup cocoa powder (I used dutch processed)

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs (room temperature)

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp espresso powder 

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup confectioner's sugar

Directions:

1. In a bowl, using a wooden spoon, beat together the cocoa powder, sugar and oil until they combine and becomes shiny and gritty.

2. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat well.

3.In  a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and espresso powder. Mix into the chocolate mixture until just combined. Cover the dough and place it in a freezer for two hours.

4. Preheat oven to 350 deg F and line two baking sheets with parchment papers. Place the confectioner's sugar in a bowl. Using a spoon, get a clump of the chilled dough and roll in into a 1-inch sized ball using your hands. Roll the ball in the confectioner's sugar and place in the baking sheet. Do the same until you fill the whole sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool for a minute in the baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Note: I recommend that you cover your hands with confectioner's sugar before rolling the dough or some of it will stick in!

For printable version, click here.

P.S. Chocolate Glazed Cake

Baking Project # 7: 9th Month Birthday Cake

I don't know the reason behind this but from my hometown, they believed that once someone becomes a godmother to your child, you can't be a godmother to her child as well. As it turned out, my closest of friends are Julian's godmothers. So there goes my dream to become a godmother to their children. 

Early this year, my friend gave birth to her son Bryze and he was baptized a few months later. I am honestly jealous that he'll get to call my other friends "ninang" and I won't ever hear it from him. But anyway, I still get to spoil him with my presence as we live only about five minutes away. I used to jive Julian's pedia appointment with his schedule but their pedia is not someone who hurries the consultation (unlike what I observed with my former OB) so one of us had to wait another hour before we can leave. And with other patients at the reception area waiting for their turn, it could get tiring and fearful trying to hold on to Julian as he run around while I hope that he doesn't bump into chairs, other toddlers or the older patients.

Bryze breezed into his 9th month last Saturday and I baked a cake for him. We brought the cake to their house but had to leave early as Julian wasn't feeling well. If you noticed, I do love sprinkles on cake. If I could get away with it, I'd top all cakes with them. But of course I have to choose the appropriate occasion for them and a baby's birthday is just right for it.

RECIPE                                                                                                                                                    


Birthday Cake

Ingredients:

For the cake

    1 cup butter, softened
    1/2 cup vegetable oil
    2 1/2 cups sugar
    5 eggs, room temperature
    3 cups all purpose flour, sifted
    1/2 tsp baking powder
    1/4 tsp salt
    1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
    2 tsp vanilla

For the buttercream

   1 cup salted butter, softened
   4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
   2 Tbsp heavy cream
   2 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

For the cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F (175 deg C). Line 2 8-inch round pans with parchment paper and grease well. 
2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. 
3. Cream together butter and oil until well combined and fluffy. Add sugar one cup at a time and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time making sure to fully incorporate each egg before adding another. Scrape the bottom of the bowl, if necessary. Add the flour mixture alternately with buttermilk in three additions, beginning and ending with the dry mixture. Beat in vanilla. Beat batter on high for 5 seconds until everything is fully incorporated.
4. Equally divide into prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pans for 5 minutes. Run a spatula or knife around the edge of the pans and transfer to cooling racks. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

1. Beat butter until pale and fluffy. Slowly mix powdered sugar. Add heavy cream and beat well. Mix in vanilla and beat on high until the desired consistency is attained. Add food color if desired. 

Notes: 

      You can use unsalted butter but I find the result too sweet to my liking so I switched to salted butter. Salted butter softened faster than the salted one.