Progetto Trenta: Strawberry Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting

I shall not disclose the recipe on my blog. If you are a friend of mine, don't hesitate to ask, but I will think about it.

I made this batch of Cupcakes especially for my college buddies: Maika Noda and Alexa Martinez. But they were too busy to come over so it has been in my ref for days. They still taste great though. :)

Progetto Ventinove: Garlic Bread

Ah yes, the perfect match to any pasta dish. :)

Ingredients:

Any bread of your choice
It would be best to have a baguette though.
A whole garlic bulb
A couple of spoons of butter
Chopped parsley


Procedure:
1. Grate the garlic, this is recipe basically based on your taste so you have to decide on how much garlic you want in it.

2. Cream the butter then incorporate the garlic and parsley.

3. Spread on your bread and bake for a couple of minutes. Until lightly brown. You may use an oven toaster if you please.

Progetto Ventotto: Tuna Carbonara

As most of you know my cousins are over for the week. We had a hearty spread for lunch c/o my uncle who stays in my house as the 'chef'. So anyways, we had a whole set of Filipino dishes. Since my uncle went out and we didn't resort to going Fast Food I decide to make Tuna Carbonara. I'm not really into pork and the sort so I've opted for the healthier version. 

 

This isn't the original Carbonara recipe, cause that would mean I didn't use any form of cream in it. Yes dear readers, the real Carbonara didn't have cream at all. But that's another story.

Ingredients:
450 g Pasta (Either spaghetti or fettuccine)
250 ml All-Purpose Cream
250 ml Fresh Milk
2 cans of Tuna
1 can of mushrooms
Green Olives
1 Glove of Garlic
Magi Magic Sarap
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
Parsley

Before starting anything I advice you to ready all your ingredients before the actually 'cooking' it would be easier.

Here's what you should do first:
1. Open all the cans and drain out all the liquids from them.

2. Chop the Garlic and Parsley.

3. Have all your ingredients close by the stove.

Procedure:
1. Get a pot that would fit your pasta. Fill that with enough water to cook your pasta in. Drizzle a little bit of oil and season with salt and pepper. Bring it to a boil before dropping in your pasta.

2. While your pasta is cooking get started on your sauce. Ready a pot enough to accommodate your ingredients. First off we saute the garlic, don't wait for it to brown. As soon as you smell the garlic cooking drop in your tuna.

3. Add in your all-purpose cream and milk. Season with the seasoning mix (you have your choice of Maggi Magic Sarap, Aji-Ginisa or whatever brand you use)

4. Simmer for a couple of minutes. Stir constantly so we don't end up with a film on the top. Drop in your mushrooms, parsley and olives at the end.

5. Set your sauce to a low heat and check on your pasta. You'd want it to be 'Al dente' not soggy and mushy. If it is firm enough to your liking strain it. And let water run through it so the heat stops cooking the pasta.

6. Ready the bowl you wish to place your pasta in. Brush olive oil around the base. And then drop in your pasta. Mix it a bit so the oil gets mixed with the pasta.

7. I usually place the sauce in a separate bowl so the guests could decide on how much sauce to put in. But it is ok to mix everything together. Whatever suits you.

Cupcakes vs Muffins

I've been getting this a lot: 'What is the difference between a cupcake and a muffin?' When I was a kid I always thought that muffins were bigger than cupcakes and that they were the dome-y shaped ones. But over the years and after reading books about cakes and such (Thank you Powerbooks Alabang Town Center) I came to my point of realization as to what is the difference between the two.

Cupcakes are actually 'minature' cakes, ergo the presence of frosting and what-not. Muffins on the other hand are fruity and don't have frosting and they are usually eaten for breakfast.

So the politically correct term would be for small blueberry cakes would be 'Blueberry Muffins' and small carrot cakes with cream cheese frosting would be 'Carrot Cupcakes'

Progetto Ventisette: Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting

Our cousins' Joy and Fr. Eugene are going to stay over for the week and I decided to make some chocolate cupcakes. Instead of the usual buttermilk frosting I made strawberry frosting.

Use my recipe for chocolate cupcakes on my previous post then follow the same concept of my buttermilk frosting the add-on is instead of plain food coloring use strawberry flavoring. You can get them in almost any grocery store in Manila. They're usually in the baking section. :)

Progetto Ventisei: Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butter
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Procedure:
1. Cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

2. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Chill dough for at least an hour.

4. Preheat up to 400 degrees. Roll out dough on powdered sugar or flour. Cut into shapes with cookie cutter of your choice.

5. Place each on a cookie sheet, then back for 6 to 8 minutes. Cool before putting on royal icing.

Progetto Venticinque: Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup + 2 tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
6 tbsp. sugar
6 tbsp. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup of chocolate chips

Preheat up to 375 degrees

Procedure:
1. Combine the dry ingredients then set aside.

2. Cream butter in another bowl and incorporate the sugars a tablespoon at a time. Add the vanilla extract and beat until creamy. Then add the egg and blend in the flour mixture.

3. Fold in the chocolate chips. You can use more than a half cup.

4. Spoon mixture into paper-lined muffin cups.

5. Bake for 15 minutes. And there you have it.