breakfast swirls

Tired of the usual pancakes and toasts for breakfast? how about surprising your loved ones with a breakfast pastry that's pretty, light and delicious yet so easy to make? I'm talking about bite-size almond swirls guaranteed to disappear as quickly as you made it.

almond swirls fresh from the oven...yummy!

The secret? store-bought refrigerated crescent dinner rolls.  It saves you half the preparation time because you don't go into the trouble of kneading, rolling and messing with the dough ... perfect for beating the breakfast rush hour so you can spend your precious time on more important things like actually sitting on the breakfast table and enjoying each and every bite with your family.

As my son's favorite Yo Gabba Gabba song goes... "try it, you'll like it!" :)

BREAKFAST SWIRLS

Ingredients

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla extract)

1/2 cup slivered almonds, chopped fine

2 (8-ounce) cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls (i use Pillsbury brand, original)

1 egg white

1 teaspoon water

for the Glaze

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla extract)

4 teaspoons milk

  

Directions

1. In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, almond extract, and sugar until fluffy.
2. Fold half of the chopped almonds into the cream cheese mixture.
3. Separate 1 can of dough and assemble into 4 rectangles. Firmly press the perforations to seal.  Do the same with the other can.
4. Spread each rectangle with about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese filling to within 1/4-inch of the edges. 
5. Starting at the short end, roll each rectangle tightly into a cylinder.  The rolled dough should resemble an egg roll.  Lightly press the ends and sides to seal in the filling.
6. Place on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until firm, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F while the rolls are chilling.
7. Remove from the refrigerator and cut each roll into 4 slices. Place 1/2-inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.
8.  In a small bowl, combine the egg white with 1 teaspoon water. Brush over the swirls. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped almonds. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until light brown.
9.  While the swirls are baking, combine the glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Cool the swirls for 3 minutes on wire racks placed over a sheet of waxed paper. Drizzle the glaze over the warm swirls.

 Makes 32 swirls.

  

Tips

Now before you hurry to gather the ingredients, be sure to read this first:

• For the almond extract in the filling, start with 1/4 teaspoon if you are making it for the first time.  If you think it is not enough, then add more in your future attempts.  It is better to start with less almond extract because with or without it, I guarantee that your swirls will disappear like magic!   
• If you don't like almond, you can easily substitute it with vanilla extract.  No problem.  Or you can skip the almond in the filling and still get the 'kick' because you are using it in the glaze.  Or you can totally disregard almond in both the filling and glaze and use vanilla extract.  It is really up to you.
• You can make as many variations as you can think of.  Use pecan nuts, chopped raisins, chocolate glaze, sprinkle some cinnamon, add orange or lemon extract, add strawberry jam or whatever jam you like.  Try your favorite nut.  I've done this with pecan and it was delicious! 
• Divide the rolls and make a variety.  One time i made half of the batch with raisins and cinnamon for my son and half with just the basic recipe (my husband is allergic to raisins and he hates cinnamon).  Both of them are happy. :) 
• Be sure to wait for the swirls to cool for 3-5 minutes BEFORE you pour the glaze.  If you do it as soon as you take them out of the oven, the glaze will melt. 
• Divide the recipe into half if you think 32 swirls are just too much for you or your small family.
• You can prepare the rolls at night before you go to bed, chill in the refrigerator overnight then in the morning just slice, arrange in baking sheet and bake.  While waiting you can wash your face, comb your hair and put on your favorite lipstick!  Everyone would be thinking how awesome you are while they munch on these yummy goodies. *wink*

cassava cake *tried & tested*

Made cassava cake this afternoon for our snack and finally snapped a close-up photo of it before i rewarded myself with a slice.  There are many versions of this classic Filipino dessert - there's the cassava leche flan, cassava bibingka, cassava with grated cheese and cassava with langka (jackfruit).

My recipe is very basic and so simple even my 4 yr old can whip it up in a few minutes (he actually started helping me when he was 2). I recommend it if you are making this cake for the first time.  The batter consists of frozen grated cassava, condensed milk, evaporated milk, coconut milk, eggs, macapuno strings, vanilla and butter.  For the topping I simply spread condensed milk evenly and let it bake until golden brown or slightly burnt which i like. 

Personally, i prefer this version because it's guaranteed to please anybody.  Not everybody likes jackfruit or cheese, right? And some people may not want a leche flan topping because that would be like a double whammy of sweetness.  It's also the version i grew up with and having traveled extensively in the Philippines, this is the most popular (and affordable) version.  Give it a try.

Click here for my recipe.

black forest cake ala Red Ribbon

Filipinos love black forest cake and if there's a version that elicits moans and groans from anyone who takes a bite, that would be the one they sell at Red Ribbon Bakeshop.  This mouth-watering liquor-moistened chocolate cake, brimming with cherries, cream and generous strips of chocolate shavings is no doubt Red Ribbon's most popular and best-selling cake. 

I am one of those people who embrace and adore this cake, surrendering myself to its lusciousness while i pause and reflect, ponder and wonder about how different yet delightful it tastes.  Even by doing so it has never occurred to me, after all this time, to ask about the origin of its name.  Having said that I have a confession to make:  for the past 2 decades that i have been enjoying this cake, i actually believed that it is simply called black forest because of the chocolate shavings that resemble tree branches. haha.

A couple of weeks ago I researched on this cake to satisfy my curiosity and here's what i found out:  It is a dessert known as Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte that originated from the Black Forest area in southwest Germany.  It is named after the specialty liquor of that region, known as Schwarzwälder Kirsch(wasser) and distilled from tart cherries. With its distinctive cherry pit flavor and alcoholic content, this ingredient gives the cake its unique flavour. 

The dessert has many versions, some without alcohol and others substituting kirsch with rum or other liquors.  Since i am only interested in Red Ribbon's version, i searched the internet and luckily stumbled upon a recipe from LtDan'sKitchen.com.  I followed his cherry filling and cream frosting recipes. Thank you so much Dan!

For the chocolate cake, i simply followed the recipe posted on the back label of Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder.  I couldn't find cherry liqueur or kirschwasser so i grabbed a bottle of Kahlua rum and coffee liqueur instead.

The result is a delicious cake just like i imagined it: sweet and chocolatey with that strong but not overpowering cherry taste and a surprising kick coming from the rum balanced by the bittersweet chocolate shavings (you can use semi-sweet if you like).   It was fun to assemble too and the cherries on top really made it look so pretty and tempting.

My only complaint is that the whipped cream frosting is not sweet enough for my taste but then it's just a matter of personal preference.  Next time i plan to add a little more confectioner's sugar to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Believe it or not i had it for breakfast today... perfect with my french-pressed coffee.  From now on i'll never look at a black forest cake the same way again.  :)

Cake: (Hershey's perfectly chocolate cake or use your favorite chocolate cake recipe)

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water
 

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans. 
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely preferably in the refrigerator so it will firm up a bit. 
 
I usually bake my cake layers a day or two before using them and while still hot, cover/seal them with plastic wrap and freeze until ready to use.  It takes only about 15 minutes to thaw them.

 

Cherry Filling: (recipe from LtDan'sKitchen.com)

• 1 bottle (24-30 oz) of maraschino cherries
• ½ cup syrup from the maraschino bottle
• ¼ cup rum, brandy or coffee liqueur + 4 tbsp extra for drizzling (i used Kahlua rum & coffee liquer)
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch 

1. Reserve about 16 cherries for garnishing and slice the rest into halves.
2. Simmer the sliced cherries and ½ cup cherry syrup from the bottle over low heat. Add the liqueur.
3. Dissolve the cornstarch in about 2 tbsp of water and add into the cherry filling. Let the syrup thicken. Make sure that the syrup coats the back of the spoon when lifted.
4. Remove from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.

Whipped Cream frosting: (also from LtDan's Kitchen or you can use your favorite whipped cream frosting)

• 4 cups of chilled heavy whipping cream
• 1 packet unflavored gelatin (dissolved in ¼ cup hot water)
• ¼ cup of confectioner’s sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla

1. Chill the cream in the fridge for at least a day.
2. In a cold metal bowl (freeze metal bowl and beaters for about 10 minutes before using it), beat the cream at medium speed and slowly drizzle in gelatin. Increase the speed to medium high and gradually add in the sugar. Continue beating until the stiff peak stage. Add the vanilla and combine to mix.
3. Keep the frosting in the fridge unless you are ready to use it. It is best to make the whipped cream prior to frosting the cake.

Assembly:

(Note:  It is best to cool the cake in the refrigerator until it firms up before doing this or thaw for about 15 minutes if frozen)

1. In a large cake dish, lay one cake layer and sprinkle with 1 tbsp of liqueur. Spread a third of the cherry filling and top with about a fifth of the whipped cream frosting.
2. Lay the second layer of cake and do the same as above.
3. Drizzle the top layer with 1 tbsp of liqueur.
4. Cover the cake with a crumb coat and let it rest in the fridge for about an hour. Add the final frosting and pipe rosettes of the cream filling on top of the cake and garnish with chocolate curls (semisweet or bittersweet). Top rosettes with the reserved cherries. Let the cake rest in the fridge in a cake box for about 6 hours before serving.