Chocolate-Filled Coconut Cookies

A soft, moist cookie that kind of tastes like macaroons but has an extra kick because of the chocolate filling. It doesn't have a very strong coconut taste, but just enough to fulfill your coconut cravings! It's definitely a cookie worth making again. The recipe is from the book (which I've used for other recipes that I've previously posted on my blog) Cookies: 1,001 Mouthwatering Recipes From Around The World.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 large egg
• 3 tbsp shredded coconut 

For choc filling:

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

  

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F; set out two cookie sheets; sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.

2. Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer at medium speed until creamy; add the egg, beating until just blended. 

3. Mix in the dry ingredients; place the coconut in a bowl; roll teaspoons of the dough in the coconut and place 1 inch apart on the cookie sheets 

4. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until lightly browned, rotating the sheets halfway through for even baking. Transfer to racks to cool. 

 

5. Chocolate filling: Beat the icing sugar and melted butter in a bowl; mix in the cocoa powder; stick the cookies together in pairs with the chocolate filling.

Yoyo Cookies

So, I don't make biscuits or cookies that often even though they are usually the easiest things to bake. I always try to go for the more ambitious recipes and sometimes I'm successful and sometimes I just simply FAIL. But there are times when you just want to eat something simple but delicious. So I just want to mention a couple of things. First, this recipe is from a new book I bought recently (yea, I like to splurge on baking books much to the annoyance of my parents). I love to find books out there that have cool recipes but recipes that I, as a homebaker, can find manageable. The book is called The Golden Book of Baking: Over 300 Great Recipes.
The first thing that caught me as I was browsing through the baking books in Borders was the beautiful cover and the thickness of the book. It is pretty damn thick because it is FULL of recipes. Also what I love about this book is that it has some English recipes that I don't usually find in baking books in the U.S. And it just has A LOT of interesting recipes period. Anyway, the first section is all about the cookies and biscuits, and one of the first recipes in the section is this Yoyo cookie. That brings me to the second thing I want to talk about. This cookie may not look so cool or creative, but it tastes AMAZING. Let me tell you, it's not always about the looks. My brother literally devoured them, and they literally melt in your mouth as soon as you start chewing. Most importantly, they taste so yummy...kind of like custard creams (an English cookie), especially with the vanilla buttercream filling. I believe the awesome texture and taste comes from a wonderful creation called custard powder, which is one of the key ingredients in this recipe.

Ingredients:

Cookies-

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup confectioner's/icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup custard powder

Vanilla Butter Filling

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioner's/icing sugar
• 1/8 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp custard powder

1. For the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla using a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy.

3. Combine the flour, baking powder, and custard powder in a medium bowl.

4. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat into the butter mixture until well incorporated.

5. Roll thirty small balls and place on the prepared cookie sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Flatten slightly with the back of fork to create a pattern.

6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until firm and light golden brown.

Note: When making cookies and biscuits, (I've learned the hard way) it's best to keep checking on them in the oven a few minutes before it's time to take them out because if they get even a little overdone, it can give it a burnt taste and ruin the cookie. As soon as they look done, take them out. They should be LIGHT golden - don't wait till they start getting browned!

7. Let cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack and let cool completely.

8. For the filling, beat all of the filling ingredients using a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy.

9. Turn half of the cooled cookies over flat-side up and spread the filling evenly over the top. Place the remaining cookies on top and gently sandwich together.

Note: If you want to jazz up these cookies, you can always color the buttercream filling with your choice of food coloring and put some sugary colored sprinkles on top before you pop the cookies in the oven. Enjoy :)

Pina Colada Cheesecake

Anyone who knows me probably knows I'm a big fan of making cheesecakes. After always making the same old flavors, I decided it was time for me to try something new. As the end of summer is drawing near, what better way to celebrate the remaining hot and sunny days than making and enjoying something tropical and fruity? I'll be honest...I was also dying to try a recipe from my brand new cheesecake book: 125 Best Cheesecake Recipes by George Geary. I was so nervous that it was going to turn out horribly wrong, but this cheesecake turned out to be one of my best - smooth, rich, and creamy texture with just the right amount of pineapple and coconut flavor. The whipped cream and toasted coconut flakes added an attractive finishing touch, and the crust had an extra kick with the coconut.

*Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
*Prepare a 9-inch springform or cheesecake pan. (If using a springform pan, it should be greased.)

Ingredients:

Crust -

• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

 Filling -

• 1 can pineapple, diced
• 3 tbsp packed light brown sugar
• 4 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 2 tsp vanilla

Decoration -

• 1 cup classic whipped cream topping (see recipe below)
• 1/4 flaked coconut, toasted (see tip below)

1. For the crust, in a bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and butter. Press into cheesecake pan and freeze.

2. For the filling, in a saucepan on medium heat, cook the pineapple and brown sugar until soft and syrupy, about 3 minutes. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then drain, discarding the syrup.

3. In a large bowl using a mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and flour on medium-high for 3 minutes.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

5. Mix in the coconut milk and vanilla.

6. Pour half of the batter into the frozen crust, then arrange the pineapple mixture on top. Pour the remaining batter over the pineapple mixture.

7. Bake the cheesecake for 50-60 minutes, or until the top is light brown. (Don't worry if it's jiggly - it will firm up as it cools.)

8. Cool for 2 hours, then cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before decorating or serving.

9. For the decoration, ice the top of the cake with the whipped cream by using a piping cone fitted with the appropriate piping tip if desired. Sprinkle with toasted coconut.

* To make the whipped cream topping, take 1/2 cup of whipping cream and 2 tbsp of granulated sugar. (If you like, add a few drops of vanilla to give flavor.) In a well-chilled bowl with well-chilled beaters, whip the well-chilled whipping cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer still running, sprinkle sugar into the cream and continue whipping until firm peaks form. Use directly or refrigerate.

* To toast the coconut, spread the coconut in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for about 3 minutes. Stir the coconut and keep checking on it frequently. Repeat for another 3 minutes or bake until coconut is lightly browned. (Be really careful since coconut can get toasted very quickly. If it is not stirred and checked on frequently, it will burn!)

Lemon Bars

This recipe is one I've been meaning to make for a very long time. It all started when my dad brought home some lemon bars that he bought at work from a co-worker. After he got a new job, he wasn't able to buy the bars anymore. Since then, he has repeatedly asked me to make them for him. So finally, I got myself to make these bars to make my dad happy.

At first, I attempted to make Meyer Lemon Squares from my beloved book Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Baking. For the first time, I am very sad to say, the book failed me. I literally had to throw out the whole pan of squares. Let me clarify - it wasn't that I messed up. In fact, the bars looked pretty good and I followed everything correctly. But the lemon curd tasted so horrible with its raw egg-like aftertaste (probably due to the many eggs the recipe contains). To say the least, I was pretty angry and disappointed because it was a lot of work making that nasty lemon curd.

Now my personality is such, that I hate to give up. If something goes wrong, I am determined to make it right. And so I looked for another recipe. I looked in my other books and I even looked online. Ultimately, I decided on a recipe from my new favorite book, Cookies: 1,001 Mouthwatering Recipes from Around the World. I was not disappointed! My whole family (including me) LOVED the lemon bars. And best of all, they are pretty easy to make.

The crust is DELICIOUS with the taste of buttery shortbread, and the creamy filling has just the right amount of lemon flavor. The perfect dessert for spring!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup confectioners'/icing sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut up

Filling-

•  1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• Grated zest and juice from 3 lemons
• 2 tbsp confectioners'/icing sugar, to dust

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan.

2. Sift the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt, and cut in the cold butter (use a food processor!) until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

3. Firmly press the dough into the prepared pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly brown. Cool the base completely in the pan, and lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

4. For the filling, sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Using a mixer, beat the egg and powdered sugar in another bowl at high speed until pale and thick.

5. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest. (Make sure to strain the lemon juice before pouring it in.) Add the dry ingredients and whisk until incorporated.

6. Pour the filling over the prepared base, and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the filling is set but still a little wobbly in the center. (The mixture will continue to cook after it has been taken out of the oven.)

7. Cool completely in the pan, and dust with confectioners' sugar and cut into bars. (It will keep in the fridge for about 4 days, and makes about 16-25 bars.)

Banana Nut Cheesecake

I probably wouldn't have tried making this cheesecake if it wasn't for one of my cousins who said he really loved it and was wondering if I ever made it before. So one day, we invited them over for dinner and I made it for dessert. I'm actually glad I did because it's one of my favorite cheesecakes now and it turned out REALLY good. I didn't have a recipe for this cheesecake at hand or in my baking books, so I searched for one on the Internet and I came across a winner on the website for "Taste of Home." You can get the recipe by clicking on this link: Banana Cheesecake Recipe.
When I made this cheesecake, I didn't actually follow all of the recipe. I did the crust differently, and I also put different toppings. The recipe for the crust is actually from Dorie Greenspan's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours. As for the topping, I crushed some walnuts, toasted them, and sprinkled them on top in addition to drizzling the slices with caramel sauce. Yummm!

 Ingredients:
Crust-

• 1 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup walnuts (toasted and finely chopped)
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 4 tbsp (or 1/2 stick) butter, melted

Filling-

• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 1/4 tsp vanilla

1. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Stir the graham cracker crumbs, chopped walnuts, sugar, and salt together in a bowl and mix with melted butter. All of the dry ingredients should be moist, and it's best to mix with your fingers. Turn the ingredients into the springform pan and pat down an even layer of crumbs over the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan. Put the pan in the freezer while preheating the oven for 10 minutes. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Then place the springform pan on a baking sheet and bake the crust for 10 minutes. Set the crust aside to cool on a rack while making the cheesecake.

2. For the filling, combine the bananas and lemon juice; set aside.

3. Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until smooth.

4. Add the eggs; beat on low speed just until combined.

5. Stir in the sour cream, vanilla, and banana mixture. Pour into the crust. Place the pan in a baking pan filled halfway with water and bake at the 350 degrees for about 1 hour, or until the center is almost set. When the cheesecake is done, turn off the oven, prop open the oven door, and let the cheesecake sit for another hour in its water bath.

6. Take the cheesecake out of the oven and let cool before refrigerating the cheesecake for 4 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, top with toasted (chopped) walnuts, a drizzle of caramel or chocolate sauce, and a dollop of whipped cream!

(I'm sorry about the horrible quality of the pictures, but at the time I made this, my digital camera wasn't working so I had to use my phone camera.)

Update

I just wanted to let everyone know that I finished transferring most of the posts from my old baking blog which were on Xanga. So feel free to check those out. I also wanted to let all of you know that I do have a page on facebook (check out my facebook badge on the right-hand column), so go ahead and please become a fan. =) Other than that, I hope to be updating soon since I have a bunch of recipes I need to put up that I made awhile back and didn't have time to post on. As of right now, I have no idea when I'll get to try something new since I've been pretty busy. Hopefully I'll be able to get back to baking soon.
...O yea, if you haven't already noticed, I gave my blog a brand new look. I love my old layout, but it wasn't working out for me. I hope you all like it!

Nanaimo Bars

For many of you, the first thing you're probably thinking as you read the title is "What the heck is a Nanaimo Bar?" The first time I came across it was, of course, in the lovely book I mentioned in my last post called Cookies: 1,001 Mouthwatering Recipes From Around The World. As the title clearly indicates, there are recipes in the book from all over the world, and this particular recipe was in the section called "Bars and Brownies." As you're probably still wondering, the recipe is named after the city Nanaimo in British Columbia, Canada. I won't go too much into detail, but if' you're curious about the history and background of this delicious bar, you can visit this link: Nanaimo Bars. The link belongs to a website dedicated to the city of Nanaimo. And although it wasn't intentional and I don't follow the Olympics, I guess it would be fitting to dedicate this post to the Winter Olympics taking place in Vancouver.

I would also like to mention that the website also contains an original recipe for Nanaimo Bars. For the bars I made, the recipe that I ended up following is a combination of the one from the baking book I have, and the one on the website. If you want to make the original, you should know that it doesn't require any baking.

As for how the bars turned out, they were very rich and scrumptious, especially because of the chocolate layer on top. I wanted to add a little touch of my own, so I sprinkled some toasted pecans and toasted coconut on top, which made it look nicer. Also, the recipe in the baking book uses pecans in the first layer, whereas the traditional bars have almonds. And anyway, I much prefer pecans =) Lastly, the second layer traditionally contains custard powder, which I believe is not readily available in places in America. I actually got my Bird's Custard Powder from England. But if you don't have it, no problem! You can substitute with vanilla or vanilla pudding mix. I would say that if you don't have a sweet tooth, this is NOT for you because it's very SWEET. I would probably put a little less sugar in the middle (vanilla) layer next time. Also, the bars are not as thick as they would usually be since I used a bigger pan (13x9-inches as opposed to 8x8-inches) since that is what the recipe in the baking book indicated. But it's probably a good thing that the bars are thinner because you certainly can't (and shouldn't) eat too much of this stuff at one time! As the book describes them perfectly - they are "luxurious."

Ingredients:
First layer -

• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Second layer -

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp and 2 tsp whipping cream
• 2 cups confectioner's/icing sugar
• 2 tbsp vanilla custard powder or 1 tsp vanilla

Third layer -

• 8 oz semisweet chocolate
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• Finely chopped, toasted, pecans and toasted coconut (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 13x9-inch baking pan. Toast the pecans in the oven for a few minutes after placing them on a foil-covered baking tray.

2. For the first layer, beat the egg and sugar using a mixer until the mixture is pale and thick.

3. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the butter, vanilla, cocoa, graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and pecans.

 

^ Sorry, I do realize that looks kind of nasty.

4. Firmly press the mixture into the prepared pan to form a smooth, even layer. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Let cool completely.

5. For the second layer, beat the butter, cream, icing sugar, and custard powder/ vanilla using a mixer at high speed until it is light and well blended. Spread the mixture over the first layer and put in the freezer for 10 minutes.

6. For the top layer, melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler over barely simmering water. Spread over the second layer. (As I said before, I sprinkled the finely chopped, toasted pecans and toasted coconut as a topping and for decoration. You certainly don't have to.) Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until set. Cut into bars. The bars will keep for at least 3 days in the refrigerator.

 

 

Chocolate-Pecan Shortbread

After making cupcakes, cakes, and cheesecakes numerous times, I decided that I really need to start making cookies and bars more often. (I still haven't plucked up the courage to make a pie, and I would like to make a tart, but i have yet to buy a tart pan!) After hours of flipping through a new book of mine that is filled with pages and pages of cookie recipes, I decided on making a biscuit that I'm very fond of...shortbread! Yes, it's full of fatty goodness, but I think it's okay to indulge once in awhile. I love to eat the Scottish Walkers shortbread biscuits with milk as a late night snack (very bad, i know). However, this recipe is a yummy twist on the plain shortbread biscuit as it has two other delicious ingredients - chocolate and pecans! I never used to like nuts before, but now I find that nuts really add something extra (in a good way) to many baked goods, especially cookies. Whether it's walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews, or pecans...nuts really make things more flavorful. This shortbread is no exception...if you love pecans, you'll really love this biscuit, AND the chocolate chips and chocolate drizzle on top really add a perfect touch. This recipe is from an excellent book, which I highly recommend, from Reader's Digest called  Cookies: 1,001 Mouthwatering Recipes From Around The World. The best part is that the recipe is SO easy to make, and the biscuit just melts in your mouth.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup confectioner's/icing sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cut up
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 2 oz semisweet chocolate

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch springform pans.

2. Sift the flour, confectioner's sugar, cornstarch, and salt into a large bowl.

3. Using a pastry blender (I used a food processor), cut in the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (Mine turned into a kind of dough, which I found is okay.)

4. Stir in the chocolate chips and the pecans. (Although it's not in the recipe, I chopped the pecans in a food processor into fine crumbs then toasted them in  the oven for 5-7 minutes to bring out the flavor. To toast the pecans in the oven, place the crumbs on a foil covered baking tray and place them in a preheated oven at 300 degrees F.)

5. Firmly press the mixture evenly into the prepared pans to form smooth, even layers. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until just golden, rotating the pans halfway through for even baking.

6. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then loosen and remove the springform sides. Let cool completely.

7. Cut each round into sixteen wedges (you can even do this after drizzling the chocolate). Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over barely simmering water, and drizzle it over the cookies. Let the cookies stand for 30 minutes until the chocolate sets.

Note: This recipe makes 32 cookies, and the cookies will keep for 5 days.