Category: Uncategorized

Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients 

Red Velvet Cake

  • ▢2¼ cups (275 g) flour – regular all purpose (see note 3 if you want to use cake flour)
  • ▢3 tbsp (18 g) cornflour – also known as cornstarch
  • ▢3 tbsp (14 g) cocoa powder – unsweetened
  • ▢½ tsp baking soda
  • ▢1 tsp baking powder
  • ▢½ tsp salt – omit if using salted butter
  • ▢6 tbsp (86 g) unsalted butter – room temperature
  • ▢¾ cup (141 g) unflavoured vegetable oil – I use canola
  • ▢1¾ cups (344 g) white granulated sugar
  • ▢3 large eggs – room temperature
  • ▢1 tbsp (12 g) vanilla essence/extract
  • ▢1½ tsp white vinegar
  • ▢3½ tbsp (38 g) red liquid food colouring
  • ▢¾ cup (158 g) buttermilk – room temperature

Cream Cheese Buttercream

  • ▢1 batch of my cream cheese buttercream frosting recipe – see note 4 if piping rosettes around the cake like I have

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 160 °C (320°F) with the fan on (see note 7 if you don’t have a fan function) and grease and/or line two 8 inch cake tins (I use my homemade cake release).
  • In a bowl, sift together your flour, cornflour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined. Set aside.
  • In another bowl, add in your butter, vegetable oil and sugar. Using an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer are both fine – see note 6), cream together for 2-3 minutes until light and creamy.
  • Add in eggs one by one, mixing well in between each addition (about 10-15 seconds between eggs).
  • Add in your vanilla, vinegar and red liquid food colour, and mix until well combined. Now set your mixer aside as the remainder of the batter will be finished by hand.
  • Finish off by adding in half of your premixed dry ingredients to your wet mixture, and gently fold it in with a spatula until just combined. Then add in all of your buttermilk, and fold it in until just combined. Lastly, add in the remaining dry ingredients and gently fold it into the mixture until just combined. Do not overmix (see note 1).
  • Distribute the batter evenly into the two 8 inch cake tins, and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Be careful not to open the oven door too early otherwise this can cause the cake layers to sink (see note 2). Also avoid overbaking the cake layers otherwise they will dry out.
  • Once baked, allow them to cool in the cake tins for about 15-20 minutes, and then turn them out onto a wire rack to completely cool before frosting with my cream cheese buttercream frosting. For tips on how to frost your cake, check out the blog post above where I walk you through how I decorated mine with pictures, or watch my YouTube video below 🙂

Notes

Note 1. By gently folding in the ingredients, it prevents too much gluten from forming, thus giving us a softer cake. Only mix until the strands of flour have disappeared and the batter is uniform. 

Note 2. Opening the oven door too early and allowing cold air to rush into the oven can cause cakes to collapse if the structure hasn’t set yet. If your oven runs hot and you want to check your cake layers earlier than the stated cooking time, then allow at least 3/4s of the cooking time to pass before checking the cake layers. 

Note 3. You can use cake flour in replacement of the all purpose flour and cornstarch in this recipe (293g total required). 

Note 4. If you’re doing a lot of additional piping like I did with my red velvet cake, then make 1.5x my cream cheese frosting recipe to ensure you have enough frosting. Otherwise, 1 batch will be enough. 

Note 5. Once your cake is decorated, pop it into the fridge to allow everything to firm up. This will make it easier to cut. We don’t want cold cake though, so bring it out of the fridge about an hour or so before it’s going to be cut. If you cut into the cake and it’s cold, just let it come to room temperature for about half an hour before eating. 

Note 6. If using a stand mixer, then use the paddle attachment for the initial mixing, but continue to do the last step by hand as stated in the recipe. 

Note 7. In this recipe I use an oven with the fan function turned on. The fan forced function cooks cakes/cupcakes faster, so if your oven doesn’t have a fan option, then you will need to increase the baking temperature to 175°C (347°F) so that the cake/cupcake bakes at the same rate as mine 🙂

https://cakesbymk.com/wprm_print/soft-red-velvet-cake

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened (113g)
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened (brick-style, not spreadable) (226g)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups powdered sugar* (500g)

Instructions

  • Combine butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer (or you may use an electric mixer) and beat until creamy, well-combined, and lump-free.
  • Add vanilla extract and salt and stir well to combine.
  • With mixer on low, gradually add powdered sugar until completely combined.
  • Use to frost completely cooled cake or cupcakes.

https://sugarspunrun.com/wprm_print/cream-cheese-frosting

Pancit

INGREDIENTS US CustomaryMetric

  • 4 tablespoonsneutral-flavored oil
  • 8 ounces pork shoulder, belly, or loin cut into ½” cubes
  • 1 pound boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1” cubes, skin optional
  • 1 peeled, julienne medium-sized yellow onion
  • 7 to 8 finely minced garlic cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ground achiote powder, optional
  • 2 peeled, julienne medium-sized carrots, about 1 cup
  • 2 ribs of celery, thinly sliced on a bias, about 1 cup
  • 1 cup sugar snap peas, thinly sliced on a bias
  • 4 cups green cabbage, cut into 1” pieces
  • 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons fish sauce, optional
  • 4 cups of chicken broth
  • 8 ounces noodles
  • Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a large wok over medium-high heat and heat until it begins to smoke lightly. Place the pork in the pan, season with salt and pepper, and stir-fry until browned on all sides and cooked through. This will take about 3 to 4 minutes. Set it aside in a large bowl or platter.
  • Next, pour in 1 more tablespoon of oil, add the chicken, season wit
  • Add the remaining oil, turn the heat to high, and add the carrots, celery, snap peas, and cabbage. Gently season with salt, then stir-fry for 90 seconds. Set it aside with the pork, chicken, onions, and garlic.
  • In the wok over medium heat, add the oyster sauce, sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and chicken stock, and bring to a simmer.
  • Once simmering, add the noodles and cook, stirring constantly, until they have absorbed all the liquid and are cooked, which takes about 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add the cooked meat and veggies to the wok and stir until combined.

https://www.billyparisi.com/pancit/#recipe

Instant Pot Refried beans

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 4 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeño, seeds & membranes removed, minced
  • 1 pound (approximately 2 cups) dried pinto beans, rinsed & sorted
  • 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
  • 7 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock, OR vegetable broth/stock (for vegan)
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano, OR regular oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus addition
  • Measure the olive oil into a 6-quart (or larger) Instant Pot insert and set to the SAUTÉ function. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño; cook, stirring regularly, for 2 minutes. Press CANCEL after sautéing.
  • Add the beans, green chiles, broth, vinegar, cumin, Mexican oregano, salt, and pepper to the pot; stir to combine. Seal the lid according to the owner’s manual and cook on HIGH pressure for 50 minutes.
  • When the timer is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes, then carefully vent to release the remaining pressure (consult your owner’s manual for more specific instructions). Open the lid and use a ladle to remove as much cooking liquid as possible to a large measuring cup or bowl. Drain the beans into a colander (you can save or discard the remaining liquid), and transfer the beans back to the Instant Pot insert.
  • Use an immersion blender to puree the beans until smooth and creamy, slowly and gradually adding cooking liquid back to the beans until your desired consistency is reached (typically between ½ to 1 cup total liquid). Adjust the seasonings to taste if desired, adding more salt, pepper, and/or vinegar. Serve hot.

ZUCCINI CRUST PIZZA

Zucchini Crust Pizza is the BEST low carb recipe to make with fresh garden zucchini and your favorite pizza toppings. This recipe works well with almond flour, all-purpose flour, and coconut flour.

Ingredients

  • ▢2 cups shredded zucchini
  • ▢¼ tsp Salt
  • ▢3 large eggs, beaten
  • ▢½ cup all-purpose flour, see notes
  • ▢1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • ▢1/3 cup pizza or marinara sauce
  • ▢1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ▢12 slices pepperoni

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Spread the shredded zucchini out on a lightly greased baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove and transfer the zucchini to paper towels or a cheesecloth.
  • Increase oven temperature to 450°.
  • Squeeze out as much additional moisture from the zucchini as possible. Add the zucchini to a large bowl along with the whisked eggs.
  • Sprinkle the flour in gradually, stirring to incorporate. Continue to add flour until desired consistency is obtained. (I use the entire ½ cup for all-purpose flour.)
  • Spread out onto a lightly greased 12-inch pizza pan, leaving 1-inch or so around the edges. Use a fork to gently poke holes in the dough to prevent the crust from bubbling up as it bakes.
  • Top with shredded Parmesan cheese and bake for 18 minutes, until it begins to brown slightly. Remove from oven.
  • Reduce heat to 400°.
  • If possible, let the crust cool for extra crispy results.
  • Top with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni (or desired pizza toppings). Bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
  • Top with parsley, red pepper flakes, and/or grated Parmesan cheese and serve!
Zucchini Crust Pizza

Yogurt in Instant Pot

  • 1 gallon milk*
  • ▢1/4 cup yogurt with active cultures (or yogurt starter)*

Cook Mode

Instructions 

  • Before starting, clean your 6 or 8 Quart Instant Pot really well with soap and water, or sterilize it by adding 2 cups of cold water, closing the lid and sealing the vent, and setting it to high pressure for 3 minutes, with a natural release.
  • Heat milk to 180-200 degrees.  Add milk to the instant pot and place the lid on it (it doesn’t matter if the vent is sealed or not). Press the “yogurt” button and then press “adjust” until the screen says “BOIL”.
  • When the Instant Pot beeps, the milk is hot and ready. Remove the lid and check the temperature with a thermometer to make sure it has reached 180-200 degreed F.
  • Allow milk to cool to down to 110°F -115°F degrees F. This will take 1-2 hours if left alone, or speed up the process by placing the pot into a bowl of ice water for about 10-15 minutes. Check often with a thermometer. Spoon off any milk skin that has formed on top.
  • Add Yogurt Starter. Remove a ladleful of the warm milk into a bowl and whisk the yogurt starter into it. Then pour the mixture into the pot and whisk to combine.
  • Set Yogurt Timer:  Place the inner pot back in the instant pot and secure the lid (again, it doesn’t matter if the vent is sealed or not). Press the “Yogurt” button and adjust until it reads 8:00 to 12:00 hours (less time for looser, milder yogurt and more time for thicker, tangier yogurt).
  • When the time is up, check the yogurt. You will know it’s ready when it has thickened and jiggles only slightly, like jello. (After refrigerating for a few hours it will set up even more.)
  • Refrigerate.  Remove the yogurt to a container or cover the inner instant pot bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, before serving. This allows the yogurt to thicken and set up more. Stir well before serving.
  • Store in containers in the fridge and enjoy within 10 days.
Instant Pot Yogurt
https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/instant-pot-yogurt/

Whiskey Apple Butter

4 pounds apples (about 12 to 16 medium)

2 cups water

4 cups sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

¼ teaspoon cloves

¼ cup bottled lemon juice (my Ball Book didn’t include this)

I added 1/2 cup to 1 cup of whiskey when I added the sugar and other ingredients.

DIRECTIONS

FIRST, LET’S PREP!

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Core and peel apples, if desired. Cut apples into quarters.

NEXT, TIME TO COOK!

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Combine apples and water in a large saucepan. Cook apples at a simmer until soft. Purée mixture using an electric food strainer or food mill. Measure 2 quarts of apple pulp; return apple pulp to saucepan. Add sugar, bottled lemon juice, and spices, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook at a gentle boil over medium heat until apple mixture is thick enough to mound on a spoon, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. If mixture becomes too thick, add a small amount of water or apple juice for desired consistency. Remove from heat.

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DID YOU KNOW?

To guarantee the most delicious preserved foods, always begin with the best-quality produce at its peak of ripeness.

NEXT, LET’S CAN IT!

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Ladle hot apple butter into a hot jar leaving a ¼ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim. Center lid on jar and apply band, adjust to fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.

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Process jars 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat, remove lid, let jars stand 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool 12-24 hours. Check lids for seal, they should not flex when center is pressed.

sourdough focaccia bread

  • 200 g active sourdough starter (3/4 cup)
  • 500 g bread flour (preffered) or ap flour (3 cups + 2tbsp)
  • 340 g water, room temperature (1 cup)
  • 8 g kosher salt
  • 20 g water, room temperature (for folding)
  • 65 g olive oil (1/2 cup)
  • 2 tsp sea salt flakes

Instructions 

Day 1

  • Mix your starter in 340g of room temperature water until it is dissolved. Then add flour and mix until everything is just combined. It’s ok if it looks scragly!
  • Cover and let rest at room temperature for an hour.
  • Add the 20g water and salt on top of the dough. Poke it in deep with your fingers and then slap in together in the bowl until just combined. The dough will be smoother by this step.
  • Dump the dough onto a clean surface. We will do the slap & fold: lift up the middle with both hands, fingers underneath, and thumbs hovering over the top. The ends will droop as you rise. You will slap the dough down so that it folds over itself. Imagine one of the ends touching the table first and then following the flow so that the middle that you are holding, folds on top. As you rise to flip again, you are going to grab the middle from the part that folded over. Keep doing this for 10 minutes it will help develope gluten and make it less sticky.
  • Find a nice huge sized container or even a large mixing bowl that is well greased. Dump your dough, cover well, and place in the fridge for 48 to 72 hours.

Day 2

  • Chill & Relax
  • Get your toppings together!

Day 3

  • Carefully, without gassing the bubbles, transfer your dough to a well-oiled baking sheet. Gently maneuver it with your hands to fit the baking sheet how you’d like. Cover with another baking sheet and place in a warm area to rise for three hours.
  • Preheat oven to 425° f. Drizzle the dough with olive oil and with oiled fingers dock the dough gently.
  • Decorate with your favorite toppings – pesto, apple and jalapeno is my favorite! When ready, bake for 30 minutes.
  • At 30 minutes, check the color of the focaccia, rotate, and leave in longer in the oven if you’d like a darker color.
  • Once cool enough to touch, remove from tray and place on a wire rack.
  • Hack – use scissors to cut off the focaccia to serve!

From:

72 Hour – Bubbly Sourdough Focaccia Bread

Gluten Free Texas Roadhouse Rolls

Yummy, but VERY EXPENSIVE ($4 per cup of the high intense flour mix)

Course:Bread, Rolls

Cuisine:American

Prep Time:20minutes minutes

Cook Time:15minutes minutes

Chilling and rising time:13hours hours

Yield:  rolls

Author: Nicole HunnCook Mode

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Ingredients

For the rolls

  • 3 cups (420 g) Gluten Free Bread Flour plus more for sprinkling (please click thru for full info on how to make my bread flour)
  • 2 teaspoons (6 g) instant yeast
  • ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon (6 g) kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg at room temperature
  • 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) warm whole milk (about 95°F)

For brushing

  • 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon (21 g) honey

Instructions

Prepare the raw bread dough.

  • Place the bread flour, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer, and use a handheld whisk to combine well. Add the salt, and whisk to combine.
  • Add the butter, egg, and milk, and mix by hand (with a large mixing spoon or Danish whisk) until just combined.
  • Place in the stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, and mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes. The dough will be quite sticky, but should be smooth and stretchy.
  • Spray a silicone spatula lightly with cooking oil spray, and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl or proofing bucket large enough for the dough to rise to double its size, and cover with an oiled piece of plastic wrap (or the oiled top to your proofing bucket).
  • Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 5 days.

Alternative method to use the dough the same day.

  • To use the dough the same day it is made, after making the dough, set the covered dough to rise in a warm, draft-free environment to allow it to rise to double its size (about 1 hour).
  • Once it has doubled, place it in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes or until it is chilled. This will make it much easier to handle. Then, continue with the rest of the recipe instructions.

When you’re ready to bake.

  • Line a large rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper, and set it aside.https://d0aa77a0f68c389f03988cf6770d1cdf.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html
  • Turn out the chilled dough onto a lightly floured surface and using a very light touch, sprinkle the dough with more flour and knead it lightly until it’s smoother.
  • Fold the dough over on itself, and knead again, sprinkling very very lightly with more flour only as essential to prevent sticking. Do not work too much additional flour into the dough or you will lower the hydration ratio and the dough will not rise properly.
  • On a lightly-floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 6-inch x 8-inch rectangle, a bit more than 1/2-inch thick.
  • Using a pizza cutter or metal bench scraper, cut out 12 approximately 2-inch squares of dough, each with 4 very blunt edges.
  • Place the rolls about 2 inches apart from one another on the prepared baking sheet, cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap, and set in a warm, draft-free location to rise until nearly doubled in size (about 45 minutes, but rising time will vary greatly depending upon the rising environment).
  • As the dough is nearing the end of its final rise, preheat your oven to 350°F.
  • Once the dough has finished rising, place the 3 tablespoons unsalted butter and honey in a small, heat-safe bowl, and heat in a short burst in the microwave or in a double boiler until melted.
  • Mix the honey and butter together well, uncover the rolls, and brush each generously but carefully with the honey butter.https://d0aa77a0f68c389f03988cf6770d1cdf.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html
  • Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the tops of the rolls are lightly golden brown (about 12 minutes).
  • Remove the rolls from the oven and brush once more with the honey butter before serving warm.
  • Store any leftovers, once completely cooled, in a tightly sealed freezer-safe bag in the freezer. Refresh very briefly in the microwave before serving.

Salted Caramel Pear Butter

INGREDIENTS

4 lbs. Pears, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped

1/3 cup apple cider

2 Tbsp. bottled lemon juice

2-1/2 cups dark brown sugar

2 tsp. Sea salt or kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

FIRST, LET’S PREP!

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Wash pears under cold running water and drain. Cut in half lengthwise, core and peel. Coarsely chop. Place chopped pears, apple cider and lemon juice in a 4-6 qt. Crock-Pot®. Set the heat on high and simmer, covered, until pears have softened; about 40 minutes. Turn heat off.

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Process pear mixture using an immersion blender, or in batches in the bowl of a food processor, until puree is smooth.

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Combine pear mixture with brown sugar and salt in the Crock-Pot®; turn heat to high and place lid on a diagonal over Crock-Pot® allowing steam to escape at both ends. Simmer on high, stirring every 30 minutes or so, until puree thickens, darkens in color, and holds it’s shape on a spoon; about 3-4 hours.

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Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready to use, do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set aside with bands.

NEXT, LET’S CAN IT!

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Ladle hot pear butter into a hot jar leaving a 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim. Center lid on jar and apply band, adjust to fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling-water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.

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Water must cover jars by 1 inch. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover canner, and bring water to a rolling boil. Process half-pint jars 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat and remove cover. Let jars cool 5 minutes. Remove jars from canner; do not retighten bands if loose. Cool 12-24 hours. Check lids for seal, they should not flex when center is pressed

https://www.ballmasonjars.com/blog?cid=salted-caramel-pear-butter