Pritong Liempo (Adobo Cebuano Style)

This is always a winner everytime my mom cooks this for a sunday dinner. She usually serve this along with tinulang isda (Fish soup) and maiz(in lieu of rice). Maiz is ground corn, it's similar to polenta and grits, cooked like regular rice.

I cook this only if i get to buy liempo from the Asian store. For this dinner i served the adobo with curried coleslaw and of course steamed white rice.

Cut liempo into cubes

Season with S&P, cayenne and paprika. Lawrys' sesoning will do, i've tried it before.
Fry them in batches to achieve the crisp. Make sure to cover the pan w/ those splatter protector to protect yourself and avoid the mess.

Serve with steamed white rice, and any salad (i made curry coleslaw) and ofcourse vinegar w/ kalamansi or lemon juice for the dip.

BUCHE DE NOEL COOKIES

Another recipe from the Best loved Hershey's Sweet and Sensational Cookbook. I had fun making these and we loved them as well. I personally love it because it's chewy cookie.

The recipe didn't require garnish but i wanted it too look festive, so i added mini marshmallows as the mushrooms and mini M&Ms just to add colors.

Assembly line for the cookies

BUCHE DE NOEL COOKIES

2/3 C butter or margarine, softened
1 C granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ½ C all purpose flour
½ C Hershey’s cocoa
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
Mocha Frosting (recipe follows)
Powdered sugar (optional)

1. Beat butter and sugar on medium speed in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until fluffy. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Cover; refrigerate dough 1/ to 2 hours.

2. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Shape heaping teaspoons of dough into logs about 21/2 inches long and ¾ inches in diameter; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until set. Cool slightly. Remove to wire rack and cool completely. Prepare Mocha Frosting.

3. Frost cookies with frosting. Using tines of fork, draw lines through frosting to imitate tree bark. Lightly dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Y: about 2 ½ dozen cookies.

MOCHA FROSTING:

6 Tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2 2/3 C powdered sugar
1/3 C Hershey’s Cocoa
3 to 4 Tablespoons milk
2 Teaspoons powdered instant espresso dissolved in 1 teaspoon hot water
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed in medium bowl until creamy. Add powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk, dissolved espresso and vanilla, beating to spreadable consistency.

Y: about 1 2/3 C frosting