Chocolate Cake/Cup Cake

Chocolate cake is I think, one of the most, if not the most known dessert of all times. But the best part is that there are millions of recipes from millions of different people. I think that happens because maybe at the beginning everyone had the same recipe only that as time went by there were some people who decided to add more sugar, take some flour and so on, and that’s why we ended up having the different recipes.

I think that it happens because of the different taste we each have, and I think the best way to knowing if you like something the way it is or not, is by trying it and finding out by yourself. The great thing about recipes is that most of them can be transformed or modified to fit your likes. Sometimes it´s sad that things are changed and they are not what they used to be, but it´s even more important that you enjoy what you cook and what you eat.

This is the recipe I have:

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
2 cups brown sugar
3 / 4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
A pinch of salt
a splash of vanilla essence
3 / 4 cup oil
1 cup milk with lemon or vinegar
1 cup hot water
2 cold eggs

Preparation:

Sieve the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
Mix first all dry ingredients.
Add eggs, oil, vanilla essence and buttermilk.
Add hot water last.
In the buttered mold (or cup cake recipient) put a sheet of paper.
Put the mixture there, and let bake at 350 degrees for 35 or 40 minutes.
For the frosting you can use Betty Crocker frosting.

You can decide if you want to change something, and also decide if you want to make it into a real cake or into cup cakes. For the decoration I used nonpareils, but it´s really up to you and the occasion. It was fun making it.

Pretzels Religious?!

In 610 A.D a monk in northern Italy or maybe southern France came up with pretzels. At first they were soft because they were made of bread dough. The monk saw there was left over dread dough and decided to twist it around until he got the perfect shape.

That shape was of a child´s arms folded when making a payer. The children would get pretzels as a reward when they learned their prayers, because pretiola in Latin means reward, but when it got to Austria and Germany the pretiola became pretzel. It would be really funny if one of the kids made a prayer asking for a pretzel instead of having to learn and say the other prayer, people should be able to pray for whatever they want, in this case a pretzel.

But that’s not all, pretzels have done much more than just brighten children’s days, they have also been part of weddings and even war.

Believe it or not, pretzels were used to “tie the knot” between royal families, so in weddings they had the tradition of wishing on a pretzel. To do this they would (bride and groom) hold the pretzel side by side and make a wish. Then they would pull and the one that ended up having the bigger piece of the pretzel would have its wish come true. Most of the time both the bride and the groom would wish for happiness and so they would usually get their wish anyway. I think that after doing that they would probably eat the pretzel right away.

Around 1510 A.D. the Turks tried to go over (and even under)Vienna´s walls and that way be able to conquer them, but in the middle of the night there were Viennese pretzel bakers that were still awake baking some pretzels, heard a weird noise outside, so they ran and told the people about the attack of the Turks and were able to save the city. Everyone was extremely happy with them, specially the king, who decided to have a special coat of arms to thank the bakers for their bravery, so the shield was decorated with a lion and a pretzel. Since then it has been the baker’s emblem.


I think all this is just so amazing. Who would have ever imagined a pretzel could actually mean and do so much? Because after all, this has been the one with the most stories to tell. We definitely have a lot to thank to the pretzels and understand that after all, pretzels are NOT just pretzels.

Pretzels

The truth is that I am not a very big fan of pretzels, but my brother is, and because he knew I haven’t posted in a while (because I really don’t know what recipe would be fun to make) he told me I had to do pretzels. It was fun, well actually everything was a total disaster at first because I wasn’t in the best mood ever you know, homework and other stuff just didn’t help… so the cooking environment want the best one, and I thought it would be nice it I gave you a tip, or the secret (as others call it) for having a good outcome when cooking.

Some might think that when you cook, you will be able to relax because it will help you take your mind off of things, and it probably works for you, but sometimes when you are really, extremely stressed out and feel that not even cooking will brighten, or better sweeten your day, then it’s just not the right time to cook, because believe me things just don’t come out the way they should.

That’s why you have to know everything is better when you have a good attitude and cook with love, I know it sounds cheesy, but when you actually do it, you will realize I am right. It´s probably a lame tip, but whatever.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 pinch of salt
1 egg, lightly beaten and divided into two portions
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups water
Sesame seeds

Preparation:

First dissolve yeast in warm water, add oil, sugar, salt, half the beaten egg and 1 cup of flour.
Mix for 20 seconds and let rise in a bowl for 30 minutes.
Add the remaining flour and continue mixing until it forms a ball.
Put dough on a lightly floured board and knead for 2 minutes.
Then cut dough into 12 parts and make each a string of around 40 cm.
Mix baking soda in 2 cups of water, and soak each string in the solution (baking soda and water).
Make a pretzel shape with the string and make sure the ends are well pasted.
Place them on a lightly oiled pan and let there for 15 minutes.
Combine the remaining egg with cold water and brush pretzel with a brush.
If you like, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake at 200c for 15 minutes.

So even if you, like me, don’t really consider yourself a pretzeler give it a try. They were actually not that bad, but if for some reason you believe they are, I am pretty sure that someone else will eat them.

Believe It or Not, a Rice Krispie Can Make a Difference

It probably doesn’t, but the point is that there is a difference in the year and the person that came up with this wonderful marshmallow and rice krispies mixture.

Everything started in 1928, when Mildred Day and staff of the Kellogg´s home economics department invented this amazing treat. They decided that it was a great way for the Camp fire Girls to raise funds.

I know what you are thinking right now “it sounds pretty normal to me”. Sorry to pop your bubble, but it’s not. Just continue reading and you will probably understand.

Everything started in 1939, when Mary Barber and staff of the Kellogg´s home economics department invented this unforgettable treat. They decided that on 1940 they would publish the recipe of the Rice Krispies Treats on their Kellogg´s box.

No. I didn’t do a mistake, that’s just what I found. Randomly confusing huh? YES.

I really don’t know what happened, but this has been the recipes history I have searched the most, and that’s because I find two completely different stories of how and who came up with it. Some web sites are sure that it was Mildred Day, while others reaffirm it was Mary Barber. The years are different, but they were both from the same company and had exactly the same position. I tried looking them up by their names, but that was no help at all. It appears that Mildred is a school teacher and Mary was a poet. They also appear on facebook, but that’s probably someone else that has those unlucky names. Yes, sorry if that’s you, but how sad is it to not find the exact history of a recipe or maybe even your favorite dessert?

It’s not my favorite, I was just existed for doing something so easy and yummy, but the truth is that it ended up being very complicated and confusing, but anyways, the sticky sweet flavors are still the same.

It seems as if a rice krispie doesn’t make a difference… but I bet a marshmallow does.

Rice Krispies

This is like the easiest and fastest recipes ever, plus its really good and a total classic. On Sunday someone gave one to my brother and I just felt that I had to do it. Today I finally did, and guess what it was so fast that I think I should have done it on Sunday, no matter how much homework I had. I seriously took me like 5 minutes.

The magic begins with the:

Ingredients

3 tablespoons of butter
4 cups of rice krispies (this are the original Rice Krispies from Kellogg´s, but you have something similar maybe you could try it. It’s cool to experiment.)
1 package marshmallows which would probably be equivalent to 4 cups marshmallows

and it continues with the:

Preparation

First, melt butter in a saucepan over low heat.
Add marshmallows and let them melt completely.
When it looks like a mixture, remove pan from fire.
Add rice krispies and stir until completely covered in the mixture.
With a spatula pour the mixture into a previously greased container.
Let cool, and then cut into squares.

And no matter what happens next, the magic never ends.

It actually doesn’t, no matter if you finished eating them, because guess what?! If you like them you can actually do more!! Isn’t that just so cool? It is, and if after making them and eating them for the 20th time and you don’t feel bad yet, then you could try the new combinations. I feel your excitement already!

To prolong the magic:

You can either change the marshmallows for caramel, or add condense milk before you add the rice krispies, or syrup, peanut butter, MM´s, chocolate chips, nuts, or whatever makes things more magical for you.
Yes, it can even be love.
Even though that is something every recipe should already have. :)

Marriage dessert… Yeah, don’t think I forgot about it... Even though I did... Ops

Sorry for not posting sooner… it’s just that there has been so much in my mind lately. So when I looked it up, I didn’t really find anything, just marriage cakes. So I decided it was better to call and ask my grandma.

She said that it´s called marriage dessert because it is made up of two important parts: the blackberries and the custard, just like a couple at marriage, they have each other to complement each other. Too much each other… but that’s just the way things are.

My grandma also told me that there was no special meaning in eating it in Easter week, that it was just a dessert that had become a tradition in the family, and in many other families here and in other Latin American homes.

Anyways, that what I was able to find out about this one. I am not sure if all this was really that interesting… but I do know you should make It and taste those two delicious flavors that would definitely brighten up your Easter week… sorry for posting this late, but don’t worry it will come again… next year.

Marrige Dessert

No, I didn’t name it like that, but a random someone did. Why? I don’t know, they just did. You might be wondering why I am making such short sentences. (Even thought that one wasn’t so short), but the truth is I’m not really in the mood to make long sentences… ok whatever, the effect is already fading off.
So this recipe is a very traditional one, especially here. They usually do it for Easter week, and even though I don’t really celebrate it my grandparents and all those that came before them did. To know more about its meaning and why it’s so important, read the history of this delicious dessert.

Ingredients:

1 ½ bags of milk
Half teaspoon of cinnamon
200g corn flour
1 ½ cup of white sugar
1 pound blackberries

Preparation:

(for the custard)
Boil milk.
Add cinnamon.
Add the corn flour.
Mix constantly, until you feel (and know) that if you put it on a plate and put it upside down, it will not fall.
Serve in small soup plates.
Set aside and let cool off.

(to make blackberries sweet thing to put on top)
Make sure to wash and remove the leaves from the berries.
Boil some water with the berries.
Draw water.
Add sugar and mix softly.

When custard is ready to serve, get plate with custard and flip into another plate.
On top, add some blackberries.
And last but not least, enjoy!