Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Have some brown and mushy bananas in your fruit bowl? Well, you can put them into good use with this Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe! There are a lot of wonderful things to turn overripe bananas into like Banana Bread with Walnut Crumble, Banana Cream Pie Shake, Banana Caramel Chocolate Chip Bars, Almond Banana Cake, Banana Cream Trifle but I think this is the one that my daughters love the most. It's really good, that's why!

These cookies are soft, chewy and really tasty! They have the goodness of chocolate chip cookies with the added flavor of banana. Who wouldn't love that? My daughters enjoy having these cookies for snacks and they love bringing it to school for lunch dessert. 

Such wonderful treats! You should try it!

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

Thanksgiving is here once again...a day when many of us sit together with family and friends to give thanks for all the blessings and the same time, enjoy a wonderful meal. Whether you're celebrating at the comfort of your own home or at someone else's house, this Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake will surely add delight to your celebration!

This combines the goodness of cheesecake and pumpkin pie in one gorgeous and tasty treat, and will truly give you another reason to be thankful!

Try it and let me know what you think!

Wishing you all a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Blessings from our home to yours!

Bûche de Noël

Only 9 days left before Christmas! Aren't you excited??? Honestly, I am! Christmas has always been my most favorite Holiday for so many reasons...and that includes the fact that it's my birthday! And this year, I'll get to celebrate it again with my only brother! It has been five years since we last spent Christmas together, so I am truly ecstatic about it! For me, nothing makes Christmas merrier (and my birthday happier) than celebrating it with the ones truly close to my heart! I'm sure it's how it works for you as well. :)

Anyway, before I totally get carried away with excitement, let me share with you what I made for this month's Baking Partners Challenge. Just like last year, the theme for December is Christmas Cake. If last year I made Neapolitan Christmas Cake, this time it's this gorgeous Bûche de Noël from Williams-Sonoma as suggested by Tanusree of Ma Niche. We were given five recipes to choose from, but this one seemed to be the easiest to make so I went for it! The cake didn't turn out as soft as I expected it to be, but as a whole, this Bûche de Noël was awesome! I'll be making it again for our Christmas Eve dinner, but I guess I will have to use the sponge cake recipe that I normally use. 

A Bûche de Noël or Yule Log is a traditional dessert served on Christmas, especially in France and several other francophone countries and former French colonies. It is traditionally made from a genoise or other sponge cake baked in a large Swiss roll pan, frosted, rolled to form a cylinder, and frosted again on the outside. The most common combination is a basic yellow sponge cake, frosted and filled with chocolate buttercream; however, many variations on the traditional recipe exist, possibly including chocolate cakes, ganache and espresso or otherwise-flavored frostings and fillings. Bûches are often served with a portion of one end of the cake cut off and set on top of the cake or protruding from its side to resemble a chopped off branch, and bark-like texture is often produced in the buttercream for further realism. This is often done by dragging a fork through the icing. These cakes are often decorated with powdered sugar to resemble snow, tree branches, fresh berries, and mushrooms made of meringue. 

Bûche de Noël is both festive and delicious which makes it perfect for the season! If you are like me who's always in the mood for baking during the holidays, you should try it!

Pumpkin Pecan Bundt Cake and Being #CartonSmart

I'm pretty sure that just like me, you've noticed that more and more products in Tetra Pak® cartons (from beverages to broths, soups, sauces and even dog food) are filling the supermarket shelves. Well, that is the result of manufacturers embracing Tetra Pak® containers  because of their environmental friendliness and portability. And with more and more consumers realizing that this form of packaging is highly functional because it provides easy handling, easy storage and easy consumption, we can all expect to see more products in Tetra Pak® cartons.

So what exactly are Tetra Pak® cartons and what are they made of? Well, Tetra Pak® cartons are containers which are intended to keep products fresh and delicious for a long period of time without the need for preservatives. They were first launched in 1952 by the Swedish food packaging and processing company, Tetra Pak. They are widely used around the world and was introduced in the US in the early 1980's. 

Tetra Pak® cartons give products long shelf life through their special layers which include the following:

1) Internal polyethylene layer which seals in the liquid

2) Polyethylene layer which is needed for lamination process

3) Aluminium foil which provides a barrier to oxygen, flavours and light
4) Polyethylene adhesion layer which is needed for lamination process
5) Paperboard which gives stability and strength
6) Polyethylene layer which protects food from external moisture

Tetra Pak® cartons are made of 70% paper, a renewable resource, from selectively harvested, re-grown trees that are FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified. They are recyclable and in fact result in 60% less landfill waste than cans. The goodness of this type of packaging doesn't end here. They are also light and compact and offers greater packaging efficiency, holding 96% contents in just 4% packaging. So products in Tetra Pak® cartons ship more efficiently, requiring fewer trucks which means less fuel and energy, resulting in reduced CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. A lot of consumers prefer them because they are very easy to handle and they are easy to stack and store in the pantry. And the best thing is that they keep the food in its original flavor and free from metal taste that canned foods have. Considering all these, it's clear that choosing products in Tetra Pak® cartons is a way to live smart. Not only are you helping the environment in your small way, you are also making sure that you are eating fresh tasting and BPA-free food.

Banana Caramel Chocolate Chip Bars with Cream Cheese Glaze

Bananas are among our favorite fruits so we always have them at our house. I usually buy a dozen per week and most of the time, we are out of it in just 3 days. But there are times when we end up with a bunch of brown spotted bananas. Not wanting them to go to waste, I usually turn those overripe bananas into banana bread, banana cream pie shake and sometimes into banana chocolate cake, banana trifle or banana bars like these... 

They look pretty, don't they? Well, these Banana Caramel Chocolate Chip Bars aren't just pretty...they're also delicious and very easy to make! It's a cross between a chocolate chip cookie and banana bread with the added goodness of caramel. I'm sure you'll love them! And with the added Cream Cheese Glaze the banana bars will even be more wonderful!

The next time you have a bunch of overripe bananas in your fruit bowl, don't throw them and try this recipe instead! Overripe bananas may not be the best for eating out of hand, but when it comes to these baked treats, they couldn't be better! 

Glazed Lemon Bars

The other weekend, we went to a party...and the hubs fell in love with the Glazed Lemon Bars our friend, Christy made. Ryan is a big fan of anything lemon flavored so it wasn't a surprise when he asked me to get the recipe so I can make it for him at home. 

Well, Christy was kind enough to share the recipe which she got from Sweet Anna's. I tried it last Thursday, and that made not just Ryan, but also my eldest daughter (who just like her dad loves lemon flavored goodies) really happy! 

Since we've already tried these lemon bars at the party and I already knew that everything is just perfect for Ryan and Clarise's taste buds, I didn't change a thing in the recipe. The only thing I did differently was to make the batter using a stand mixer instead of doing it manually, and that resulted in a more compact and less airy texture. I also baked it longer (40 mins) because Ryan wants his lemon bars to have brown edges.

These Glazed Lemon Bars are not only delicious...they are also very simple and quick to make. You should try it!

Peach Upside Down Cake

Found some overripe peaches while cleaning the ref yesterday. I didn't want them to go to waste..so I made this delicious Peach Upside Down Cake!

And guess what? The cake is three quarters gone already. I guess that describes how much we love Peach Upside Down Cake! My daughters couldn't even wait for it to completely cool down, so it was still warm when I inverted it onto the cake stand. The result --- half of the peach topping got stuck...that's why the top looks kinda ruined. Well, it's really no big deal...the cake was still a big hit! 

By the way, I used the same recipe as the Pineapple Upside Down Cake from Goldilocks Bakebook for this one. This will also work well with nectarines and pears. You should try it!

Russian Honey Cake (Medovik)

A year ago, my blogger friend, Swathi Iyer of Zesty South Indian Kitchen, invited me to be a part of Baking Partners, a baking group which aims to give home bakers like me the chance to learn the techniques in making perfectly baked homemade goodies. I've always wanted to improve my baking skills so I said yes without second thoughts. After 11 challenges, (should be 12 but I wasn't able to join last month's challenge) I can proudly say that baking does not intimidate me anymore. I am confident with my baking skills now more than I've ever been before I joined Baking Partners, and for that, I am truly grateful! To Swathi and the rest of my friends at Baking Partners, thank you so much...I'm am happy to be part of this group and I want to wish you all a Happy Anniversary!

For our anniversary challenge, we were given two cake recipes to choose from i.e., Lemon Glow Chiffon Cake and Russian Honey Cake (Medovik). The latter is all new to me so that's what I chose. The recipe was suggested by Humi of Gheza-e-shiriin. I followed her recipe suggestion from AZ Cookbook...and I was so happy with the result! This was the first time my family and I have ever tried this kind of cake, and we were all amazed at how delicious it was! For those of you who haven't heard of Russian Honey Cake or what's known as Medovik, it is a layered cake that is very popular in Russia which is made of thin biscuit layers that are baked to perfect gold and are slathered with luscious cream made of either dulce de leche (caramelized condensed milk and butter) or sour cream. For this one, I used dulce de leche which is my youngest daughter's favorite... and according to her, this is the yummiest cake she has ever tasted! ^.^

I strongly recommend that you try this cake. For those who loves Sansrival, I'm sure you'll love this too! It has a melt-in-your-mouth goodness that you just can't resist!

Mango Sticky Rice Dessert

In my last post, I've mentioned that my family and I soooo love mangoes. I guess now you'll  believe that what I said is true...'coz I'm posting another mango recipe again! But truth be told, this classic Thai dessert that I am sharing with you today is one mango treat that  only yours truly enjoy eating. The first time we tried this at a Thai restaurant, I fell in love with it. Unexpectedly, the hubs and my daughters didn't. They just took a small bite and ate banana roll with ice cream instead.

This is the third time I made Mango Sticky Rice at home. The first two times, they ate the mango toppings but left the sticky rice so I ended up throwing most of it. The day after last Mother's Day, I was craving for it badly...and even though all I had that time were three small ripe mangoes, I decided to make it just so I could satisfy my cravings. I didn't want this lovely dessert to go to waste so after enjoying a serving, I decided to give the rest to a friend who loves Mango Sticky Rice as much as I do. As expected, Ryan and the girls didn't mind. :) 

For the mango lovers out there, try this! It's really good and very simple to prepare. Ryan and the girls said they agree with me that it's yummy...they just don't like eating mango and sticky rice together. :) As for me, I must say I soooo love this combo. :) 

Mango Cake with Mango Cream Frosting

Summer is almost here...and do you know what that means? Mangoes are in season again! And yes, that makes my family and I sooooo happy! We love mangoes, you know. Though we enjoy eating it plain, we also love savouring this delicious fruit in different forms. We love making salad, ice cream, milk shakes and ice candy with it.  Indeed, the wonderful taste of ripe mangoes never fail to amaze our taste buds. 

Last weekend, I found a good deal and I decided to get more than 2 dozens of Ataulfo mangoes from the store. After making mango shake and popsicles, I thought of making something more special. I'm talking about this Mango Cake with Mango Cream Frosting...

Mango Cake has always been my favorite. Same with Ryan. When we were still in the Philippines, birthday celebrations and other special occasions won't be complete without Red Ribbon Bakeshop's Mango Cake --- a white chiffon cake layered with light mango cream filling and frosting with real mango bits, topped with fresh mango slices.  The fact that I miss it badly inspired me to make this cake the other day. Instead of a regular chiffon cake, I thought of tweaking the recipe in my Goldilocks Bakebook to make a chiffon mango cake. Mango overload you might think! Well, I tell you, the outcome was so good that the cake was gone in no time. Ryan and the girls loved it so much...and of course, I did too! The cake was so soft and mango-eey...and the mango cream frosting was amazing. It has the right amount of sweetness that complements the cake so well!

For the mango lovers out there, this is for you...You should definitely try it! 

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Of my two daughters, Cherlin (the youngest) is the one who shows more interest in  both cooking and baking. Whenever she's at home, you'll see her helping me in the kitchen --- preparing/measuring/passing the ingredients, cracking eggs, mixing, stirring, sauteing and even slicing and chopping vegetables. Instead of reading story books, she prefers spending time looking at cookbooks and devouring its pages. Honestly, I am fine with that. I remember I was like her when I was little. The only difference is that, my mom didn't have as much cookbooks as I have now...and the cookbooks she had that time didn't have as much photos and were in black & white. :) 

Last Monday, I saw her looking into my Goldilocks Bakebook. She was so quiet and seemed so engrossed flipping through the pages when out of the blue, she burst out "Hmmmm...I want to make this, mommy!". I was kinda surprised to see that she was referring to a Pineapple Upside Down Cake. She doesn't even like pineapple...she says it makes her tongue itchy, and now she wants to bake a Pineapple Cake??! I knew she hates pineapple and I was sure it's just the photo that she found appealing...so I asked her several times if she really wants it, and she kept saying YES. Well, I can't blame her --- the photo was mouthwatering indeed! To cut the story short, I gave in to her request. Yesterday, when she got home from school, we baked a Pineapple Upside Down Cake together...and this is how it turned out...

Does it look delicious to you? Well, it really is! And Cherlin (as well as the hubs and my eldest daughter) said, it looks even better than the one in the Goldilocks Cookbook. :) 

Nutella Magic Cake

I've been seeing a lot of Magic Cakes on the web since March...and honestly, I wasn't so interested. But when I found the Nutella Magic Cake at Kirbie's Cravings, I knew I have to try it! You see, we're big Nutella fans in this family.  We eat it with toasts, bagels, pancakes, waffles, crepes, crackers, ice cream, strawberries, bananas, and even apples. We bake with it, make desserts with it, use it as a dip...and sometimes, we would just eat it plain on a spoon. It's just so good and addicting, you know! And the thought of how yummy a Nutella Magic Cake could be, was enough to make me jump on the Magic Cake bandwagon!

So what is so magical about this cake, you may ask. Well, if you can see in the photo above, the cake has three layers...i.e., sponge cake on top, custard in the middle and fudge at the bottom. But would you believe that it was made from a single batter? Yes, you read it right! This cake was made from one batter that magically turned into 3 layers while baking...and that is why it is called Magic Cake. Of course, there's no magic involved here at all. It's actually Science that made it happen. Though I am no scientist to explain it fully, I think density has something to do with the layering that took place. Being less dense, the part with the meringue (beaten egg whites) went to the top of the cake, the part with the egg yolks and milk which is more dense went to the middle and the Nutella part which is the most dense settled at the bottom. Oh well, no matter what the scientific explanation behind this Magic Cake is, I must say that it turned out really amazing...and in the eyes of my daughters, there really was magic in it! :) 

I've read that some who have tried the original version think that it tastes like a chiffon cake lacking flavor...so I'm glad I made the Nutella version. At first, I was afraid that I will end up having only two layers as what happened to some. I was looking through the sides of the baking dish, and all I could see are two visible layers...but when I sliced it,  there were indeed 3 layers! It was so awesome and beautiful to look at! And the best part is --- IT WAS SO DELICIOUS! You really can't go wrong with Nutella!

Sugar Crusted Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Muffins

It was my eldest daughter's 11th birthday last April 9, and she requested that I make these Sugar Crusted Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Muffins which she really loves! Of course, I granted her request...

I baked a dozen thinking that it would be enough 'coz she only invited four of her close friends. But just a few minutes after I took them out of the oven, the hubs ate a piece, and then another. And when Clarise and Cherlin got home from school, both of them ate two pieces each for snack...and then Ryan ate another one. So, there were only 5 pieces left and the party hasn't even started yet. I didn't have time to make another batch so Clarise suggested that we just keep the remaining ones instead of serving them to her friends. Please, don't think that my daughter was being selfish...she just loves them so much! You know, these muffins are really good...so you just can't help coming back for more. I found the recipe for this over a year ago at Simply Scratch and I've been making it often since then. The sugary, crispy crust and the soft chocolatey  texture inside made my whole family fall in love with these muffins! Too bad, Clarise's friends didn't get the chance to try them! Oh well, I also baked a chocolate chip cookie cake and regular size cookies per Clarise's request, so I guess that's more than enough chocolate chip treats for her friends! Besides, I noticed they weren't really concerned about the food. I think being able to spend time with each other chatting, playing and singing was all they really cared about. 

Chocolate Mousse

What I have for you today is a family favorite dessert that I'm sure you'll love. I'm talking about this irresistible Chocolate Mousse, the recipe of which I got from Laura Vitale. I must admit that I used to enjoy making the quick chocolate mousse version that uses gelatin as binder, but after I tried this recipe, there's no way I'm making the quick version again! This is the real thing, very light and airy just like how a real chocolate mousse should be. This has been part of every special dinner in our house since I found the recipe early last year. It tastes divine, I tell yah! Even those who say they don't like chocolates would definitely love this! 

If making chocolate mousse intimidates you, I'm sure this will help you overcome that! Making chocolate mousse isn't difficult at all. The only difficult part is trying to keep yourself from eating it while it sets! :)

Have a lovely Monday everyone!

French Macarons with Chocolate Ganache Filling

Making French Macarons has been in my to-try list since I started blogging...but I've read so much about how finicky it is to make. I even remember reading in one article that "making French Macarons takes skill and is not advised for novice bakers". That intimidated me and I decided to just set aside my dream of being able to serve my daughters homemade French Macarons. I was already contented of just buying these treats from a nearby store at $1.50 per small piece (1 inch in diameter) or $12 per dozen...and I never thought I would ever dare to try making them myself! Thanks to my friends at Baking Partners, especially to Vidhya of A Portion to Share and Swathi of Zesty South Indian Kitchen who chose the theme for this month's challenge. Because of them, I was inspired to turn a long time dream into a reality...and now I know that making French Macarons at home is totally do-able and actually not that hard! The troubleshooting guide from Foodnouveau and  howtocookthat's YouTube video provided me everything a first timer French Macaron baker should know! 

I followed a simple French Macaron recipe from Martha Stewart which only requires a few ingredients. I couldn't find almond flour so I decided to just make use of blanched slivered almonds and ground them myself. I've read before that grinding blanched almonds in a food processor won't work. They need to be ground in a special way that prevents them from becoming oily, so I thought I'd use a coffee grinder. Well, it worked well for me. 

All the tutorials I've read suggested that to be more accurate, weighing the ingredients is better compared to just measuring them in cups. I stick to using cups though, but I see to it that everything is exactly measured. I must say that I really had a great first time experience in making French Macarons, and I've learned that if you just measure everything accurately and not over beat the meringue nor over mixed the batter, even the most novice baker can make good French Macarons! The only difficulty I had was shaping them into equal sizes. I even printed templates for 1 inch circles and put them between the cookie sheet and the non-stick parchment paper that I lined it with...but my macs still came out in different sizes. :) Oh well, you can't expect much from a first timer, right? But my daughters said my macs tasted a lot better compared to these ones they usually eat. 

Lengua De Gato

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, so I thought I'd bring you another Filipino favorite to sweeten your celebration. Known as Lengua De Gato, these thin buttery sugar cookies shaped like cat’s tongue can make a wonderful treat for the sweet ones in your life...

In the Philippines, Lenguas De Gato which are usually packed in a clear plastic jar with yellow lid, are a favorite “pasalubong” (homecoming gift), and you can find them in bus terminals, roadside pasalubong stalls and now, even in the mall and grocery stores. I haven't had these treats for years, so when I saw a recipe for Lengua De Gato in my new Goldilocks Bakebook, I was so anxious to try it! I immediately made two batches, one with the regular butter flavor...and the other one, with a hint of chocolate. They're really easy to make. The only thing I found difficulty with is making them into equal size cat's tongues. :) I also noticed that the plain butter ones didn't turn out as yellowish as they're supposed to be. I even added one egg yolk to the recipe, but they still turned out pale. But they are delicious and close enough to the Lengua De Gato I've always loved. Try it yourself...I'm sure that like me, you will love their melt-in-your-mouth goodness! 

Wishing you all a HAPPY VALENTINE"S DAY!

Mocha Cake for PiTCC's 2nd Anniversary

Wow...2 years??! I still remember the day I decided to start this blog...I was full of hesitations...but I was stubborn enough to give in to my dream of having my own recipe site...and I am so glad I did! Not only did I meet great people and made new friends, I've also learned a ton, and I got the chance to share with the whole world something that I love to do --- COOKING, that is!  I am truly amazed when I think about it and how far Pinay in Texas Cooking Corner has gone in the past two years. And even though I haven't been active last year as I was during the first year, our readership increased 5X...and to date, PiTCC has already been visited by people from 189 countries! That, for me, is a big accomplishment!  

I want to dedicate this post to all of you, without whom Pinay in Texas Cooking Corner would simply not be what it is today. A big thanks to each and every one of you for giving me all the support and encouragement that kept me inspired in the past two years. Your comments and e-mails have always made me happy and smile, and for that I am thankful! Knowing that I am able to help in my own little way through recipe sharing gives me so much joy! It has truly been a fruitful two years for PiTCC, and I owe it to all of you!

Come celebrate PiTCC's second birthday with me as we all enjoy this delicious Mocha Cake...

Adapted from Goldilocks Bakebook, this Mocha Cake will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth. The mocha flavor for both the cake and the frosting is just awesome! I topped  the cake with Chocolate Truffles for a more fabulous finish and for an added bittersweet taste. I tell you it made the cake even more irresistible! But you can of course decorate it as you please! :)

Chocolate Cake with Cherry Cream Cheese Frosting

More than two decades ago, I prayed for someone who will love me truly...and yes, God answered that prayer! He gave me Ryan...the man who has been by my side for the past 19 years and who's now my husband and father of my two beautiful girls. He is all that I've asked for and many more...he's a wonderful and loving husband, a great father, a good and loyal lover and friend, and above all that, my hero and strength. I'm truly lucky to be blessed with a man like him in my life.

Today is his birthday, and as he turns 39, all I wish and pray is that God will keep him healthy and give him long life so we could spend more wonderful years together. I can’t remember life before him, and I never want to imagine life without him.  I love him so much and growing old with him is one of those things that I truly look forward to...

Because it's a special day, I want to share something special with you! This is one of Ryan's favorites among the few cakes that I make. It's a simple chocolate cake which is actually the same one I made for Clarise's birthday last year but the filling/frosting is what makes it a big hit to Ryan! It's freshly made cherry compote mixed with cream cheese...which are both Ryan's favorite. Does it sound good to you??? Well, I tell you, it really is!

As you join me in wishing Ryan a happy birthday, check out this recipe and see for yourself the goodness that this cake has to offer...

Ultimate Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies

It's the 15th of the month again...and that means it's time to share with you what we made at Baking Partners! The theme for this month's challenge is...

Yes, COOKIES!!! And I got the privilege of selecting one of the three recipes that we could choose from...and I went for this Ultimate Cream Cheese Cookies recipe from Baked Owners Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.

I've tried making these cookies before (when I first got my Food & Wine Best of the Best Cookbook Recipes Vol. 14) and I want my friends at Baking Partners to experience its melt-in-your-mouth goodness, hence I chose this recipe. This is very easy to make and the end result is fabulously delicious! You will definitely love the wonderful combination of chocolate and cream cheese in it! It has a very rich flavor and a distinctively chewy texture, and really good by itself...but my daughters insisted that we put frosting on it. Well, I gave in to their request. I made a white chocolate, cream cheese glaze and I let them decorate some of the cookies. I included the glaze recipe here just in case you would like to try it too! 

Some of my friends at Baking Partners made Cornflake Cookies and some others made Homemade Oreo Cookies. Wish I had the time to try them out too! They look really good! Be sure to check them out too! 

Guest Post at Nava-K.com Featuring Suman sa Lihiya

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

I am glad to be doing another guest post today. This time it's for my Malaysian friend, Nava who has this very wonderful lifestyle blog called Nava-K.com where she shares her love for beauty, fashion and food. I am one of the lucky bloggers she asked to do guest posts for her while she attends to some important matters. I am truly honored for this opportunity, and I've chosen to feature a favorite Filipino kakanin (sweet rice delicacy) called Suman sa Lihiya. This is basically glutinous rice with lye wrapped in banana leaves and is something we, Filipinos enjoy either as snack or dessert.

Please drop by Nava's blog and see for yourself how to make this very simple yet so delicious kakanin! While you're there, be sure to check out Nava's recipes as well as her fashion, beauty and travel tips! Don't forget to subscribe to Nava's blog and follow her on Facebook  and Twitter too!