Mango and Coconut Rice Pudding

It's been a while since I've updated my blog. With the encouragement of my friend Natalie I've finally returned.
This isn't a original recipe, I've adapted if from a video I saw on YouTube. It's basically a cross between a rice pudding and that sticky mango rice that you get at Thai restaurants. This recipe calls for coconut milk, if you don't have any or don't like coconut milk feel free to use regular milk.

You will need for 4 serving
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup Italian style rice
1 14oz can of coconut milk
2 cups milk (I used 2% but what ever milk you have is fine)
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar or more depending on how sweet you like it
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 mango diced.


1) In a sauce pan heat the coconut milk and regular milk.
2) In a separate sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the rice and saute for about a minute, make sure you don't brown the rice.
3) Add 1/4 of the milk to the rice and stir until evaporated.
4) Repeat the above step 3 more times.
5) Once the fourth addition of milk is evaporated, add the remaining milk and let simmer until the rice is cooked to your taste.
6) Remove the rice from the heat and add the sugar. Stir to combine.
7) Add the beaten egg, stir quickly to combine.
8) Add the vanilla
9) Place the rice pudding into serving bowls and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge until completely cool. The rice pudding will thicken once it is cold.
10) To serve, add a fourth of the diced mango to the top of the rice pudding.
ENJOY!

Chocolate Pudding

Adam had asked me to make him pudding about a week or so ago. He reminded me about it a couple days ago so I decided that I would in fact make it for him. It's pretty easy to do, it reminded me of making Creme Brulee. The recipe that I read said to cook the pudding until it became the consistency of mayonnaise. Which is totally true, in fact that is pretty true when making any kind of custard. You can eat this pudding hot or chill it in the fridge for a couple hours. I tried both ways but I found that eating it cold with a little whip cream on top taste the best. If your a fan of pudding skin don't cover it plastic wrap before you chill it. However you do want to cover it once it is cold.

You will need for 4 generous servings

3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour or corn starch
1/3 cup cocoa powder- sifted
pinch of salt
2/12 cups milk
1/2 cup whipping cream
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate
Vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter

1) In a large bowl mix the sugar, cocoa powder, flour and salt. Add 1/2 cup of milk and mix until combine
2) Meanwhile heat the milk and whipping cream until boiling.
3) Add one egg yolk at a time to the cocoa and milk mixture.
4) Slowly add the heated milk to the cocoa and milk mixture, stirring the whole time ( I used a whisk to combine everything).
5) Once all the hot milk in incorporated into the cocoa, pour into a pot and let cook until thick. Stirring constantly.
6) Once thick remove from the heat, add the vanilla, chocolate and butter, stir until chocolate is melted and everything is combine.
7) Pour into a bowl or into individual serving dishes. Cover and chill in the fridge.

TO SERVE
1) Place a dollop of whip cream on top and some grated chocolate....or perhaps a cherry.

ENJOY!

Love cake AKA Butter sponge with Limoncello Cream and Strawberries

I made cake...a heart shaped cake. I've wanted a heart shaped cake pan for a while now and I finally bought one last week. They are not expensive, mine was just over 8 dollars with tax. I've made a cake just like it on my blog, kiwi cake. It is slightly different but that basics are the same. I used Julia Child's Butter Sponge...which is amazing! I had a thought a couple weeks ago about making a Limoncello whip cream. So I tried it out with this cake. It was ok but I think I should of added more Limoncello. For those of you who don't know, Limoncello is a lemon liquor.

You will need
4 tablespoons butter melted
4 eggs, the yokes and whites separated
2/3 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons
3/4 cup flour
2 tsp vanilla extract ( or as much as you want to add)
1/4 cup Limoncello
1 cup whipping cream ( 35% milk fat or more)
1/2lb strawberries washed and slices
pinch of salt

1) Preheat the oven to 350. Place the egg yokes in a bowl and gently whip them. After a minute add the 2/3 cup sugar and the vanilla Whip until silky and light yellow.
2) Whip the egg whites with a pinch or salt and 2 tablespoons sugar.
3) Add 1/4 of the egg whites to the egg yolks and fold in. Be careful not to deflate the egg whites to much
4) Add 1/2 of the remaining egg whites and 1/2 of the flour and fold to incorporate.
5) Fold in 1/2 of the melted butter
6) Add the remaining egg whites, flour and butter.
7) Place in a greased and floured cake pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and a tooth pick comes out clean.
7) Let cool.
8) Add the whipping cream, sugar and Limoncello to a bowl and whip until thick. Do not over mix, you will end of with a sweet Limoncello butter.
9) Cut the cake in half width ways and place a layer of strawberries on the top of the bottom piece. Place 1/2 of the whip cream on top of the strawberries and spread to make a even layer.
10) Place the second half of the cake on top of the first half. Using the remaining whip cream spread it on top in an even layer.
11) Place the reaming strawberries on top

Enjoy!

Cheese Scones

I am the proud owner of The Joy of Cooking. The 75th anniversary edition to be exact. I was looking through it last night and decided that I would make scones for breakfast. So I did! They where pretty amazing. I added grated old Cheddar cheese and some Parmesan. Then I topped it with some smoked Jarlsberg, just because I had a bit laying around. This recipe is very easy. I used a cookie cutter to make the scones but you can shape it into a circle and cut it into triangles. I came out with about 10.

You will need
1 3/4 cup flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold cubed butter
2 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons reserved
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 cup cheese, reserve 1/4 cup for sprinkling at the end

1) Whisk together all the dry ingredients.
2) Add the cubed butter. Using a dough blender 2 knives combine together until small balls form.
3) Create a well in the center of the flour and butter mixture. Pour in the eggs and cream and stir to combine
4) Pour out onto a lightly floured surface and gently kneed a few times. You just want any left over flour to be incorporated.
5) Roll the dough out into a circle and cut into triangles or using a cookie cutter cut the dough into pieces. Transfer to a cookie sheet.
6) Brush some of the reserved eggs on top and sprinkle some of the cheese on top
7) Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.
8)Enjoy!

Tip
1)Instead of cheese you can add herbs like basil or dill.

Homemade Strawberry Ice cream

My mom. niece and I made it. For my last birthday I got an ice cream maker, I think it is safe to say that it was the best gift ever. I love it. Making ice cream is pretty easy, the only thing you need to remember is to freeze the bowl the day before you want to make ice cream. I used to keep the bowl in the freezer all the time but I ran out of room. This recipe started off as vanilla and ended up strawberry, I ended up making one half vanilla and the other strawberry. If you want to make only strawberry add the strawberries in when you start the machine. I tend not to measure the amount of vanilla I use, really if you add more or less then a recipe calls for it doesn't really matter.

You will need for 2 quarts
3c half and half
2c milk
1c minced strawberries
1c sugar
Vanilla to taste

1) In a bowl mix everything.
2) Pour into frozen ice cream bowl and turn machine on

3) Let mix for 20- 25 minutes or until mixture is the consistency of soft serve ice cream

4) Put ice cream in a air tight container and let chill for at least 2 hours or until hard.

Enjoy!!

Tips
1) If you want to make more then one flavor it vanilla and strawberry once the ice cream is ready remove some of the ice cream and put in the freezer. Put the minced strawberries into the ice cream maker and let the ice cream mix for 2-3 minutes more.
2) If you don't like strawberry ice cream use whatever fruit you like.

Homemade Butter

I admit you don't have to make your own butter. I don't...well I didn't until now. I'm pretty sure I won't be doing this often considering whip cream is kind of expensive. But it was pretty fun to make. I salted the butter after I strained it. I over salted it so my butter came out salty, but overall it was tasty.

You will need
1 container of cream
1 tsp salt

1) In a cold bowl add the cream and whip until the cream separates into curdled butter and milk. The leftover liquid is buttermilk.

2) Drain the butter from the buttermilk.

3) Using a spatula fold the butter until smooth
4) Add salt and fold a few more times to combine.

Done!!!