Christmas Recipe: Crema de Fruta

Crema de Fruta is a soft cake, topped in succeeding layers of cream, custard, candied fruit, and gelatin.

Crema de Fruta Ingredients:

* 1 Sponge cake
* 1 canned fruit cocktail or peaches, pineapples, and other fruits ( well drained )

Custard Filling

* 3/4 cup sugar
* 4 Tbsp flour
* 2 3/4 cup single cream (evaporated milk or half double cream half milk)
* 5 egg yolks
* 3/4 cups water

Gelatin

* 1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
* 2 envelopes unflavoured gelatin
* 1 cup water
* 6 Tbsp sugar
* 2 Tbsp lemon juice

Crema de Fruta Cooking Instructions:

Custard Filling

* Combine all ingredients in a heavy based saucepan.
* Stir constantly while bringing it gently to boil until it thickens.
* Remove from heat and cool.

Gelatin

* Blend all ingredients in a saucepan and cook for about 15 minutes or until the gelatin is well dissolved.
* Remove from heat and cool.

To assemble

* Cut the sponge cake to fit the serving pan.
* Put in the sponge cake as the first layer.
* Spread the custard filling on top of the sponge cake, making sure to level and even it out all over the pan.
* Arrange the canned fruits on the custard.
* Pour in the gelatin on top; if possible, completely submerging the fruits.
* Chill in the fridge until the gelatin is set.

Christmas Recipe: Humba

Humba is a sugar braised pork belly, another popular Filipino food originated somewhere in the Visayas and Mindanao regions.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes plus 15 minutes to marinate pork

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Servings: 6 – 8

Humba Ingredients:

* 1 kg. liempo, cut into serving pieces, skin on humba-recipe
* ¾ cup vinegar
* ¼ cup Maggi Savor, Classic
* 3 cups water
* 1 tbsp. salted black beans
* ½ cup raw skinless peanuts
* 1 tbsp. minced garlic
* 2 bay leaves
* 1 tbsp. tajure
* 1 tsp. black pepper
* 2 tbsp. brown sugar
* 1 8g. pack Maggi Magic Sarap

Humba Cooking Instructions:

* 1. Marinate liempo in vinegar and MAGGI Savor, Classic for at least 15 minutes.
* 2. In a pan, put together marinated pork, water, black beans, peanuts and garlic. Bring to a boil then add bay leaves, tajure, black pepper, sugar and MAGGI MAGIC SARAP.
* 3. Cook covered for at least 45 minutes or until meat is tender. Serve hot with steamed rice.Nutritional Content:Calories: 571
Carbohydrates (g): 8
Protein (g): 29
Fats (g): 47

Christmas Recipe: Blueberry Cheesecake

Blueberry Cheesecake is a large family of sweet, cheese-based pie. Cheesecakes are generally made with soft, fresh cheeses. Other ingredients such as sugar, eggs, flour, liquids are often mixed in as well. Typically, the filling covers a crust, which may be pastry, cookie, or digestive biscuit.

The word cheesecake is also used to describe the creamy, cheesy flavour of the dessert. There are also savoury cheesecakes, often flavoured with blue cheese and served as hors d’oeuvres or with accompanying salads.


Estimated cooking time: 1 hour and 30 minutes + 4 hours chilling

Blueberry Cheesecake Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
* 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
* 1/3 cup butter, melted
* 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 3 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 (21-ounce) can blueberry pie filling

Blueberry Cheesecake Cooking Instructions:

* In a medium bowl blend together graham cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter; mix well. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan; set aside.
* Using an electric mixer softened cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup sugar; mixing well. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in vanilla and beat well. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Spoon blueberry pie filling on top of the batter in a ring pattern about halfway from the edge of the cake. Pour the remaining batter on top.
* Bake in a 375°F(190°C) oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Loosen the crust from sides of pan and cool 30 minutes more. Remove the sides of the pan; cool cheescake completely.
* Cover and chill at least 4 hours before serving.

Christmas Recipe: Brownie Petit Fours

Estimated cooking time: 55 minutes

Brownie Petit Fours Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/3 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
* 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts(optional)
* 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Hershey's Mini Chips Semi-Sweet Chocolate
* 3 tablespoons shortening(do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil)
* Sprinkles or decorator’s icing(optional)

Brownie Petit Fours Cooking Instructions:

* Heat oven to 350°F. Line 9-inch square baking pan with foil; grease foil.
* Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl.
* Add eggs; beat well with spoon. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in walnuts, if desired.
* Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
* Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownie begins to pull away from sides of pan.
* Cool completely in pan on wire rack; refrigerate about 2 hours.
* Using edges of foil, lift brownie out of pan.
* Peel off foil; cut into 1-1/4 inch squares and allow to warm up to room temperature.
* Line tray with wax paper. Melt small chocolate chips and shortening in small heavy saucepan over very low heat.
* Dip each brownie square into melted chocolate, covering completely. (Return to heat if chocolate cools and is hard to coat.)
* Gently tap on side of pan to allow extra chocolate to drip off. Place on prepared tray.
* Allow chocolate to set at room temperature or refrigerate until set (about 30 minutes); decorate as desired. (Sprinkles should be added just before chocolate sets.)
* About 3 dozen petit fours.

Christmas Recipe: Cassava Cake

Cassava Cake is a classic Filipino dessert enjoyed all year round.


Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 90 minutes

Servings: 24 squares

Cassava Cake Ingredients:

Cake

* 2 Lbs Grated Cassava
* 1 14 oz. Can Sweetened Condensed Milk (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping)
* 1 12 oz. Can Evaporated Milk
* 1 14 oz. Can Coconut Milk (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping)
* 1 13 oz. Can Coconut Cream (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping)
* 2/3 Cup Sugar
* 3 Eggs plus 3 Egg Whites
* 1 Cup Grated Coconut

Topping

* 3 Egg Yokes
* 1/3 Cup Reserved Sweetened Condensed Milk
* 1/3 Cup Reserved Coconut Milk
* 1/3 Cup Reserved Coconut Cream

Cassava Cake Cooking Instructions:

* Preheat oven to 325° f.
* In large mixing bowl combine cake ingredients.
* Mix well. Pour equally into two large greased rectangular pans.
* Bake until top is no longer liquid (approximately 30 minutes).
* Mix topping ingredients well and spread evenly on the two cakes.
* Bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes. Cool cakes completely.
* Slice each cake into 24 equal squares.

Christmas Recipe: Brownies

Brownies are often served warm with ice cream, a combination that is known as brownie a la mode.

Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 16 brownie squares

Brownies Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa
* 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup chopped peanuts(optional)

Creamy Brownie Frosting:

* 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
* 3 tablespoons Hershey's Cocoa
* 1 tablespoon light corn syrup or honey
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup powdered sugar
* 1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Brownies Cooking Instructions:

* Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan.
* Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl.
* Add eggs; beat well with spoon.
* Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended.
* Stir in nuts, if desired. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.
* Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan.
* Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
* Prepare Creamy Brownie Frosting; spread over brownies.
* Cut into squares. About 16 brownies.

Creamy Brownie Frosting:

* Beat butter, cocoa, corn syrup and vanilla in small bowl until blended.
* Add powdered sugar and milk; beat to spreading consistency.
* About 1 cup frosting.

Christmas Recipe: Buko Pandan Salad

Buko Pandan Salad is originated from Bohol Province, it is a favorite Filipino salad served in almost every kind of party and special occasions in the Philippines.

Buko Pandan Salad Ingredients:

* 8 leaves of Pandan – (must be cleaned well)
* 5 Buko (Coconut)not too hard, not too soft- Grated to strips
* Water 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)

Buko Pandan Salad Preparation Instructions:

* Boil water together with 8 pandan leaves that are individually twisted to break the fibers and expose the juice. Simmer for 20 minutes.
* Before adding 2 bars of gulaman, make sure you remove the pandan leaves and check if the remaining 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.
* Pour through a strainer into cooling trays. Wait till it cools and hardens, then put in fridge.
* Meanwhile, mix the grated buko with the 3 cans of cream and 1 can of condensed milk.
* Add kaong if you prefer.
* Get gulaman from ref and cut into 1 cm cubes.
* Mix with buko mixture.