The original leche flan recipe was from my Mom but my sister Lorna reconfigured it to fit her tastes.

The perfect flan is such that when you slice through it, it barely quivers like jello. There is very little syneresis, that is, no weeping (or lots of holes in it!). I am sharing this precious recipe so you may prepare it for your family.

5 eggyolks
2 eggs
1 can condensed milk
1 can water (use the condensed milk’s can for measuring)
1 tbsp. vanilla to add to the mixture
1/4 cup to 1/3 cup sugar for caramelization

Get a pyrex loaf dish (or equivalent oval, square, or round dish).

Caramelize 1/3 cup sugar in it. Use your oven. When the sugar is starting to melt, make sure that you watch carefully. You don’t want the caramel to be too dark or it will taste burnt. Manipulate the dish until you are sure that the caramel is evenly placed on the bottom of the pan. Let the pan rest on the stove top.

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

These are the cooking times:

For the first 45 minutes: 325 degrees Fahrenheit
For the next 20 to 25 minutes, until the toothpick test shows that the flan is done: 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Read more »

Posted: November 1st, 2009 under Baking Recipes, Cakes, Pastries & Desserts, Filipino Delicacies, Recipes, desserts.
Comments: 21

It’s the time of the year when one needs to plan for the holidays. As early as September, I already know what to bake for Christmas. A childhood memory that never fails to remind me of the Christmas season is Fruitcake. I used to bake a lot of fruitcake in the past but the girls never really got around to acquiring a taste for it. They preferred the Gingerbread Man Cookies because of the story behind it after I bake the first batch. That’s my then 16 year old daughter, Lauren when she helped me with my fruitcakes a few years ago. Fruitcake flavor is best when it has been aged for a few months in a cool place (preferably the refrigerator in the Philippines).

For those of you who want to bake Fruitcakes for the Holidays, here is a recipe which I call Golden Fruitcake. I’ve modified this based from my mom’s original fruitcake recipe. My Golden Fruitcake does not have a strong taste of brandy nor is it too sweet. Anyway, there’s a lot of preparation so make sure you run down the list carefully.

Here is my Golden Fruitcake recipe

Read more »

Posted: September 9th, 2009 under Baking Recipes, Cakes, Pastries & Desserts, Christmas.
Comments: 5

I can’t remember where I got this recipe but I think it might have been a TV cooking show with Nora Daza. Oh well, it doesn’t matter how I got the recipe. This recipe is one of the family favorites. The basic shortcake recipe is good for other fillings like Strawberry Shortcake.

If there is no mango available, try canned peaches.

SHORTCAKE:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsps. sugar
3 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter (1/2 bar)
1 beaten egg
2/3 cup full cream evaporated milk
1 tbsp. vanilla

Read more »

Posted: August 2nd, 2009 under Baking Recipes, Cakes, Pastries & Desserts.
Comments: 2

Ube (Purple Yam) Halaya is one of my favorite desserts that I remember with fondness. Mom often prepared Ube Halaya in a pyrex dish. I liked the natural purple color instead of the bright purple color that I often see in commercial ube halaya. The best ube comes from Bohol because of its aromatic fragrance and sweetness. Perhaps, this legend explains the gift granted to the Bohol Ube Kinampay. Kinampay is a kind of ubi, the most expensive kind yet there are many varieties that are named Kinampay. The Bohol Ube Kinampay can be found in Dauis, Panglao, Tagbilaran, Corella and other southwestern towns of Bohol.

Granting you have the Bohol Ube, here is a simple recipe of Ube Halaya prepration. There are many variations that use coconut milk and evaporated milk but I use condensed milk.

Read more »

Posted: June 27th, 2009 under Cakes, Pastries & Desserts, Filipino Food, Recipes, desserts.
Comments: 3

Pancit Molo has got to be the most requested soup dish in small gatherings at home. It’s been quite some time since I cooked Pancit Molo as it takes a lot of preparation as you will see below. But it is all worth it after you see the pleased expressions from your family members. Pancit Molo is best garnished with lots of toasted garlic. So here is the recipe for you to feast on.

Preparation is in three parts: the wrapper (if you want to make your own), the filling and the broth.

Let’s start with the wrapper

1 cup all purpose flour
2 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
Enough cold water to make a dough

1. Place flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center.

2. Add eggs and water in the center of the flour.

3. Work it up to a paste and knead until smooth.

4. Roll thinly with cornstarch.

5. Cut to triangular shapes with 3 inches on two sides and shorter on one side.

Note: You can always buy ready-made wanton wrappers at the vegetable/cold storage section of the supermarket.

Read more »

Posted: May 26th, 2009 under Cakes, Pastries & Desserts, Noodles, Pork, Recipes, kakanin, suman, native rice cakes.
Comments: 4

Pork barbecue is a fast selling food item. It’s easy to cook and convenient for the hungry customer. The only thing I dislike about grilling the pork barbecue is the smoke. In our old neighborhood, I told the maid to grill just outside the gate. Now some passerbys often think we are selling barbecue. Hehe, maybe I will sell them one of these days. Anyway, I prefer my barbecue to be a bit sweet. Here’s my recipe for Pork Barbecue Marinade:

Read more »

Posted: March 19th, 2009 under Cakes, Pastries & Desserts, Filipino Food, Grilled, Pork, Recipes.
Comments: 17

The perfect chocolate cake has just the right amount of that chocolate-ness and fudge icing. I often bake this cake during birthday celebrations. Sometimes my relatives order this cake but I avoid baking for profit. I bake out of love.

Here I will share the cake recipe and the fudge icing.

Read more »

Posted: December 15th, 2008 under Baking Recipes, Cakes, Pastries & Desserts.
Comments: 47

Every Christmas season, I bake “Gingerbread Men Cookies” for my children. Even if they are much older now, the memories and the aroma of molasses, cinnamon and other spices give them a warm cozy feeling. It’s one reason that I’ve continued this tradition year after year. I will share this recipe with you if you want to bake it too.

This recipe is modified for a tropical climate. The original recipe requires immediate rolling after the dough has been made but our tropical heat just makes it gooey to handle.

Read more »

Posted: November 16th, 2008 under Baking Recipes, Cakes, Pastries & Desserts, Celebrations.
Comments: 6

Baking sugar cookies are not my cup of tea. It’s labor intensive. I’d rather bake bar cookies because they are so much easier. You dump all the dry, wet, mix and voila, one gets a yummy cooky. Not with sugar cookies. Whenever I bake sugar cookies, my kids know it’s a labor of love. It’s the love that makes me continue on with this tradition even if they are now adult children. Let me share with you the Christmas Sugar cookies that have been a continuing Christmas tradition for the past twenty years in my family. You can even prepare sugar cookies weeks ahead before you give them to your friends and relatives. Just store them in a cool, dry container.

If you are located in Manila, Philippines, you don’t have to go far to Divisoria to buy your ingredients. You can purchase at Chocolate Lover.

NOTE: The Christmas Sugar Cookie recipe can be used only for your personal use and cannot be posted in your website, blog or any other site, form or means without my WRITTEN permission

Read more »

Posted: November 13th, 2008 under Baking Recipes, Cakes, Pastries & Desserts, Christmas.
Comments: 2

It’s that time of the year when I plan the baked goodies that I plan to give as gifts to my friends. Food for the Gods is such a delightful recipe to bake during the holidays when one doesn’t have the time to bake Fruit Cake. It entails less preparation and baking time. It’s the perfect dessert to prepare beforehand. Baked with a delightful blend of dates and walnuts, molasses, tinge of brandy and cinnamon, the taste is reminiscent of fruit cake sans the fruit glaze. You should try it. It’s simple to bake. Your kitchen will also emit holiday aroma that gives you more reason to keep baking and baking.

Here is my recipe to start you off baking a dessert fit even for gods.

Read more »

Posted: November 11th, 2008 under Baking Recipes, Cakes, Pastries & Desserts, desserts.
Comments: 6

My sister got this from a Southern States recipe book (I believe it was a Georgia recipe)… This is SO good — and so calorific! The calamansi will make the dish slightly sweeter. This is best made with lemons because of the grated lemon peel. I baked Lemon Squares for Christmas and it’s always one of the favorite treats in the family.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

CRUST:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tsps. grated lemon peel

1. Combine the ingredients in a mixer (with the paddle attachment). Beat at low speed for 30 to 90 seconds.

2. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of a 9″ square pan, using floured hands. Make sure that the crust is evenly distributed.

3. Bake at the center of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly brown.

Read more »

Posted: January 30th, 2008 under Baking Recipes, Cakes, Cakes, Pastries & Desserts.
Comments: 1

Sally, my mother started her bakeshop in 1966. Her inspiration came after watching a movie. She noticed that a lot of moviegoers bought “kutsinta” or “puto”. She started with two product lines only. Then one day as a nine year old girl, I find myself being asked to help around the bakeshop. The bakeshop just expanded. Our kitchen was not big enough anymore. Mom built a bakeshop building beside our main house for the baking and packaging. Our home kitchen was used for simpler tasks like a test kitchen.

Regarding our logo, it was Rey Evangelista (ok, he was about 29 years old in 1966 — and he headed the Cebu Jaycees Children’s Art Contest at that time) who designed our logo and tag-line, “It’s Super-D-Licious!” I love the retro look. Our bakeshop was located in Lahug, Cebu City.

Read more »

Posted: January 5th, 2008 under Cakes, Pastries & Desserts, Memory Lane.
Comments: 1