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.

Sapin-Sapin

Just three more days before Christmas! Have you made up your mind on what to prepare for your Christmas feast??? I've shared an album of some Favorite Filipino Christmas Food on Facebook that you might want to add to your menu. :) And now, I have here another dessert that I'm sure you will like. This is popularly served in the Philippines on special occasions and during holiday feasts, and is called Sapin-Sapin. I've actually featured a variety of this dessert before which is almond and pandan flavored. This time, I decided to make a Christmas version of it. 

Sapin-Sapin which is the Filipino word for "layers” is a layered dessert made from rice flour, coconut milk, sugar and flavorings with coconut flakes or fried coconut milk curd sprinkled on top. The usual Sapin-Sapin has a deep purple colored bottom layer which is ube (purple yam) flavored, an egg- yolk yellow middle layer which is langka (jackfruit) flavored and a white top layer. To make this Sapin-Sapin Christmassy, I changed the purple color to red and green. I made the green layer pandan flavored, the white layer vanilla flavored, the yellow layer banana flavored and the red layer langka (jackfruit) flavored. I only added little flavorings on both the yellow and red layers so they won't overpower the flavor of vanilla and pandan. The result was amazing! I must say that the flavor combination gave a delicious twist to this Sapin-Sapin. The only problem I had was transferring it from the non-stick baking pan I used to the serving platter. I wanted my sapin-sapin to be round so I didn't use the square glass baking dish that I usually mold my sapin-sapin with. Now I know that if I want to use a metal one, I should really put banana leaves or parchment paper at the bottom so I could take it off the pan easily. :)

Neapolitan Christmas Cake

It's time for another Baking Partners Challenge, and since it's Christmas season, this month's challenge is all about Christmas Cakes! Do you like the sound of it? Well I do! I honestly consider this challenge as the most exciting so far! Not just because the three recipes suggested by Suja of Kitchen Corner - Try It and Archana of Tangy Minds are all fabulously yummy, Christmas is my favorite time of the year (because Jesus & I have the same birthday) so I like everything Christmassy! :)

We were given three recipes to choose from...Chocolate-Brazil Nut Cake, Neapolitan Christmas Cake and Plum Cake...and yes, I decided to make Neapolitan Christmas Cake. I am a big fan of Neapolitan Ice Cream so I didn't find a hard time choosing which recipe to try and besides, I think this cake looks so festive.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the term "Neapolitan", it is use to refer to a block of ice cream with 3 different flavors (usually vanilla, strawberry and chocolate). Neapolitan Ice Cream originated in the U.S. in the late 19th century, and is named after the natives of Naples, Italy called Neapolitans who are credited for introducing their famous ice creams to the world. This ice cream flavor became so popular that now, the term Neapolitan is also used to refer to any tricolor dessert. For instance, this cake which has green, white and pink layers is what you call Neapolitan Christmas Cake...

 

This is a no egg yolk cake that's really light and airy. It is also very quick and simple to make which makes it even more perfect for the holidays. I'm pretty sure you'll love this cake! I didn't do any big alterations with the recipe (which Suja got from Family Circle-Best Ever Cakes and Cookies), except that I decided not to put coconut flakes into the filling. The hubs and the kids don't like coconut in cakes, so I just used strawberry jam and whipped cream for the filling, and then I decorated the top with strawberry jam and strawberry slices. I also used three 9-inch round aluminum pans instead of the suggested loaf pans. I was afraid I won't have enough whipped cream to fill and frost the cake so I doubled the whipped cream ingredients. I'm sure you're wondering how it turned out. Well, I must say, the cake was AWESOME! It's light and soft...and the almond flavor together with the whipped cream and strawberry jam filling made the cake heavenly!

I want to thank Swathi of Zesty South Indian Kitchen for another wonderful challenge...and of course, Suja of Kitchen Corner - Try It for choosing this recipe!

Banana Cream Trifle

Next to Christmas, New Year's Day is the second most celebrated holiday in the Philippines. We, Filipinos make lots of preparations for it, and there are some traditions that we follow in the belief of ushering in a prosperous New Year. We literally celebrate this day with a BIG bang! At the strike of 12:00 midnight, you can hear church bells ringing, firecrackers banging and booming everywhere, children making sounds with their torotot (horns), car horns tooting and empty cans dragged all around. These things are done to make lots of noise which is believed to scare away evil spirits. After all the noise making, a midnight meal called Media Noche is shared with family members. This feast symbolizes family union and celebration. It is believe that when we put lots of food on the table, we will have food all year round. I grew up practicing these things, and I have always loved the sight of fireworks display and abundant food as we welcome the new year. 

Now that we are in Texas and firecrackers aren't allowed here in our area, we just content ourselves in watching fireworks display on TV. But we still blow our colorful horns as the clocks strikes 12 and we fill our dinner table with lots of food. But let me tell you a secret --- for some reasons, I don't enjoy spending too much time in the kitchen on this day. I guess I don't want to be spending the whole year in the kitchen so I'm thinking that I'd better be out of there when the clock strikes midnight. LOL. So it's either I serve food that can be prepared ahead of time, or I make easy to prepare ones. This dessert that I am sharing with you today falls on both categories...it can be made the day before and it is also so easy to prepare. :)

I want to end 2011 with this Banana Cream Trifle - a very simple yet beautiful and truly delicious dessert that my family and I love so much. There's no cooking involved and can be easily whipped up in minutes, so this is perfect for any occasion!