My little world of tasty treats!
This world is for everyone to share recipes and ideas. Just send me a PM if you would like to be a guest poster ^^ you can post recipes or pictures of things you have cooked, or if you have any food themed art then that is welcome too!
Guest Posters: [Aishia][Angel Zakuro] [fma17] [twilight samurai][SweeTea]
This is my own image how my buttermilk French toast turned out, though I did drown it with grapes and bananas. X) It was one tasty breakfast though.
Thanks Anna for allowing me to guest post. :)
One of the things I enjoy doing is cooking. I'm not a professional at it, but I love experimenting. :D
A few mornings ago I had a strong taste for some French Toast. How I use to make it felt like it was missing something so I wanted to try out something different and found many different recipes...only problem was I didn't have most of the ingredients so I thought about the things I do have in the house and started searching up recipes from those ingredients like buttermilk. :D I ran into this recipe on Epicurious.
Now I must warn I don't personally follow recipes exactly so I'm not 100% sure if following this recipe to a T will be good. So I'll try to add the little things I did. When I cook I mostly go by feeling than exact measurements so yeah...just putting that out there...
:Buttermilk French Toast Recipe:
Random Note: Also since I didn't want to cook 12 slices I cut all ingredients in half. XD
Ingredients
-1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
-4 large eggs
-3 tablespoons sugar
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-12 (1/2-inch-thick) slices challah (from a 1-pound loaf; not end slices)
-4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
Extra Added Ingredients Personally: Cinnamon & vanilla to a taste.
Ingredients Replacement: Instead of using slices of challah, I actually used honey wheat bread which was already slice. Just that normal honey wheat you get from the grocery store. To be more specific Sara Lee's Honey Wheat Bread. lol Though yesterday morning I actually used store brand white bread. <.<; So I think any bread can do really probably can use a healthier choice.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 200°F.
Whisk together buttermilk, eggs, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Pour into a large 4-sided sheet pan, then add bread in 1 layer and soak, turning occasionally, until bread has absorbed all liquid but is not falling apart, about 20 minutes.
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides. Transfer 4 bread slices with a slotted spatula to skillet and cook, turning once, until slightly puffed and golden brown, about 3 minutes total. Transfer to a large shallow baking pan and keep warm in oven. Cook remaining bread in 2 batches, adding 1 1/2 tablespoon butter between batches.
Slight changed: The second time I cooked this, instead of using butter in the skillet I actually substitute it with vegetable oil that I spread and covered the surface with a napkin. I thought it was easier to cook with than butter and doesn't burn as easily (I'm horrible with butter in a skillet for some reason unless I'm cooking a grilled cheese sandwich)...I mean that is what I did, but I'm sure butter works well too or any margarine probably. :) Like I said I love experimenting. - I also don't have a 12-inch skillet so I had to make do with skillets I do have. XD
Result
Well, *points to the picture* that's my result which was the first time I cooked it with the butter. The second time it was more brown than that black because like I said I'm horrible with butter in a skillet, I think I probably just had the skillet to hot so the butter burned a bit quickly or maybe I just left it there too long, but overall it was awesome. :D I drowned it with fruits too which made it more amazing, but my teeth will probably punish me later with all that natural sugar then the sugar in the toast and the syrup. XD lol I actually wanted to make this apple topping my older brother taught me, but we didn't have any brown sugar. So maybe next time when there is brown sugar I can post about that. :)
Another random note, for some reason...when the French toast is cooled or cold to the point of reheating so you reheat it, it tastes better than when it's fresh off the stove. XD I don't know why. <.<; Maybe it's another weird personal thing. XD
Does certain foods taste better to you after you reheat it? XD
Have a nice day. :)
Finally, I decide to post another recipe! From one of my favourite cook books ^^ I halved the recipe as I only had one small banana, and they turned out just fine.
Makes 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
120g plain flour
140g caster sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
A pinch of salt
80g unsalted butter, at room temperature
120ml whole milk
2 eggs (medium)
120g peeled banana, mashed
Chocolate Frosting
300g icing sugar, sifted
100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
40g cocoa powder, sifted
40ml whole milk
40g dark chocolate, grated with a cheese grater into shavings or sprinkles of choice
A 12-hole cupcake tray, lined with paper cases
Preheat the oven to 170oC/325oF/Gas 3.
Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt and butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.
Slowly pour the milk into the flour mixture, beating well until all the ingredients are well mixed. Add the eggs and beat well (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula).
Stir in the mashed bananas by hand until evenly dispersed.
Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until light golden and the sponge bounces back when touched. [I tend to make the frosting/icing while the cakes are baking to save time, if i'm extra speedy I wash the dishes at the same time! Haha]. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the Chocolate Frosting on top and finish with chocolate shavings or sprinkles.
For the Frosting
Beat the icing sugar, butter and cocoa powder together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Turn the mixer down to slow speed. Add the milk to the butter mixture a couple of tablespoons at a time. Once all the milk has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. The longer the frosting is beaten, the fluffier and lighter it becomes.
I have never made carrot cake from scratch before, I have only used packet mix at work, so it has been fun to make a decent cake. [Recipe from here] Actually, my cake is baking in the oven as I type this :D so here is a random internet picture for now, and if my cake looks ok i'll plonk a photo of it here when i'm done.
[Ingredients]
175g Muscovado sugar
175g Sunflower oil
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
140g Grated carrots
100g Raisins
175g Self raising flour
1 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
Grated rind from one orange
[Method]
# Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/fan 160C. Oil and line the base and sides of an 18cm square cake tin with baking parchment. The easiest way to do this is to cut two long strips the width of the tin and put each strip crossways, covering the base and sides of the tin, with a double layer in the base. [I didn't have any baking parchment, so I hope I greased the tin well enough!]
# Tip the sugar into a large mixing bowl, pour in the oil and add the eggs. Lightly mix with a wooden spoon. Stir in the grated carrots, raisins and orange rind.
# Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices, then sift into the bowl. Lightly mix all the ingredients - when everything is evenly amalgamated stop mixing. The mixture will be fairly soft and almost runny.
# Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40- 45 minutes, until it feels firm and springy when you press it in the centre. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn it out, peel off the paper and cool on a wire rack.
[Icing]
125g butter [must be soft]
50g icing sugar
250g cream cheese
Beat together the butter and sugar, then mix in the cream cheese until soft. Chill the mix for a while until it is thick but also spreadable. Spread a thick layer on top of the cake. Enjoy!
Nigella Lawson's Honey Chocolate Cake
The recipe is adapted from her latest book, Feast: Foods to Celebrate Life.
[Ingredients for the Cake]
4 ounces semi or bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
1 1/3 cups light brown sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup honey, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water (I used cola - it really makes a difference!)
[Ingredients for the Sticky Honey Glaze]
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup honey
6 ounces semi sweet chocolate
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
[To make the cake]
Melt the chocolate in the microwave (make sure it doesn't burn) or over boiling water. Set aside to cool slightly.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with wax paper. Sift flour, soda and cocoa together.
Beat together the sugar and butter, until airy and creamy. Add the honey. Add eggs one at a time, adding a tablespoon of flour with each.
Fold in the melted chocolate, followed by the dry ingredients.
Then add the boiling water, mixing well to make a smooth batter.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for one hour, or until a cake tester comes out clean. If the cake is still loose after 45 minutes, yet the top is appears quite cooked, gently lay a piece of foil atop the cake.
Cool cake completely in the pan on a rack. Remove the sides. Invert it onto a cake plate. (If the top stays just perfectly rounded, yes, flip it back over. If it sinks a bit, inverting the cake will mask the problem.) Slide strips wax paper under the edges to keep the plate free of glaze.
This cake is good either with the chocolate-honey glaze, or honey butter. You decide which to use!
[To make the glaze]
Bring honey and water to a boil. Turn off heat and add the chocolate. Let it rest while the chocolate melts, then whisk gently. Sift the sugar into the pan (to avoid lumps) and whisk until smooth.
Make the glaze in plenty of time to let it cool. If you put it on a warm cake or if it is still warm, the glaze will run right off. When the cake is cool and the glaze is room temperature, the honey glaze turns your cake into a shiny, irresistible confection. Slide the paper out from around the edges and serve.
[Honey Butter]
This makes a pretty decent amount, but you can make more or less just by combining equal parts of honey and butter.
2 sticks softened butter, salted or unsalted
1 cup honey
Combine butter and honey in a medium bowl. "Whip the heck out of it," with a hand mixer until mixed and fluffy.
For the ultimate honey garnish, shape yellow marzipan into chubby bee bodies. Then use a toothpick and a bit of glaze to make stripes and slivered almonds for their wings.
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I made this cake last year with Craig. It worked really well, although we had to do some guesswork into how much a cup was, as I didn't have a measuring cup... I also didn't know how much a stick of butter was. I found the recipe on an American website, here in the UK recipes are usually done by weight. I hope this makes sense!
I looked this up in a conversion table, and here we are!
1 stick of butter = 1/4 pound
1 stick of butter = 1/2 cup
1 stick of butter = 8 tablespoons
1 stick of butter = 4 ounces
1 stick of butter = 113 grams
Have fun!
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