BUKO PANDAN CHEESECAKE

So i made this as a dessert for St. Patrick's Day. Nope this is not an Irish dessert not even close, the color yes! Actually i added a really tiny bit of green color just so I'd get the perfect hue.

Buko and Pandan are ingredients for a delicious Filipino dessert. Buko is a young coconut, the meat is soft and gelatinous. The liquid is turned to coconut juice. These are available in Asian markets, fresh and in cans.

Pandan is a tropical plant, ubiquitous to Asian countries commonly used both for dessert and savoury dishes. Pandan leaves can be purchased at Asian markets, and may be bought fresh or, more likely, frozen and are also available as an extract form which is what i used for this dessert. Pandan is fragrant and aromatic with a distinct flavor.

I have the hankering for buko pandan for the longest time but i don't have enough gelatin to make the pandan gelatin. But i have 4 boxes of cream cheese in the fridge, i can't even remember why?..  i had the "ahhhaa" moment..why not make Buko Pandan Cream Cheese and what a perfect time to make them. Green for St. Patrick's day! ;)

Oh and did i mention this is a no bake cream cheese? I don't have enough eggs in the fridge hence the no bake recipe. I didn't want to go out just for eggs!

This turned out to be soooo goood! Got my fix for some buko pandan;) I highly recommend this dessert!

INGREDIENTS FOR  CRUST:

1 cup Graham Crackers (crushed)

1/3 T butter melted

INGREDIENTS FOR CREAM CHEESE FILLING:

2 T butter
2 T honey
2 T buko liquid (to be used with gelatine)
2 T pandan extract**
2 t gelatine dissolved in 2 T buko liquid
1 can condensed milk
2 block of 8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
**add a little of green food coloring if you want a darker shade of green.
 
Combine graham crackers and butter. Press into a base of a 20cm spring form pan. Chill.


Heat condensed milk, honey and butter in a saucepan until combined. Boil for 10 minutes stirring continuously.

Beat cream cheese until soft, stir in gelatine mixture and condensed milk mixture. Pour into prepared crumb base. Chill for 2-3 hours.
 
 
INGREDIENTS FOR THE BUKO:
 
1 can of buko (young coconut) Sliced thinly
1 T corn syrup
1/4 C buko liquid
1/4 C sugar
 
Bring all the ingredients to a boil until syrup consistency.
Garnish on top of the chilled cream cheese.
 
 

BUKO (YOUNG COCONUT) IN CAN



PANDAN EXTRACT

GRAHAM CRACKERS (CRUSHED)

**I LINED THE SPRINGFORM PLATE WITH PLASTIC WRAP JUST TO AVOID LEAKAGE.***

CREAM CHEESE MIXTURE

LOOK HOW PRETTY!! ;)

 

 A SLICE FOR ME WITH MORE BUKO ON TOP

THIS IS A KEEPER! 



Patotoes Au Grutin Muffin Style

I can't take the credit for this, it was my daughter's idea. These are old photos, we actually had this for our last year's Christmas dinner. I totally forgot to blog it, but better late than never right?.

I love this idea,  another way to prepare your potatoes other than the same old same old mash potato, i do love  MP but if i could zhuzz (is this how you spell it?=;) or "umph" my potatoes the better for me. A neat and beautiful way to present your au gratin. It is definitely  a good conversation piece to your party.

Another way to prepare your potatoes check my hasselback potato .

Now for the au gratin recipe, if you have a favorite recipe, by all means make your own, and put them in the muffin cups instead of a caserole dish container.

Here's the recipe for this au gratin:

Quantity would depend on the size of your muffins.
Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced

• ¼ cup diced sweet onions

• ½ cup grated Gruyere or cheddar cheese (i used both)

• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1/8 teaspoon paprika

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened



Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter muffin pans with softened butter.

Mix heavy cream, diced potatoes, onions, gruyere or cheddar, parmesan, paprika, salt and pepper.

Arrange potato mixture into each muffin cup.

Add more heavy cream if needed.

Cover with foil and bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Or until potatoes are tender and top turns golden brown.

Remove foil halfway through the cooking time.

Carefully remove the gratins and serve.

MANGO CHEESECAKE

A family favorite during mango season aside from the Mango Ice Cream . Don't be deceived by how long the recipe is it's really easy. Another plus? it's no bake so you don't have to deal w/ the heat after all, mango season is summer season!! I strongly suggest that you use Asian mangoes or the yellow small mangoes (Atulfo kind) not the green/reddish mango it's not that sweet and it's stringy/ fibrous  as well. I don't like that variety.

I served this w/ a pizzelle, double yum!

Nice presentation for a party!

Ingredients:

1 store bought sponge cake or pound cake (bake your own if you want)

Simple syrup – equal parts of water and sugar (reduced to almost corn syrup consistency) i used 1/2 C each

Cheesecake filling:
2 (8oz.) packages of cream cheese
2 packets unflavored gelatin
1/2 C water
1 can condensed milk
1 t vanilla extract
16 oz. heavy whipping cream (2 half pint heavy whip cream)

Mango Puree/Juice mixture:
6 ripe mangoes ( for puree and rose petals)
1 packet unflavored gelatin
1/4 C water
1 C mango juice (I puree 2 mangoes and mix with 1 C mango juice)

1. Slice cake in half inch thick, and cut or shape to fit into the bottom of a ramekin or a large muffin pan.**I use clear wrap to serve as a ramekin or muffin liner so you can pull out the cheesecake in one piece.

2. Brush or drizzle simple syrup on top of the cake. Set aside.

3. Sprinkle 2 packets of gelatin into 1/2 C of water, leave for 2-3 minutes until dissolved.

4. Add the can of condensed milk to a saucepan, with the gelatin mixture; bring to a low simmer until mixed thoroughly.

5. Whisk cut up cream cheese into the condensed milk mixture.

6. Add the vanilla extract and blend well. Let cool thoroughly.

7. Whip the heavy whipping cream in another bowl, fold the cream cheese-condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream. (At this point you have the option to incorporate half of the mango puree mixture to your filling or pour it on top of the filling just like I did)

8. Pour on top of the cake base, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Dissolve 1 packet of unflavored gelatin into 1/4 cup of water, leave to sit for 2 minutes. Mix the mango puree and juice mixture in a saucepan, add the dissolved gelatin and bring to a rolling boil for 2 minutes. Let it cool.

Slice mangoes and cut the flesh along the pit. Carefully scoop out the flesh just like you would an avocado. Slice the “cheeks” down the short side into thin uniform pieces (these will be your “rose petals”). Arrange the mango slices by slightly overlapping each piece, until you achieve a “rose shape”. Drizzle the juice-gelatin mixture over the mangoes. Chill again for another hour, or overnight.

I made a swirl to make a marbling effect.

I poured generous amount of the mango puree mixture. This was taken a day after i made the cheesecake. The mango has changed color, didn't look so fresh but still so good! If you noticed, there is a design on the cheesecake that's because of the clear wrap i used to line the ramekin.

This shot was taken years ago!

SMOKED SALMON QUESADILLA

A quick and easy tasty quesadilla. It's my 30 minute meal even less.

Ingredients:

Tortilla
Mexican cheese (shredded)
Smoked Salmon
Chipotle sauce
Cilantro
Sour Cream

Do the basic quesadilla assembly. Spread a handful of Mexican cheese around the flour tortilla.

Add what ever ingredients you would like to use. In this quesadilla i used smoked salmon, then i added chipotle sauce, cilantro.

Top with another piece of flour tortilla.

Heat your pan and add a tablespoon of butter mixed w/ a little of canola oil.

When the butter is melted, carefully put the quesadilla into the pan. Cook until brown and the cheese is melted. Turn the quesadilla over and cook until done.

Cut into four slices.

Serve with Lime slices and Sour Cream.

CHEESE PIMIENTO FILIPINO STYLE

Ingredients:

2 C Queso de bola or Cheddar Cheese- grated
1 C Mayonnaise***
½ C Pimiento (chopped finely if you don’t want to use a food processor)
¼ C Condensed Milk

THE MEASUREMENTS FOR THE INGREDIENTS ARE ROUGH ESTIMATES.

*** Start with 1 C of mayo, add more if you think the mayonnaise is not enough.

This is one of my “no recipe” recipe. You will have to taste and be the judge on how salty, sweet and creamy you want your cheese pimiento. Put them all in the food processor, pulse until they are all incorporated.

MAIS CON QUESO ICE CREAM (Sweet Corn with Cheese Ice Cream)

Another popular Filipino ice cream flavor. This is my 3rd Filipino ice cream that i've made this summer and we are loving it. If you have noticed, i am basically using similar ingredients and measurements to all my ice cream recipe with some adjustments to the liquid quantity depending on how much juice/liquid i will get from the fruit i'm using.

This ice cream is not just your plain mais (sweet corn) ice cream, it has bits of cheddar cheese in it hence the name Mais con Queso (Sweet Corn with Cheese). Sounds weird? nah...it's actually a perfect combination. Cheddar cheese is a good cheese for dessert, you don't believe me, go surf for desserts using or with cheddar cheese you'll have an array of recipes. Also, check this website Here so you'll have an idea of the other tropical ice cream flavors.

Ingredients:

2 large fresh sweet corn
1/4 C cheddar cheese (diced)

4 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 c milk

1/2 cup sugar (adjust if your corn isn't the sweet corn variety)

1. Grate corn kernels and milk off the cob.

2. In a pan over medium heat, combine cream, milk and corn kernels and corn milk. Let it simmer.

3. In the meantime, whisk sugar and egg yolks until pale and thick.

4. When cream mixture reaches a simmer, slowly temper your egg mixture w/ the cream mixture about a laddle or two, whisking constantly.

5. Reduce heat to low, add the warmed egg mixture into the saucepan and cook, whisking until mixture is thick.

6. Let this chill for at least an hour.

7. Add and mix the minced cheddar cheese right before you churn the mixture.

8. Pour the mixture in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer's instructions.

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Lami ni kaayo!

STUFFED JALAPENOS

Easy Peasy appetizer!

Ingredients:
Jalapenos
bacon
cheese ( i used muenster cheese)

Cut the top part of the jalapeno (save them for another appetizer) then take out seeds.



Cut cheese enough to fit inside the peppers. Cut bacon lenghtwise then wrap the stuffed jalapeno securing both ends of bacon w/ toothpick to prevent shrinkage.






Bake at 375 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until bacon is cooked.

ENJOY!!!!