Donuts for Christmas: Gingerbread Churros

It's finally beginning to look a lot like Christmas at our house, especially our kitchen! D has been busy baking and cooking for the Christmas festivities, we have to set up a schedule of what goes in the oven.

D and the kids love donuts. (Who doesn't, right?) Last summer, we drove around all over town looking for decent donuts. Except for a few, we found out that most use a pre-made mix. So D and I started to make our own at home. And you know what, they tasted so much better. We only make donuts occasionally, so it's a real treat for the kids. They especially love churros since they turn out crispy outside and creamy, custard-y inside.

I've been in the mood for some gingerbread and I don't think I'll get to bake my gingerbread cookies until tomorrow -- I'm stuck using the stove! The gals of Eating Club Vancouver made some Squash Churros a couple months ago and they looked really awesome. They inspired me to experiment and came up with gingerbread churros.


Gingerbread Churros
makes about 24 3-inch pieces

1 cup water
4 oz (1 stick) butter
1 TBSP. molasses
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 piece clove, finely crushed (with a mortar & pestle)
1 black peppercorn, finely ground (with a mortar & pestle)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup AP flour
3 large eggs
sugar, for rolling

Bring water, butter, molasses, ginger, clove, pepper and salt to a boil over medium heat.

Once it boils, add flour and stir until all liquid is absorbed. Take it off the heat.

Using a wooden spoon, beat egg, one at a time until it is incorporated. Keep stirring until all egg is absorbed before adding the next egg. Let it cool a few minutes.

Transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip. Meanwhile, heat oil (about two-inches deep) in pan to 350 degrees F. Squeeze pieces of dough into hot oil and fry 2-3 minutes on each side.

Drain in rack for a minute then roll in sugar while still warm. Serve with chocolate dipping sauce.


Have yourself a Merry Christmas. Maligayang Pasko!

The Cake Slice: Chocolate-Hazelnut Nutcracker Cake

A cake tailor-made for the holiday season! The Chocolate-Hazelnut Nutcracker Cake is composed of three layers of sponge cake made from finely ground toasted hazelnuts, graham cracker crumbs and grated chocolate. The cake was moistened with Rum Syrup and filled and frosted with Creme Chantilly.

This is the first time I've seen graham cracker crumbs used in a cake. I thought it was so unusual, I usually see 'em in cheesecake crusts but not in a cake batter. I could only find cinnamon-flavored graham crackers in the market so I omitted the pumpkin pie spice.

The recipe also asked for skinned hazelnuts and I only have raw ones (with skins). So D did some research (read: Google) for me and found you can skin hazelnuts by adding them to boiling water mixed with 3 tablespoons baking soda for 3-4 minutes then drained and put in an ice-bath. The skins will then slip right off. If you do this, be sure to use a larger pot than the one i used (pictured) to avoid a mess on your stove. I didn't realize bubbles will foam up once you add the nuts in the water. The foam almost boiled over and I'm sure it would have made a big mess!

The book noted to frost the cake 6 to 8 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld. So I baked the layers the night before, filled and frosted it the following morning and let it set in the fridge for the day. The cake was served at my big brother's birthday dinner and it was a hit! My cousin, who is a Ferrero Rocher fanatic, already requested this for her birthday.

One more thing, I also omitted the rum in the Rum Syrup because of my kids. Just add the rum to your coffee when you have this cake ;-). Oh, and one more thing, from now on I will start calling vanilla-scented, sweetened whipped cream "Creme Chantilly" -- sounds so much better! I doubled the recipe for Creme Chantilly because (again) of my kids. They can't get enough of this stuff!

Candied Kalamansi Peel

As you know, I got some kalamansi from my mother. So far I made cookies from the zest, curd from the juice and figured I go all out and make candied kalamansi peel. Knowing it will be some time until I can get ahold of these fruits again, I wanted to preserve them so I can enjoy them even longer.


Since I previously zested them and their skin were thin to begin with, I didn't bother boiling them in water like you would if you were making candied peels from oranges or grapefruit. I did pull the segments out which is optional.



Candied Kalamansi Peel

about 25 kalamansi, cut in half
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup sugar, plus more for rolling
2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, melted (optional)

Put water and sugar in medium saucepan and stir to dissolve sugar completely.

Add kalamansi rinds and stir. Bring to a boil then lower heat and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Peels in syrup will keep covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 weeks.)

Let them cool in syrup. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a wire rack placed on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roll in additional sugar (or dip in melted chocolate, optional). Let dry then can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks.


After most of the kalamansi "honey" dripped down from the peels, roll them in sugar. Or you can dip them in melted chocolate like I did to some of them. Everything usually taste even better with chocolate so these were extra yummy!

One more thing, save that precious syrup you end up with from cooking the kalamansi in. Mine came out thick like honey. I drizzled it on my morning toast and I stirred some to soda water to make soda pop for the kids.


I had a blast rediscovering this fruit I took for granted growing up. It was also fun introducing them to my husband and kids who really enjoyed them. Their smell and taste brought back lots of memories like the sour face contests my older sister and I would have when we dared each other to eat it whole. And my Mom asking me to pick some from our backyard tree just before supper. Now I'm on a mission to look for them in the markets and even my local nursery. Maybe then I, too, can tell my kids to pick some kalamansi just before we sit down to eat.

Kalamansi Curd on Coconut Meringues

I made Lemon Curd a few months back and been wanting to try it using Kalamansi. When my Mom gave me some, I finally got the chance! Last time, I mentioned I got about 25 Kalamansi and these yielded me a little more than half a cup of juice and about four tablespoons of zest. I already used most of the zest to make my Kalamansi Meltaway Cookies so I only have enough zest left over to make about a cup of curd (half the recipe).

Even though I am not lucky enough to have a Kalamansi tree, I am fortunate enough to have a Meyer Lemon tree thriving in my backyard. (But I'll trade it for a Kalamansi tree anytime!) Meyer lemons have been getting all the raves in the foodie world for years. According to MarketManila, Maeyer lemons originated from China. It is a cross between a true lemon and a Mandarin orange. So they tend to be sweeter and less tart and have thinner rinds compared to a regular lemon. I used Meyer lemons on the curd to balance out the sourness of Kalamansi.

The Kalamansi curd would go great with scones but I had egg whites left over from my husband's baking so decided to make meringues which will be the base for my Kalamansi Pavlova.

Pavlova originated from Australia, where a chef created it in honor of a famous Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, when she toured the country. It is a dessert composed of a meringue base (which looks like a ballerina's tutu) topped with creamy pudding or mousse. I made the meringue with coconut to give it a tropical flair -- takes me to someplace warm since it's been really cold here lately.


Mini Pavlova Kalamansi Curd on Coconut Meringues

For the curd:
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 TBSP grated Kalamansi zest
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
1/8 cup fresh Kalamansi juice
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Prepare an ice-bath. Bring water to simmer for a double boiler.

Combine the sugar and lemon zest in a food processor and process for a minute to release the Kalamansi's essential oils into the sugar. (Or can use a mortar and pestle.)

Place the Kalamansi sugar in a heat-proof bowl along with egg and egg yolks and whisk. Place bowl in double boiler and keep whisking until all the sugar is dissolved.

Add the Meyer lemon and Kalamansi juice and keep whisking for about 5 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape sides of bowl once in a while. Curd is done when temperature reaches 160F and has the consistency of sour cream.

Take bowl out of heat and continue to whisk while putting the butter, one cube at a time.

Strain through a strainer and place bowl in ice-bath to cool. Place plastic wrap directly on top of curd so it wouldn't create a hard film. Once cool, place in the fridge.

For the Coconut Meringues:
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
3 large egg whites, room temperature
pinch cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and trace 3-inch circles on it one inch apart. Turn paper over.

Place coconut in food processor and pulse into small pieces. Set aside.

Place egg whites, cream of tartar and lemon juice in a medium bowl. With an electric mixer, beat until stiff and glossy. Fold in coconut.

Spoon the meringue into the cookie sheet. Make a little well with the meringue using the back of a spoon. Bake in oven for about an hour. Turn off oven and leave meringues in oven for a few hours, preferably overnight.


I topped them with fresh whipped cream and toasted coconut. These were really good, I even surprise myself. Ha! :) The sour-tart curd balanced out the sweetness of the meringues. The meringues were crisp on the outside and the center a little gooey from the curd. Different flavors and textures all at the same time! Next time, I will serve them with chopped mangoes or kiwi.

One last thing: this can be made several days in advance of serving. The curd will last for a week in the fridge. The meringues will stay fresh for few days, stored in an airtight container. Assemble it just before serving which is super easy since all the components are prepared in advance. Perfect for the holiday rush.

Kalamansi Meltaway Cookies

My mother gave me some kalamansi that her friend had given her. Unlike my family, her friend was lucky enough to have a kalamansi tree in her backyard. Mom passed them down to me since she knows these will be better off with me. Besides using it for a dipping sauce (sawsawan), Mom had no idea what to make of them. She had them for days now and they are getting really ripe.


Kalamansi (or calamansi) is a citrus fruit native to the Philippines. They are tiny in size, smaller than key limes and thin-skinned like kumquats. They smell sweet like tangerines but don't let that fool you, they are super sour (my mouth is watering as I type this). They are used mostly in cooking as a souring agent and eaten along savory dishes.

small size, big flavor

It's been years (maybe a decade) since I've had fresh kalamansi. Knowing that it'll be awhile (hopefully, not another decade) before I can have more, I made sure the handful I got (about 25 kalamansi fruits) will be put to good use. I first thought of making Bistek Tagalog but knew I will end up using all my kalamansi stash in one dish. I wanted to make my stash last awhile so I figure I make desserts with them. :)

First up, I had to zest these little gems. The handful I got yielded me about 4 tablespoons of fragrant skin. I used some to make these cookies: Brown Butter and Kalamansi Meltaways. The recipe was adapted from Sherry Yard's book, The Secrets of Baking. The browned butter gives these cookies a rich depth of flavor and the kalamansi, a nice tang.


Kalamansi Meltaway Cookies
makes about 18, 1-inch round cookies

4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 TBSP finely grated kalamansi zest
1 TBSP kalamansi juice
3/4 cup powdered sugar (also called confectioners' or icing sugar), plus more for dusting
pinch salt
3/4 cup AP flour, sifted

1. A few hours before making these cookies, make the brown butter. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the solids separate and brown to a dark color, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool at room temperature. Then chill in the refrigerator until cold.


2. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter on medium speed until soft. Add the zest and juice and continue to beat until cream-colored, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the sugar and salt and cream until smooth and lump free, about 1 minute. Scrape the sides of bowl again.


3. On low speed, add the flour. Beat until just incorporated, it will me crumbly. Do not overbeat. Remove the dough and place in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. (Dough will keep in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer up to 1 month.)


4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper. Flour hands to prevent dough from sticking and pinch off pieces of dough snd roll them into i-inch balls. Place one inch apart on prepared baking sheets.


5. Bake one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes, or until light brown around the edges. Do not overbake or they will be too dry and crisp.


6. As soon as you take them out, cover completely with powdered sugar. Put powdered sugar in a strainer, tap it over the cookies on the baking sheet. Let cool on baking sheet completely and serve.

These cookies looks like snowballs, fitting for the season. I am sending my Kalamansi Meltaway Cookies to Susan of FoodBlogga for her Eat Christmas Cookies event. The ongoing round-up can be found here.

Pomegranate Jelly

My husband and I are very lucky to have friends that are gardeners. A good friend's pomegranate tree has yielded plenty of fruit and we were given loads of pomegranates to enjoy. So for days, the boys, D. and I would eat one (sometimes two) every day.

After a couple of weeks, we barely made a dent on our pomegranate stash. But we also know we won't be able to enjoy these fruits once the pomegranate season is over. My husband had a great idea to preserve them so we can enjoy them in the summer as much as we are enjoying them now.

Pomegranate Jelly
makes about 9 cups

5 cups freshly-squeezed pomegranate juice, from about 15-20 fruit
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 packet (1 oz) powdered fruit pectin
6 cups sugar

1. In a 6-quart stockpot or Dutch oven, combine pomegranate juice, lemon juice and pectin. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Stir in sugar and bring back to boil, stirring constantly every 2 minutes. Let the mixture come to a rolling boil for about 10 minutes over medium heat.
3. Skim off any foam that appears on top and discard.
4. Let mixture come to room temperature. Once cool, can be refrigerated for about 2-4 weeks. Or can be kept in the freezer for up to 6 months.

so good, it's almost gone

My husband then used standard canning procedures for this jelly. That means sterilizing jars, submerging filled jars in water bath and so on which I will not through here. You can find more information about canning here.

This recipe makes a lot of jelly so you may reduce recipe in half. To make juice from fresh fruit, D ran the arils (seed sacs) through a juicer a few times. If you do not have access to fresh pomegranate, you can substitute bottled juice.

[On a side note, my husband made these weeks ago with the kids. I took plenty of pictures of the kids having fun in the kitchen. My youngest who just learned how to test a corn's freshness (by piercing a kernel with your fingernail, btw) tried to show off and tried it on a pomegranate. Let's just say red pomegranate juice splattered all over his face! Hilarious and so cute! I was going to post all these pictures but our hard drive crashed a few days ago so all the pictures are lost for now. :( All my other food pictures are gone, too. My husband is currently working on salvaging what he can so will keep you posted.]

UPDATE 2/10/09: Yay, hubby got the pics! Here's my son, the show-off. ;)

Birthday Cupcakes: Vanilla, Chocolate and Black & White Cupcakes with Pomegranate Buttercream Frosting

We were invited to an 18th birthday for a beautiful, sweet girl who we have known since she was little. (Her sister and my cousin went to school together since first grade. All the while, we've gotten to know her and her parents and they have become part of the family.) When I RSVP'ed, D. and I offered to provide cake for the party. The party will be at a restaurant and her sister said there will be about fifty people invited so discussed with her maybe to make cupcakes for convenience and avoid a cake slicing fee.

Her sister never requested specific flavors and such; she left it out for me to decide. The party invitation was my inspiration, it had zebra stripes with pink dots and came in a pink envelope -- it was the cutest thing! Right then I knew the cupcakes will have chocolate and vanilla flavors. And they will be flavors everyone will enjoy. Perfect!

I didn't want to use artificial colors and wanted something tart for the frosting so that's where the pomegranate jelly came in. It was also an excuse to use the jelly my husband just made from fresh pomegranates. It was delicious!


I made a dozen vanilla, another dozen chocolate and three dozen black-and-white cupcakes--the best of both.

Cupcakes Three Ways
adapted from Everyday Food, Issue #45

makes 12 cupcakes

8 TB (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract


Vanilla Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup cupcake baking pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.


2. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix until combined. On low speed, beat in half of the flour mixture, followed by sour cream; end with the rest of the flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated (DO NOT OVERMIX). Batter will be thick.


3. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. (A medium-sized ice cream scoop is useful to get equal amounts on each cup.) Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of cupcake comes out clean, 22 to 24 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost with Pomegranate Buttercream.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Reduce flour to 1 1/4 cups and add 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. Makes 12.


Black-and-White Cupcakes

Prepare both vanilla and chocolate batters; fill muffin cups with 3 tablespoons of each, side by side. Makes 24.

Pomegranate Buttercream Frosting
makes 1 1/2 cups

8 TB (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 - 4 tsp. pomegranate jelly

With an electric mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. On medium speed, beat in sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down bowl as necessary. Mix in vanilla and jelly. Increase speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.