Dessert: Chocolate Blackberry Crumb Bar

Hi again!

I decided to make dessert along with having chicken adobo for dinner. Although this is not a Filipino dessert, it still taste good. Chocolate blackberry crumb bar isn't too hard to make, but it is a little bit time consuming when putting all the ingredients together. You can use any fruity preserves or jams your heart desires, such as blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, etc. that goes well with semisweet chocolate, as long as it is seedless. You don't want any seeds stuck in between your teeth. Also, I added some chopped hazelnuts to give it some added crunch to the texture. I saw this recipe and it looked so delicious that I had to try it. The taste is not too sweet nor too chocolatey, just perfect in my opinion. Even the hubs ate most of it as I've noticed most of the bars were missing this morning, plus he's not a chocolate lover.

Go ahead and try this recipe out. Let me know what you think. Happy baking!

Makes 3 Dozen Bars

Ingredients

1 Cup of Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
2 Cups of All Purpose Flour
½ Cup of Brown Sugar
¼ tsp of Salt
2 Cups of Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1 14oz Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/3 Cup of Seedless Fruit Preserves / Jams

Process,

1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 by 9 inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper and set aside.

2) In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar, add the flour and salt and mix together until you have a crumbly mixture.

3) Press ¾ of the mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake for about 12 minutes.

4) In a microwave safe bowl, melt together the 1 cup of the chocolate chips and the condensed milk. Stir until the mixture has come together and the chocolate has melted.

5) Spread the chocolate mixture over the crust, dot the top with the remaining flour mixture. Sprinkle over the remaining chocolate chips and drop teaspoonfuls of the fruit preserves / jam all over the top.

6) Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the center looks set. Let cool for a few hours before cutting into bars. 

Caught!

Biscotti

Hi again,

Like I've mentioned in my previous post, I love baking and have been baking nonstop for a few weeks. I really do enjoy making and baking my own treats, food, etc., because I know what ingredients goes into the food without adding extra preservatives. It's much more healthier, although some of these baked goods are too sweet for my teeth.

On occasion I enjoy nibbling on biscotti, especially a chocolate biscotti. They're a bit too hard to bite into, so that is why I limit myself from eating them. Biscotti is an Italian cookie that is more denser than a regular cookie. You can add any type of ingredients that your heart desires. A few days ago I made three types of biscotti, chocolate with hazelnuts, almonds, and almonds with cranberries. The almonds and almonds with cranberries turned out a little bit smaller than the chocolate and hazelnuts, because I divided that batch into four rather than two, if that makes any sense. All three biscotti were so delicious which I will sharing them with the family in NY.

Sorry, the recipe won't be posted unless requested. Happy eating! Chao!

Almonds with Cranberry (left) and Almonds (right) Biscotti

Chocolate with Hazelnuts

For The Love Of: Oatmeal with Coconut and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hi again!

I found this recipe from a good friend of mine's blog, Elle, but tweaked the recipe a tiny bit to fit my liking. I have baked this twice so far, which means...in my mind it's "scrumptious!" It's not hard to bake, try it out and you'll see what I mean! Recipe provided. Happy baking!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 6 tbsp of softened butter
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 cups of uncooked oatmeal
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 cup of chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy.

Add eggs and vanilla; mix well.

Add flour and baking soda into the wet ingredients; mix well.

Add oats, coconut, and chocolate chips; mix well.

Using a cookie scooper or a tablespoon, drop dough onto greased cookie sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store  in an airtight container or zip lock bag.