So today I took a stab at making a trifle. This is the first time I ever made, or tasted, a trifle. I’m pretty impressed that something so simplistic can be so delicious. It also helps that it looks pretty and makes people think that you spent HOURS preparing it, just for them.  Someday it would be nice to own one of those huge trifle bowls, but a glass storing bowl works just as good for now.

I love the fourth of July. All the Americana, fireworks and patriotism. I love how on that day I feel so lucky to live where I do. Not a lot of people know this, but I am very patriotic.  I love my country dearly. Now, I don’t always agree with what we do or the people we vote into office, but I still love her none the less. I love for what we stand for, for the principles we were formed from. There is a reason why the revolutionary war is my forte. To me nothing says “I love the United States of America!” than taking your favorite hobby and making it represent your nation. So, America, this trifle is for you!

Now on to matters that have NOTHING to do with the fourth of July, or trifles.

I’m sorry for the lack of posts lately. I’m still here guys, I promise. Honestly, sometimes I get a bit discouraged seeing all these awesome food blogs with these professional looking photos. I just keep trying to remind myself the facts. A lot of these bloggers have been blogging for years, own very expensive cameras, and make a career out of blogging. I have a full time job and do not plan to make a career out of blogging. It would be nice though, and a girl can dream. I have decided to change my blog from a step-by-step blog to just discussing my recipes and other recipes that I try. I can’t commit the amount of time I would need to make a good step by step recipe blog. Maybe in another life, where I didn’t have to work 40 hours a week! I promise there will be a lot more posts in the future…like..tomorrow!

Here is the strawberry cheesecake that I happened to make. Everyone needs a good cheesecake recipe. There’s something about cheesecake that just makes people feel better. Did you know that the women in the show, “The Golden Girls”, consumed over 100 cheesecakes during the show’s 7 year run? I wonder if their cheesecake tasted anything like mine. I have made my cheesecake many times for co-workers and friends and everyone agrees that it is one of the best cheesecakes they have ever had. I chose to share my really simple cheesecake recipe with you all. I like to add strawberry sauce to mine, but be creative…add whatever you like!

Here’s what you will need:

• 1 1/4 cups of graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1/3 cup of butter or margarine, melted (be bad, use the butter..everything tastes better with butter!)
• 3 (8oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup of lemon juice
• 3 eggs

Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a mixing bowl. Mmmm butter. I can feel like thighs getting bigger just by looking at this picture.

After you mix the crust, press it onto the bottom of an ungreased 9 inch springform pan. If you don’t have a springform pan, don’t fret. You can use a regular round 9 inch baking pan. The only thing a springform pan does is let you take the cheesecake (or whatever you are making) out of the pan with ease, without taking the chance of messing up the cheesecake. When you are done, refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.

In a mixing bowl (or a stand mixer), beat the cream cheese until it is light and fluffy.

Gradually beat in the condensed milk and then add the lemon juice. If you want to experiment, add a little lemon or orange zest. Yum yum!

After everything is mixed, add the eggs and beat the mix on low until it is just combined.

Pour the mixture into the pan. It looks sooooo creamy and good! Bake the cheesecake at 300° F for 45-50 minutes. 49 seemed to work just fine for me. You want the center to be almost set, which means it jiggles a little still.

Let it cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes then carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake from the sides. You don’t want the cake to cool to the edges of the pan or it will rip when you pull the pan off. Cool the cheesecake for an hour longer and refrigerate overnight while it is still in the pan. This cake needs to be stored in the fridge, so make room. As you can see, I added a strawberry sauce into mine.

How to make the strawberry sauce:

In a blender combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 (10oz) packages of frozen sweetened strawberries that have been thawed.  Process the strawberries and cornstarch until it is smooth. Pour the mixture into a sauce pan and bring to a boil, letting it boil for 2 minutes afterward. Let the sauce cool before mixing it into the cake.

I love sugar cookies, especially chewy ones. These sugar cookies are perfectly chewy from the moment you take them out of the oven, to the moment you eat the last one. This is the first sugar cookie that I’ve ever had that has almond extract in it. I think it gives them the perfect flavor. Did I mention they are easy to make and only have to sit in the fridge for 30 minutes?

Here’s what you will need:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt (use 1/2 tsp if using unsalted butter)
• 1 cup salted butter, softened
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract

Sift together your flour, baking powder and salt. If your sifter doesn’t come with a compartment where the product sifts into, just put it in a small bowl. I love this sifter though. It is, almost, mess free!

In another bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together until it is light and fluffy.

Add one egg and stir until it in incorporated, then add the next egg and do the same thing. Now is the time to stir in both your vanilla and almond extracts. Did I ever mention how much I love almond extract? I don’t think I have ever ate anything with almond extract in it, and not liked it!

Gradually add the flour into the sugar and egg mixture, stirring until well mixed. Do not be afraid to over mix this recipe. This type of dough needs to be mixed well, that’s how it produces really chewy cookies! When everything is stirred together well, the dough will be somewhat sticky and heavy. Now just cover it up and pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes. Now is the time to go find something productive to do for 30 minutes. If I get “waiting time” in recipes I usually spend it cleaning the kitchen from the mess.

Preheat your oven to 350° F. When the dough is done chilling scoop out balls that are about the diameter of a quarter. I like to roll it together to form a more uniformed shape before placing it on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Place the dough balls about 2 inches apart from another.

Grease the bottom of a flat glass and use it to press down on the dough balls. You want them to spread out until they are about 1/3 inch thick. This will help the cookies spread evenly and making them have less flaws.

Before baking add sprinkles, if you wish to do so. I love sprinkles and have a pretty impressive collection. I choose the colored sugar and my hearts that I mostly use for brownies. You can also use plain granulated sugar if you don’t have sprinkles. If you really want you can leave them plain, but you don’t know what you are missing!

Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the edges slightly turn golden-brown. Immediately remove them from the oven and let them sit on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Taking warm cookies off their baking sheets immediately is a big no-no! Of course  if the recipe says to do it, then it’s ok. After the 2 minutes are up take them off with a spatula and let them finish cooling on wire racks.

These cookies look good enough to eat. Oh wait, you can eat them…you just have to make the recipe! Sugar cookies are as old as time, yet they are still a favorite. Don’t you think it’s time to show someone that you love them today? What better way than to make these cookies! They are chewy, yummy and take half the time of normal sugar cookies. Everyone should have a “go to” sugar cookie recipe, so try this out! They are sweet, but not overly sweet.  You won’t be disappointed!

~ Ai

Oh boy was this ever so tasty! This chocolate torte has just the right amount of pomegranate flavor, which just accents the chocolate perfectly. Who knew the two would taste so well together? I sure had no idea!

Here’s what you will need:

For the cake

• 4 Tbs of unsalted butter,cut into 4 piece. You will also need more for coating the baking pan
• 6oz of bittersweet chocolate (I used unsweetened and added sugar to it, because it was all I had)
• 3 large eggs,yolks and whites separated
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup of flour

For the pomegranate jelly

• 1 pink lady or braeburn apple
• 1-1/2 cups of pure pomegranate juice
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs of sugar
• 12 fresh or frozen cranberries (I did not add these..apparently it’s impossible to find them in the middle of March!)

For the Glaze

• 6oz of bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 6 Tbs of unsalted butter,cut into 6 pieces
• 1 Tbs of honey or light corn syrup
• pinch of table salt

First you need to line the bottom of your pan (9×2 inch) with parchment paper and grease the sides pretty well with butter. Position your rack in the center of your oven and place it at 350°F.

Next chop up your chocolate,except for 2 ounces. Go ahead an finely grate up that 2 oz and set it aside for later.

In a double boiler melt your butter, chocolate and 3 Tbs of water. Stir often and when everything is melted, set it aside.

While you’re waiting for the chocolate to melt, have one  of these. I am addicted..seriously..some one help me over here!

In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks, 1/2 cup of sugar and salt until the yolks thicken. They will also appear lighter in color. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar at medium-high speed to soft peaks, about 2 minutes. With the motor running, gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating to stiff peaks, 1 to 2 minutes more.

Now whisk the warm chocolate and flour into the yolk mixture.

With a rubber spatula, fold a quarter of the egg whites into the mix. Add the rest of the egg white and the 2 Tbs of grated chocolate and fold together.

Pour the batter into your prepped pan and spread it evenly. Bake it for roughly 25 minutes, or until a toothpick close to the center comes out smudged with just a few crumbs sticking to it.

Cool the cake on the rack, in the pan, for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes are up, run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake. Invert the cake to another cooling rack and let it cool completely. If your cake is crusty on the outside and cracks a little, don’t worry..it’s normal!

Grate enough of the apple to make 3/4 cup (I used more, since I lacked cranberries). In a medium saucepan bring the pomegranate juice, apple,cranberries and sugar to  a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes. The jelly should be slightly thick and the apple should soften. Uncover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally at first and then more often towards the end, or until the liquid has evaporated. To be honest, mine didn’t thicken like it was supposed to…so I cheated and added a Tb of corn starch to thicken it up. Shh!

Press the mixture through a small mesh strainer until you extracted all the juice from the pulp. You can discard the pulp.

Yummy yummy jelly! Go ahead and take a small taste…it’s heavenly!

Before spreading the jelly on, transfer it to cardboard circle or tart pan. It makes it so much easier to transfer! Brush away any crumbs from the top before adding the jelly. Scrap the jelly on top of the cake and spread it evenly on the surface. Now let the cake set for 1 hour.

Now it’s time to make the glaze. Place the chocolate, butter, honey and salt in a heatproof bowl and set it in a skillet of barely simmering water. This is a better way to melt chocolate, in my opinion. I think it just works better and faster than a double boiler. Gently stir the mixture until everything is melted and it is smooth. Remove it from heat and add 2 Tbs of cool water. Now cool it to room temperature without stirring it.

Now set the cake back on a cooling rack with something underneath it to catch the chocolate. It’s better than cleaning up chocolate when you are done. Rewarm the glaze to 90°F in a skillet of barely simmering water. The glaze should have the consistency of thick, pourable cream. Scrape all the glaze on top of the cake and spread it all over the top and the sides. To keep it looking nice and shiny, try to use as few strokes as possible. Let the cake sit on the rack for10 more minutes before transferring it to a cake plate. Let this cake set for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.

Don’t mind that bright blinding white! It’s just the picture trying to draw you in to get you to bake this. It was delicious and yummy! This isn’t the best recipe for beginning bakers or people who are short on time. There is a lot of work that goes into it, but it’s worth it! A must for any chocolate and/or pomegranate fan!

]]> http://www.aiyoku.net/archives/65/feed 2 http://www.aiyoku.net/archives/42 http://www.aiyoku.net/archives/42#comments Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:22:15 +0000 Cynthia http://www.aiyoku.net/?p=42

Let me start off by saying if Heaven was a cookie, it would be a French macaron.

These cookies were so delightful that I kept them all for myself. Usually I share them with co-workers (to keep myself from eating them all) but I had to be greedy with these. They can be a bit time consuming and very precise, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying this awesome treat! Having a stand mixer is a life saver with this recipe too!

Here’s what you will need. It is recommended to weight everything instead of measuring it out, but I lack a kitchen scale. So until I get one (Ahem..are you reading this, hun?) I will be using my measuring cups. It also helps to have a stand mixer and a food processor for this recipe.

• • • • • 90 gr egg whites at room temperature(About 3 egg whites..I used 3 and it was good). Make sure the egg whites have been prepped at least 48 hours in advanced and can be used up to 5 days in advance
        • 25 gr to 50 gr (2 TB to 1/4 cup) granulated sugar (basic white sugar)
        • 200 gr (1.5 cups + 2 TB) powdered sugar
        • 110 gr almonds (3/4 cup. Use whatever almonds you like, as long as they don’t have the “skin” on them. I used slivered.)
        • Pipping bags
        • #807 0r #809 decorating tip
        • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
        • 8oz of chocolate morsels ( I used dark chocolate, but any is ok too!)
        • Gel/powdered food coloring, if desired

Place your powdered sugar and almonds in a food processor. Time to get grindin’! Set your food processor on “pulse” mode until they are finely ground. If you are anything like me, you might be doing this step 2-3 times.

Now it’s time to sift. Sift the flour-like mix a couple of times until everything is good and fine. If you still find big pieces of almonds, or you have a lot that will not sift, take it back to the food processor for another round. I sifted my mix 3 times, for your information.

This is where the stand mixer becomes very handy. If people were half as efficient as my stand mixer, the world would be a better place.

Using the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites to a foam. Your foam should resemble soap foam.

Slowly add your sugar as the eggs beat, making it a glossy meringue. Keep an eye on them though, because more than likely you will not need a lot of sugar. All in all I think I only used 6 tablespoons. You know you have it right when it resembles shaving cream and stiff peaks form.

Now add the almond/powdered sugar mix to the meringue and fold it quickly to just mix everything up. It should only take you 50 strokes at the most to have it right. Start folding real quickly at first and then slow down. Half way into mixing add your food coloring. DO NOT use a water based food coloring. Powdered is preferred, but gel will work fine too.  This is one of the most crucial parts of this recipe.

Take your spatula and run it across the batter and count to 10. If it takes almost all 10 seconds to fold back to it’s original shape, you know you are good to go.

What a gorgeous color and anyone who says otherwise is..well..entitled to their own opinion!

Fill the pastry bag and pipe small rounds that are about 1.5 inches in diameter onto parchment paper. Now just let them sit there and look pretty for 30 minutes to an hour. This will cause the rounds to harden. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. When it is ready, bake the shells for 18-20 minutes.

And this is the result! See how the bottoms have “feet”? If your macarons have those, you know you did pretty darn good for your first try. If they do not, keep in mind these babies are rather hard to make. Now you need to have self control and try not to eat the shells before you fill them. It is well worth the wait,  trust me on this!

Ganache…how I can not say enough about this heavenly concoction.

Heat the cream in a small pot, but just before boiling!

Place your chocolate in a medium bowl and pour the cream over.

Wait a few seconds and then stir like a mad woman until smooth (maybe a mad man, do any men even read this?!).

Let the ganache cool for a moment, and then spread a small amount of the chocolaty goodness on the bottom of a macaron.

Sandwich another macaron on top of it!

Ta da, you are now done! You also officially made a French macaron. Now you get the joy of explaining what these are to people (no one I talked to ever heard of a French macaron). Also make sure you pay attention to the confused look on their faces when you explain there are no coconut in them.

I got this recipe from Bakerella. If you have not seen her baking blog yet you need to. She is one of my inspirations and her blog is AMAZING!

]]> http://www.aiyoku.net/archives/42/feed 4 http://www.aiyoku.net/archives/15 http://www.aiyoku.net/archives/15#comments Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:26:59 +0000 Cynthia http://www.aiyoku.net/?p=15

I know I told you all that my first baking post would be with french macaroons…well, I lied! I just cannot wait till Saturday to bake something. I must bake on my day’s off of work or I will go crazy. Yes, go crazy…my fiance knows exactly what this “craziness” is. Don’t worry though, those macaroons WILL get made and WILL get in my stomach. I need them in my life!

So let’s get started people!

Today I made chocolate crinkles, a sure thing recipe that everyone loves. I have made these several times before and everyone raves about them. People are also surprised when they learn how easy they are to make. People are also surprised at how their pants stop fitting after they get a copy of the recipe.

Here’s what you will need

• 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine, softened (I am a butter gal myself)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 oz of unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1 cup of all-purpose baking flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup of powdered (confectioner’s) sugar.

Measure your sugar into a large mixing bowl

Next add the butter, cooled melted chocolate and vanilla extract.

Mix it all up! Make sure everything is mixed together real good

Stir in your eggs, one at a time

Stir in your flour, baking powder and salt

Now you have to refrigerate it for at least 3 hours.

I swear that box of girl scout cookies on the top rack is not mine. You know how it isn’t mine? I ate all my girl scout cookies within 2 days.

Now set the oven at 350 degrees. Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls into the 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and roll around until it is covered completely

Roll the dough into a ball

Place the balls on a greased cookie sheet and place on the middle rack in the oven. Bake for between 10-12 minutes or until the middle of the cookie doesn’t indent much when pressed.

Immediately after you take the cookies out of the oven, transfer them to wire racks to cool.

See? That wasn’t so bad. The most painful part is waiting those 3 hours for the dough to chill. Usually you can find me trying to sneak a taste of the dough somewhere around that time. I had self restraint today though, so I’m pretty darn proud of  myself.

Go, go now and bake these!

]]> http://www.aiyoku.net/archives/15/feed 5 http://www.aiyoku.net/archives/7 http://www.aiyoku.net/archives/7#comments Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:30:37 +0000 Cynthia http://www.aiyoku.net/?p=7 If you don’t know, “Ai“(愛) is the Japanese word for love..and it is also the first syllable of the nickname I have been using over many years. When it came time to name this blog I knew that was the most appropriate for me! I honestly believe that any baking you do should be with love (愛)!

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So today I decided it was time for me to get into the world of blogging. I do have a blog for personal use, but I decided that my baking deserved a blog of it’s own. Ever since I was a little girl I enjoyed helping my Grandmas in the kitchen, but until about 5 years ago I never baked a cake on my own! I fell head over heels in love with baking and I just keep getting deeper and deeper into it. I have had lots of hobbies over the years but this is the one that has stuck with me. I love creating something delicious and beautiful out of basic ingredients. So I hope you all will read  my blog and watch me grow as a baker and decorator. Look forward to my first baking post soon!