Christmas is the best time to show one’s baking prowess. After more than a year of having my column with Adoree and more than six months having my own column, I am sure most of you, my readers are now baking. So for this season of giving, I am sharing with you baked goodies that you will surely enjoy making for your loved ones or better yet make money out of it. That is the main reason I bringing out the article this early so you prepare the ingredients and the packaging materials. Most of these baked items are very reasonably priced using just a hand held mixer to make. There will be more recipes to come so watch out for this. And to all of you, the season will always be special not for the gifts but for continuous support you have showered me all these time and for that I am forever grateful. You know where to find me…..
JDG-CACS
How can Christmas be without the ultimate fudgy and chocolateful brownie, here’s the recipe that has continually tickled my palate.
FUDGE BROWNIES
Ingredients:
150 gms unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup butter
1 ½ cups brown sugar
5 pcs eggs
1 ½ tsps vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
1 cup chopped nuts ( casuy or walnuts )
powdered sugar
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease and line bottom and sides of 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan.
Melt chocolate over simmering water. Set aside to cool.
Cream butter and brown sugar, add in eggs one at a time. Pour in vanilla.
Blend in melted chocolate. Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Add this to mixture but mix by hand. Stir in nuts. Spread mixture evenly in pan. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out with some crumbs but not wet. Cool in the pan for at least two hours, before removing. Cut into 32 bars.
A popular variation to a common cookie favorite, you are going to love me for this…
CHOCNUT CRINKLES
Ingredients:
80 gms semi sweet chocolate,
coarsely chopped
3 tbsps butter ½ cup peanut butter, crunchy 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ tsps baking powder
2 pcs eggs
¾ cup sugar
Confectioner’s sugar
Procedure:
Melt chocolate and butter. While warm, add peanut butter.
Sift all purpose flour and baking powder. Set aside.
Add sugar into the chocolate mixture.
Pour in the eggs one at a time. Stir well
Freeze crinkle batter for at least three hours before scooping. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake cookies for 15 – 18 minutes.
Let’s put some Pinoy ingredient to a classic American cookie, this will make it chewy and so good, it’s unforgiving.
PINOY OATMEAL COOKIES
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped dried mangoes
½ cup warm water
1 cup packed washed sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp baking soda
1 pc egg
1 ½ tsps vanilla
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 ¾ cups old fashioned oatmeal
½ cup chopped casuy nuts
Procedure:
In a bowl, combine warm water and dried mangoes.
Let stand. Drain. Set aside.
Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and baking soda.
Set aside. Cream butter and sugars together. Add egg and vanilla.
Stir in dry ingredients, oatmeal, mangoes, and casuy nuts.
Give a last stir. Scoop using a rounded tablespoon on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 F for about 12 – 15 minutes.
Cool on sheet for 5 minutes, transfer to cookie rack to cool completely.
Will make around 52 cookies.
I know old people love prunes for the basic reason that………..nyek but prunes like raisins is so much a part of the Christmas look and smell..i think….heheh. But I just love my prune bars. Easy to make, you can even ask your balikbayan families and friends to bring them straight from the US.
PRUNE BARS
Ingredients:
200 gms pitted prunes,
coarsely chopped
¾ cup boiling water
2 cups all purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 ½ tsps baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
1 pc egg
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup butter, melted
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and line a 9 x 13 baking pan
Place prunes and boiling water together and let stand untilcool. This make take an hour. Mash lightly.
Stir flour, sugar, walnuts, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Put a well in the center, add egg, melted butter and prune mixture with the liquid.
Mix until evenly moistened.
Pour into baking pan. Bake for an hour or do the toothpick test. Transfer the pan into the wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely. Cut into 32 bars.
