Daring Bakers- September Challenges

For the September challenge for Daring Bakers, we were tasked with making Empanadas, a traditional Spanish treat. However, I mixed it up a little with this recipe. 

Instead of the traditional 'savoury' filling, I used minced meat (not actual meat, raisins and fruit in spices) in a puff pastry with sugar sprinkled on the top side. 

These bite-sized treats were delicious; like a warm hug on a cold day!

Recipe to follow! 

xoxo

Chef Boyar-B

Chocolate Chip Waffles with Whipped Cream

These waffles were delicious and worked really well (I've found that a lot of recipes are either not sweet enough or sticks to the waffle-maker or isn't quite fluffy). HOWEVER I HAVE GREAT NEWS! This waffle recipe is perfect! I added a lot more chocolate chips (around double... because they are delicious), so really that's up to you.

Here's the recipe, enjoy!

Best Chocolate Chip Waffles

(5 servings)  

• 1 and 3/4 all-purpose cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 egg yolks - beaten
• 1 and 3/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 egg whites - beaten stiffly
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Mix all dry ingredients (including chocolate chips).

Combine yolks and milk. Stir into dry ingredients. Stir in oil and mix. GENTLY fold in beaten egg whites, do not over mix.

Pour about 1/2 cup at a time into waffle iron and cook according to your waffle iron's instructions. You can usually tell they are ready when steam stops coming out of the side of the waffle iron. 


Some recipes tell you to sprinkle chocolate chips on the batter in the waffle iron. I find it works better when the chips are blended into the batter.

Daring Bakers Challenge -August

Pâte a choux! Recipe to come :)

Banana Bread

Today I got to spend the day with my boyfriend and we made not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 banana bread loaves!

Deliciousssss!! Here's the recipe, enjoy!

For the purists.

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, soft
3 bananas (ripe)
2 eggs
1 tsp soda, dissolved in 1 Tbsp cold water
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg



Instructions
Heat oven to 350
Combine and mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
Place batter in a greased bread pan (bottom only) or in muffin tins.
Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes then remove from pan. Complete cooling on a wire rack
Makes one good sized loaf

Blueberry Pancakes

This morning I felt a little in debt to my boyfriend. This is because he is SO good to me. He takes me out to dinner, brings me my favourite Starbucks when he comes over, drives me EVERYWHERE, and most of all, puts up with me when I'm emotional.

So, as a thank you, I made him some blueberry pancakes!

Here are some pics and the recipe !

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, thawed

Directions

1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. In a small bowl, beat together egg and milk. Stir milk and egg into flour mixture. Mix in the butter and fold in the blueberries. Set aside for 1 hour.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Nutritional Information 

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 146 | Total Fat: 2.9g | Cholesterol: 41mg

Croque Monsieur

So my brother was feeling under the weather today and he asked me if I could make him a Croque Monsieur, to which I gladly obliged.

One glitch, we had no bread...
BUT HEY, I'm resourceful! So I used English muffins instead, a thoroughly European treat to say the least.

Heres some photos, and the original recipe which I made slight alterations to due to quantity ( I only wanted one) and lack of ingredients (no bread).

Such a good treat!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups hot milk
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch nutmeg
• 12 ounces Gruyere, grated (5 cups)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 16 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
• Dijon mustard
• 8 ounces baked Virginia ham, sliced but not paper thin

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter–flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Off the heat add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup grated Gruyere, and the Parmesan and set aside.

To toast the bread, place the slices on 2 baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes. Turn each slice and bake for another 2 minutes, until toasted.

Lightly brush half the toasted breads with mustard, add a slice of ham to each, and sprinkle with half the remaining Gruyere. Top with another piece of toasted bread. Slather the tops with the cheesesauce, sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere, and bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve hot.

Crêpes Pour un Copain (Crêpes Suzette)

So a few days back, I decided I would make crepes for my boyfriend and his family.

As I mentioned before, crepes are my specialty and these ones turned out pretty good!

Here's a picture: 

Assembly:

Recipe:

Peanut Butter Cookies

So today I got bored.

And when I get bored I don't watch TV, or read, no.

I do something WAY better.

I bake. 

I tackled the quintessential favourite, peanut butter cookies.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 cups peanut butter
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a medium bowl, stir peanut butter and sugar together until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the baking soda, salt, and vanilla. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place them 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Press a criss-cross into the top using the back of a fork.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutritional Information 

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 132 | Total Fat: 7.5g | Cholesterol: 12mg

Crepes à la Framboise

Here is a picture of my specialty... CREPES! They are my absolute favourite breakfast food because they're so costumizeable. In the picture you can see the crepe with raspberry and Nutella. Another favourite of mine is cinnamon sugar and whipped cream :) I'll post the recipe when I get home!

The Actual Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever

Okay, so I'm going to tell you a secret, and this is a biggie. This is the secret on how those chocolate chip cookies you see taste so good. And the secret? Well it's easy, all you have to do is use milk chocolate chips. That's it. Amazing cookie. Now a good recipe never hurts either :P Just kidding, you need a good recipe too, but as long as you have milk chocolate chips, you're covered. 

Those cookies above were made by me! Using none other than milk chocolate chips. If you can get your hands on some Cadbury's, then you're set for life.

Daring Bakers

And as I begin this journey into the depths of the food blogging world, I happen across the likes of the Daring Bakers. And so I have signed up, hopefully I make the cut! (fingers crossed).

À bientôt!

And so it begins...

After years and years of endless scrolling on blogs filled with the most mouth-watering creations a foodie could dream of, I have finally decided to create my own blog. And so, here begins the journey of a young food enthusiast, who, while looking for the best recipes around, has decided to share a few of her own as well. So, rev your mixers, and let the baking begin!

Love,
Chef Boyar-B