Chocolate Candy for Fun and Profit : Chocolate coated apples, Choco crunchies

Before the onset of the internet, I used to make Chocolate creations during special occasions. I enrolled back then at Chocolate Lovers in the early nineties. Selling chocolates is quite profitable especially during the holidays. “Chocolate Lover” produced a lot of micro-entreprenuers among homemaker . Unfortunately, I don’t make chocolate creations now that my children are adults.

I was unable to attend Maya Kitchen demo when choco expert Roxanne Arcilla showed students the tricks and secrets of creating chocolate masterpieces.

The hands-on class had students doing their own, choco flakes, chocolate dipped caramel apples and strawberry, chocolate moulded flowers, ganache-filled chocolate molds and choco crunchies and toffee crunch.

Three recipes of chocolate creations are shown below.

How to Make Modeling Chocolate

250grams. dark chocolate
100 grams corn syrup
Plastic wrap
Spatula
Glass or metal mixing bowl
Medium saucepan

1. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler. To create a double boiler, fill the saucepan with water, bring it to a boil, turn off the heat, and rest the bowl on the inside rim of the saucepan, just above the height of the water. This ensures the chocolate does not get overheated.

2.Cool the melted chocolate until it feels cool, Heat the corn syrup until it just starts to boil.

3. Add the heated corn syrup to the melted chocolate and mix with a rubber spatula until it forms a smooth paste.
Wrap the mixture in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

4. Allow the modeling chocolate to firm and chill all the way through.

5. Remove the modeling chocolate from the refrigerator and knead until it becomes soft and pliable. Mold into your preferred shape and design.

6. Shape remaining chocolate into logs for easy storage. Store wrapped and refrigerated.

CHOCOLATE COATED APPLES

Dark/white chocolate, melted
Rice crispies, mini colored marshmallows, chopped nuts, multi colored candy sprinkles

Melt Chocolate

To melt chocolate or confectionery coating:

In the microwave: This is a very easy way to melt chocolate: place it in a microwave-safe bowl and zap it on high power at 10-second intervals, stirring each time, just until it’s completely melted.

In a slow cooker: A slow cooker, set on low heat, is perfect for melting chocolate and keeping it at just the right temperature while you work. All you need to do is stir it occasionally and keep an eye on it to make sure it’s not getting too hot. If it does get too hot, turn off the slow cooker, remove the insert, and stir in a couple of pieces of unmelted chocolate to cool it down quickly.

In a double boiler: This method allows you the most temperature control, and is best for higher-quality chocolate. Set up your double boiler with a small amount of water–the water should not be touching the top pan–and warm it over medium-low heat. Melt chocolate, stirring occasionally, just until the mixture is smooth, then remove the pan from the heat.

Insert the sticks into the middle of the apple, dip completely into the chocolate, twisting gently so that they’re completely coated with chocolate.

Roll the chocolate covered apples into your choice of coating- rice crispies, mini colored marshmallows, candy sprinkles, etc.

CHOCO CRUNCHIES

500 grams white chocolate, melted
Rice crispies

Follow previous direction in melting chocolate. Combine melted chocolate and crispies and pour in pan. Let set and slice into squares. Drizzle with brown chocolate, if preferred.

Blinis Shrimp Torte Canapés and Cheesecake crunch bites

March in the Philippines is usually the time to celebrate a milestone as graduates receive their diplomas. I am sure families out there want to prepare some simple snacks for eager relatives or friends dropping by the house after graduation. Canapés and finger foods are simple to prepare.

CHEESECAKE CRUNCH BITES

Base Crumbs:
1 cup Japanese crumbs
¼ cup MAYA All-Purpose Flour
½ cup butter
1/3 cup grated parmesan
pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Filling:
½ cup dry white wine
¼ cup minced shallots
½ cup cream cheese
½ cup cubed cheddar cheese
1 piece egg
glazed sweet ham, diced
shopped spring onions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C. Grease 1 ounce muffin tins. Set aside.

2. Prepare Base Crumbs: Combine all ingredients in a food processor then pulse until well blended. Press into prepared muffin tins and bake for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside.

3. Prepare Filling: In a small saucepan, heat wine and shallots until liquid is reduced.

4. Lower the heat and mix in the cheeses, keep stirring until well incorporated. Whisk in the egg until mixture become smooth. Set aside.

5. To Assemble: Fill each prepared base crumbs with filling and top with glazed ham. Garnish with chopped spring onions.

BLINIS SHRIMP TORTE CANAPÉS

Shrimp Torte:
1 cup shrimps, deveined, shelled and cooked
1 package cream cheese
¼ cup bacon bits
2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons marsala wine

Blinis:
1 piece egg
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
1 package MAYA Whole Wheat Pancake Mix 200g
fresh dill

1. Combine all ingredients for shrimp torte in a food processor and process until smooth and well blended. Set aside.

2. Prepare Blinis: Combine egg, water and oil. Mix in pancake mix until well blended.

3. Drop one tablespoon of pancake mixture onto a heated teflon coated pan. Do the same procedure with the rest of the mixture.

4. Get one piece of blinis then put a little shrimp mixture on top then cover with another blinis and garnish on top as desired then serve.

Cheese Cupcake

Cheese cupcakes is now sold commercially in supermarkets for kids to bring as “baon” to school. It is not quite the same Cheese cupcake mom used to bake in our bakeshop. Cheese cupcakes are supposed to have that distinct “cheese” taste. Here is a recipe that will surely give you that tasty cheesy cupcake.

Ingredients

1 bar margarine (225 grams)
2/3 cup white sugar
grated cheese (around 125 grams/ less than half a box of 225 grams cheese pack. Leave some for toppings)
4 pieces whole eggs
2 cans condensed milk
5 cups all purpose flour
Vanilla flavor (mix with milk)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

1. Cream margarine and sugar until light, at low speed then high speed.

2. Add cheese to creamed mixture, at low speed.

3. Add eggs in 3 stages.

4. Add milk and flour alternately, starting and ending with flour, at low speed.

5. If creamed mixture curdles, add a little flour to make it smooth.

6. If the final cake batter is THIN, add some flour to get the right thick consistency.

7. When cupcakes are almost cooked, take out of oven for a while and add grated cheese on top.

8. Bake at 375 F for 20- 30 minutes.

This cupcake is not expected to rise in volume. It is compact and heavy

Baked Maliputo Fish

How many of you have eaten the Maliputo fish? I thought I knew all the fish species in the country since I grew up in Cebu, where most of our dishes were seafood. A few months ago, my husband brought home Maliputo, since he came from Batangas. His staff gave him one whole fish.

My husband baked the Maliputo without adding salt , pepper , herbs and other spices. He just added chopped onions and tomatoes inside the fish. The taste is divine. It had a slight salty and sweet taste. I asked my husband “are you sure this is a fresh water fish and you didn’t place salt?” My husband said that Maliputo is a fresh water fish found only in Taal Lake.

I knew I was missing something. My husband showed me his book, “The Mysteries of Taal” by Thomas Hardgrove written in 1991.

In the book , it talks about Lake Taal’s fish including Maliputo.

….include the yellowfin jack, a “freshwater species of mackerel, locally called maliputo. One of maliputo’s scientific name is Carnax Ignobilis.

The maliputpo migrate from the lake via the Pansipit Rover to spawn, or lay eggs in the sea, then return to Taal. I have seen Maliputo almost 1 m long at restaurants along the Pansipit River.

Gourmets and Manila restaurants pay a high price for the tasty maliputo (US $10.00 per kilogram in early 1989).

Pauly does not consider maliputo a mackerel. “True mackerel belong like tina to the Scombridae family, ” he wrote. “They do not occur in fresh or even brackish, water…Maliputo corresponds to a fish of the family Carangidae, i.e. a horse mackerel, (not a a mackerel) , or jack, or cavalla or pampano.

The marine biologist thinks the early Spaniards confused carangids such as maliputo with tuna.:

So there goes the answer to my question on the salty taste of the Maliputo

Maliputo is comparable in taste and texture to other white-fleshed marine fish like lapu-lapu, pompano and maya-maya. This is usually served in high-brow restaurants and hotels steamed-cook and garnished with various herbs and spices. Caught alive, caranx are much sought after by the Japanese and Chinese restaurants here and abroad, making it another export winner for the country.

A major scientific breakthrough in aquaculture has been achieved here in the National Fisheries Biological Center (NFBC), a research and extension facility of the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. They were able to develop a method of inducing natural spawning in the matured fish which are very difficult to handle owing to its sensitive nature. The lack of scales in the fish makes it very sensitive to hormonal injection and the slightest removal from the water may also cause sudden death.

Perhaps in the near future, we will be able to have plentiful supply of this tasty fish. The price of Maliputo is pegged at 500 pesos a kilo. Such a rare fish to have on our table. Be careful. Some people sell fake maliputo. The Talakitok is similar to the Maliputo except they are caught in marine waters.

Spicy Shrimp Gambas (Shrimps in Garlic)

There are many ways to cook Shrimps and the easiest is to saute the shrimps in garlic. This style of cooking is Gambas. Others add tomato sauce and other vegetables like carrots or red bell pepper. I prefer the toasted garlic taste on my shrimps.

Perfect for a Lent dish, I will use pasta to eat along with it.

Ingredients

500 grams medium-sized shrimps, in shell
1 teaspoon, rock salt
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Tabasco or hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 Sliced green chili
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
5 tablespoons olive oil

Procedure

1. Toss shrimps and rock salt together.

2. Heat heavy frying pan with 1/4 cup olive oil until hot. Sauté garlic until almost brown. Set aside one teaspoon toasted garlic for garnishing.

3. Drop the shrimps and continue stirring to keep from sticking to the pan.

4. Cook 1 minute then add 4 tablespoons olive oil.

5. Cook 3 more minutes. Season with tabasco sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Set Aside.

6. Mix parsley and sliced green chili with 1 tablespoon olive oil

6. Transfer to a platter. Serve with Shrimp with the oil from kawali. Sprinkle with toasted garlic and green sili.

Grilled Squid or Inihaw na Pusit

The best and healthy grilled dishes are always seafood. First of all, there is minimal fat used in the grilling process and of course seafood is always healthy. Make sure the squid is fresh to start with.

Ingredients

1 kilo medium to large fresh squid
1 bottle or 1 cup Sprite or 7-up (for extra sweetness)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons Calamansi juice
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper

Optional stuffing for body cavity
2 medium-sized onions, sliced
2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
salt and pepper for seasoning

Procedure

1. Wash the squids well. Remove the long thin membrane in the head and body and slit the eyes to bring out the ink. Wash the body cavity well.

2. Place the squid in the bowl and add all the ingredients all together. Marinate for 1 hour or more.

3. Before grilling, place the squid in barbecue sticks. Keep the marinade sauce.

Optional

Stuff the squid cavity with a mixture of onions and tomatoes. Sew the ends of the squid so contents to prevent spillage.

4. Prepare the fire.

5. When grill is ready, grill the squid. Use the marinade sauce to baste the squid while it is being grilled.

Don’t overcook or else the squid will come out chewy. One just wants it easy to bite and tender.

6. You will know it is cooked when there are few grill marks, the squid is cooked to the center of the body. It takes around 3 to 5 minutes. Just exercise caution not to overcook. You can always check one squid to determine doneness.

7. Serve hot with dipping sauce like soy sauce with sili.

Buko Pandan dessert

This is the buko pandan that I ate at my cousin’s birthday party. The taste of Buko pandan dessert never fails to tempt me. The green and white colors lures you to take a bite. Here is a buko pandan recipe .

Buko Pandan Salad

Ingredients
8 leaves of Pandan – cleaned well
5 Buko (Coconut)not too hard, not too soft- Grated to strips
Water from 5 Buko (approx. 10 cups)
3 small cans of Nestle Cream
1 medium can of Condensed Milk
2 bars of Green Gulaman
1 3/4 Cups Sugar (more if you want it sweeter)
1 cup Kaong (optional)

Preparation

1. Boil buko water from 5 coconuts together with 8 pandan leaves that are individually twisted to break the fibers and expose the juice. Simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Before adding 2 bars of gulaman, make sure you remove the pandan leaves and check if the remaining coconut water is equal to 8 cups – 1 bar of gulaman is good for 4 cups of liquid. If it is not 8 cups, less will mean hard gulaman and more than 8 cups will result in mushy soft gulaman. Ensuring gulaman is well-dissolved stir well. Add sugar while mixing. Do this for 5 minutes.
3. Pour through a strainer into cooling trays. Wait till it cools and hardens, then put in fridge.
4. Meanwhile, mix the grated buko with the 3 cans of cream and 1 can of condensed milk.
5. Add kaong if you prefer.
6. Get gulaman from ref and cut into 1 cm cubes. Mix with buko mixture.
7. Put 2 cups of the buko pandan salad into one lunch box and give to Jojo Basug as a complement.

If you want a sugar free buko pandan recipe, try ,Gene Gonzales recipe

Buko Pandan Salad

Ingredients: 1 cup fresh buko meat; 1/2 tsp. pandan flavor for dressing; 1 cup cream; 1/4 cup coconut powder; 1-1/2 tbsps. Sweet’N Low for dressing

Gulaman: 8 tbsp. unflavored gelatin; 1 cup water; 1/2 cup Sweet’N Low; 1 cup water; 1 tbsp. pandan flavor; 2 drops green food color

Procedure: Dissolve gelatin in 1 cup water and bring to boil. Set aside. Add 1 cup water. When cool add pandan flavor, green food color and Sweet’N Low.

There should also be an alternative to the cream as it can be high in fat content.