Happy Food for a Happy Christmas!!

Gingerbread house

a nice recipe here: 

http://www.mydiversekitchen.com/2009/12/magic-of-gingerbread-house-daring.html

Orange Yogurt Muffins

baked with love for AnaMaria's birthday

Ingredients 
  
for 24 medium sized muffins or 48 mini muffins

½ cup melted butter = 113g manteiga
1 cup caster sugar = 200g açúcar
4 eggs = 4 ovos XL
1, ½ cup plain yogurt = 340g iogurte natural magro
4 table spoons orange juice = sumo de ½ laranja
2 table spoons orange zest = raspa de 1 laranja
1, 2/3 cup self raising flour = 350g farinha com fermento
1 table spoon baking powder = 1 c.sopa fermento Royal
2 table spoons cinnamon = 2 c.sopa canela em pó
Rasperries = framboesas
Honey = mel
Paper cups = forminhas de papel

Preparation

Preheat oven to 200°C and place the paper cups in the baking tins.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the yogurt, orange juice, and orange zest.

Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and stir into the orange mixture until just blended. Spoon batter into the prepared tins.

Bake for about 10 in the preheated oven, or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Allow the muffins to cool.

Place the raspberries and drizzle them over with a little splash of honey.

 Yummy!!!

The Super Moisty Chocolate Cake!

Specially baked by Fada Moranga to celebrate

this little baby's birthday

and this great interview

Ingredients for a 2 layer big cake - bake it the day before!

For the batter:
200gr unsalted butter
240gr white sugar
4 XL eggs
200g dark chocolate bar
240ml skimmed milk
450gr flour
4 tea spoons Royal baking powder


For the syrup:
150ml Port Wine , 200ml water, 100g white sugar, 1 sachet Nescafe instant coffee


For the chocolate glaze:
400gr Crème fraiche or sour cream, 200gr chocolate bar, 2 honey soup spoons


Preparation:

Pre-heat the oven – 150º /180º C

Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt it very slowly with the milk in a saucepan. Reserve.

Mix the butter (at room temperature) with the sugar. Then add 1 egg at a time and mix it well. When the batter is nice and fluffy, then it's time to add the melted chocolate with the milk. Mix well.

Time to add the flour with the baking powder, gently folding... and then mix it with the electric mixer for about 30 seconds (the more you mix it, the more it thickens..)


Take 2 round baking pans (or just 1 if you make 1/2 recipe), grease them and cover them with baking paper and pour the mix.

Cook each cake for about 25 minutes or until it is dry. You may test it with a toothpick - if the cake is done the toothpick will be nice and clean!

While the cakes are in the oven you should be preparing the syrup – mix the sugar with the instant coffee in a saucepan and pour the water to dissolve it. Then pour the wine, let it boil and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Take the cakes out of the heat and turn the baking pan upside down on a sugar sprinkled cake plate and pour the syrup.


Once it's cooled you may assemble the cake: how to assemble a layer cake - slideshow

Prepare the chocolate glaze: pour the crème fraiche or sour cream in a saucepan and heat it very slowly, add the chocolate pieces and mix until it melts. Now add the honey and mix until the mixture is smooth.

Spread it immediately on the cake and decorate with wine gum gems and sprinkles. Keep it in the refrigerator until firm and enjoy!

Orangy Sponge Cake - Photo Recipe!

click each photo to view large

Ingredients:

1 lemon , 1 orange , 3 clementines, 8 eggs, 500gr sugar, 300 gr flour (or you can make half recipe)

The secret for this cake is weighting the eggs = weight of sugar and 1/2 of that weight of flour - you will need a scale for that

8 XL eggs = 500 gr sugar = 250 gr flour (+ 50 gr in case you add some orange juice)

4 XL eggs = 250 gr sugar = 125 gr flour (+25 gr if you add juice)

Preparation:

Pre-heat the oven - 150o/180o C

Wash the lemon, the orange and clementines and zest them. In a large bowl mix the sugar with the zests, 4 eggs, 4 yolks and mix.

Reserve the other 4 egg whites and beat them with a mixer untill they are fluffy. Keep them in the fridge while you mix the eggs+sugar+zest.

When the batter is nice and bubbly, then it's time to add 1 clementine juice (or 2 if they're small). Mix well. Now add the flour and mix.

Time to add the egg whites, gently folding... watch the video

Take 2 baking pans (or just 1 if you make 1/2 recipe), grease them and cover them with baking paper and pour the mix.

Cook each cake for about 25 minutes. You may test it with a toothpick - if the cake is done the toothpick will be nice and clean!

Take the cake out of the heat and turn the baking pan upside down on a "sugar bed" and let the cake cool down. Once it's cooled you may cut it into little squares. Enjoy!