Happy Halloween!!!

Next to Christmas, Halloween is my next favorite holiday. Though while growing up I didn't get the chance to Trick or Treat because during those days it wasn't the norm here.  This makes me sound so old! (^_^) Unlike now since there are a lot of Filipinos who have adopted the American traditions, Halloween is a big thing for kids, with their mum or dad in tow, they get to have lots and lots of candy and they get to dressed up in cute or scary looking outfits. They just look so adorable! But of course when I was a child I don't like Halloween because it means scary movies are being shown in the telly and that I have to deduct one day from my precious school vacation to visit and pay my respect to our relatives. I hated the sweltering heat of the sun and the stench of the people since it was always so hot. Now that I'm a grown up I don't hate it as much since it only takes half a day and we are finished. Maybe when I was a kid it was half a day too however since it seems like it took forever before we get back home, in my memory it seems like a whole day.

With many Filipinos being Americanized and following their traditions,  more and more retail stores now sells Halloween themed items like different costumes, and decors. What really have me jumping for joy are the themed cookie cutters and the sprinkles that I recently purchased. They just look so cool I can't help myself! I know I got sucked in my the cute packaging and the vibrant colors but but... nothing I have no excuse, all I can say is that I enjoyed myself. Shopping is therapy you know... :)

To celebrate this occasion, I imagined myself making a Halloween cake, range colored cake with dark chocolate frosting. I did my research and look for something what I had in mind online but to no avail, I decided on making other things like a Halloween decorated cupcake or a cookie but the image of the cake that I want keeps popping in my head. I threw caution to the wind and made a Martha Stewart Yellow Cake and a Chocolate ganache. The Yellow cake turned orange cake is a bit denser than what I was expecting. I'm not sure if there is something wrong with my leavening agent or its what suppose to be. The color turned out quite softly colored orange rather than the shocking orange that I was going for. The chocolate ganache isn't as dark as it should be but taste great. I mean, its chocolate so it taste great. I might be too critical with this cake but in the end it still a good cake, not my favorite but a good :D

YELLOW CAKE
Adapted from Martha Stewart

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter parchment, and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. Into a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined after each addition.
3. Divide batter between the prepared pans, and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto the rack; peel off the parchment. Reinvert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

• 8 oz chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream

1. Heat heavy cream in a saucepan or microwave.
2. Pour hot cream mixture over the chocolate, make sure that the chocolates are submerged in the hot cream. Let it stand for 5 minutes.
3. Mix the chocolate-cream mixture until just combined. Cover with clingfim and stick it in the fridge until the mixture is cooled and a bit firm.
4. Using the whisk attachment of the mixer, whisk the chocolate-cream mixture until it's all light and fully but still cold.
5. Can be used at once or if a bit melted stick it in the fridge for couple of minutes and use to frost the cake.

First Carrot Cake

When the book Sweeter Side of Amy’s Bread first came to print, I was on my cookbook diet then I was saving up to by a Macbook. So I convinced myself that I didn’t need another cookbook. However, every now and then, I found myself searching online for recipes from this book and whenever I find wander through the aisle of my local bookstore, I kept looking longingly on it, kept checking to see if its finally on sale. Finally got fed up with the waiting game, I saved up and luckily just in time for the annual sale J How cool is that? It took me a few months of saving and a few years of putting it off and now I got a copy of the book.

Being a huge sucker for girly looking cake, you’d think the first thing I would try is the pink swirly frosted cake. Nope…the carrot cake got my attention. I must admit this is my first carrot cake that I bake…ever! Being in a household of chocoholics, I most often make anything with chocolate in it. Always fearing that my family wouldn’t eat it and my effort would be all for nothing. As my little brother grew older, I started baking non-chocolate sweets like blueberry muffins, banana breads, lemon torte… At first, they were not appreciated but then when I told my little brother that I will only bake once a week and only if the item that I made the week before is gone. At first he was hesitant but little by little he gives in and tries whatever I make. He now eats blueberries and even my lemon torte is quite popular with my family. 

Now back to the star of this post Carrot Cake, as I was hand grating the carrots I kept asking myself why am I doing this again? What’s so special about this? My answer was because I want to! J That’s the only thing that is time consuming in this whole process, after that it was easy kind of like making a muffin, where all the wet ingredients are mixed first, then the dry and lastly combine them together. An odd thing I noticed that my cake looks kind of orangey, I don’t think they are suppose to look like that but then it still taste ok, a bit on the dry side though.

What I love in this age of technology with the variety of social networking within our reach, I was able to contact the author and ask her idea what might have happened. Sure enough she said maybe I overcooked it.  Next time I’m going to try this again and try to take it out of the oven few minutes earlier than what I did with this one.  Though I forgot to ask her about the cake’s coloring…oh well there is always a next time.

While eating this you can delude yourself by saying that its healthier but then again with the thick luscious duvet of cream cheese frosting I would say not so much but still it taste good!

Blueberry Smoothie

This may not look very delicious but I promise you that it taste good! It's even good for you, full of anti oxidant since this is pack full of blueberries! One of my favorite fruit from the berry family. Its cool and refreshing too! A warning though don't drink too fast or else...brain freeze!!!

If you have a handful of blueberries lying about the fridge of the deep freeze, this is definitely a must try specially if you had a bad week and just want to indulge to sooth away the bad vibes ^_^ 

BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIES

• 1 1/2 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
• 1 cup milk
• handful of ice cubes

1. In a blender, combine the frozen blueberries and milk, puree until every berries are crushed and the milk would turn this lovely purple color.
2. Put in a handful of ice cubes, depending on how icy you want the smoothie.
   Warning: Be sure that your blender's blade is capable of crushing ice.
3. Enjoy!