♥ PB&J Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars ♥

Do peanut butter and jam sandwiches bring back any childhood memories? PB&J, they are meant to be born together, just like Nutella & banana, I guess. I don't have a specific love for peanut butter, but when it comes with my favourite berries / jams, I do. That's why I convert this ordinary sandwiches into bars, and thanks for the inspiration last week when I saw someone brought a tub of peanut butter and jam in his bag for lunch -> LOL. 

These PB&J bars can be made 3 days ahead. Keep them in airtight container will do. Optionally, you can use peanut instead of cashew. Other kinds of jelly or preserves such as raspberry, cranberry or even blueberry can be substituted as well.

Make 16 squares

You'll need:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup Skippy peanut butter

1 egg, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup strawberry jam/jelly

2/3 cup coarsely chopped cashew nuts

How to make pb&j bars:

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Line 8 x 8 x 2 inch square baking pan with parchment paper, set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well. 
4. Add flour mixture, beat until just blended. Transfer 2/3 of the dough onto prepared pan and press evenly onto bottom of the pan with wet fingertips. Freeze the remaining 1/3 dough for 10 minutes.
5. Spread strawberry jam over in even layer. Remove dough from freezer, break into grape-size and scatter over jelly layer. Sprinkle chopped nuts.
6. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool bar completely in pan on rack and cut into 16 squares. 

With all my love <3

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♥ Valentine Heart Krispies ♥

Are you bored with Valentine's day chocolates? Stop struggling from tempering your chocolate! Make these easiest krispies for your love! Dip them in chocolate and pretty little coloured sprinkles, they are good to go.

This is the original Kellogg Rice Krispies recipe, but with a valentine twist. They call for 2 alternate methods, either by melting marshmallows over stove or in the microwave. But I don't recommend using the microwave because it can easily overcook marshmallow and difficult to control the heating temperature. If you are interested, try both! Happy Valentine's Day <3

You'll need:
3 tbsps unsalted butter
1 package (about 40) regular marshmallows
6 cups rice krispies cereal
100g white chocolate
red/pink food colouring gel
pink sparkling sprinkles
1 heart-shape cookie cutter

How to make Valentine Heart Krispies treats:

1. In large saucepan, melt butter over low heat and add marshmallows. Stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
2. Add rice krispies cereal and stir until well coated.
3. Using a spatula, press mixture into well-greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Cool at room temperature. Using cookie cutter, cut into hearts.
4. In a microwave safe bowl, melt white chocolate. Add a drop of food colouring gel and mix until well blended. 
5. Dip heart krispies into melted chocolate and sprinkle with pink sparkling.
6. Place on wax paper and cool at room temperature.

With all my love <3

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♥ Cinnamon Sugar Churros ♥

Do you know churros are spanish donuts? Deep-fried doughs and rolled in either sugar or cinnamon-sugar! They are my sister's favourite treat. Unluckily, we can seldom find them in Hong Kong except now at Disneyland. But who will know in fact they are super simple to make? 

Easy. Speedy. The ingredients are handy. You'll probably already have them in the kitchen. The original recipe calls for vegetable oil so I used grapeseed oil. But you can use any other flavourless oil. (Never use peanut) You don't want these mini spanish fritters turn out taste like peanut right? 

Oh and mind you, it is crucial to use a pastry bag instead of disposable piping bag / ziplog, because the dough is heavy and will break the plastic before being able to pass through the star-tip. As mentioned, a star-tip is not a must but if you want it looks like REAL churros, use it.

Adapted from allrecipes
You'll need:
1 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsps grapeseed oil
1 cup all purpose flour
4-5 cups grapeseed oil, for frying
1/2 cup sugar + 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, for rolling

How to make homemade churros:

1. Prepare cinnamon-sugar by combining 1/2 cup sugar and ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Line a plate with paper towel. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water, sugar, salt and vegetable oil. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in flour until mixture forms a dough.
3. Heat oil for frying over medium-high heat in a deep skillet as it reaches 190 C.
   (You can test by using a chopstick which bubbles when it touches the oil)
4. Transfer the dough in a pastry bag fitted with a large star-tip. Pipe the dough to desired length and use scissors to cut it, so it releases into the oil.
   (Pipe two to three churros into the oil each time so you don't bring down the oil temperature)
5. Frying them until golden and cooked, drain them on prepared paper towel plate. Roll drained churros in cinnamon-sugar mixture. 
6. Repeat the frying and rolling process with the remaining dough.
7. Serve warm.

With all my love <3

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♥ Passion Fruit Yogurt & Orange Marmalade Whipped Cream Cupcakes ♥

This post must credit to my best friend, Alison, who came all the way from Australia to visit me in last Christmas with several package of yogurt mix, with flavors of Passion Fruit, Goji Berries and Boysenberry. If you are not familiar with or haven't heard of yogurt mix, click here. EasiYo is the only yogurt mix brand that are being sold in Hong Kong for the time being. And since I have an EasiYo Yogurt Maker at home, it feels more economical and nutritious to make yogurt myself having to know what I am actually adding to my yogurt. There are tons of different flavors and honestly I can eat a whole bucket in second. I am joking :)

Back to my yogurt cake. This recipe is so easy without the use of any electric nor standing mixer. The batter can be easily whipped up using an old-school wooden spoon and the flavor can be changed by substituting another fruit based yogurt. And for a much super-fast way, you can use self-rising flour instead and omit the teaspoon of baking powder. A last dollop of flavored whipped cream will make you like a genius baker for sure.

Make 6 mini cupcakes
You'll need:

For cupcake
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 medium eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup passion fruit yogurt
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup flavorless oil

For whipped cream frosting
1 cup cold whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
1-2 tbsps icing sugar
1/3 cup chilled bitter orange marmalade jam

How to make passion fruit yogurt cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Prepare 6 mini cupcakes liners or line a muffin tin with paper cups. Set aside.
   (Alternatively, you can grease the pan with vegetable oil)
2. In a large mixing bowl, add sugar, eggs, vanilla and yogurt. Mix until combined.
3. Sift in flour, salt and baking powder. Stir well. Add in vegetable oil and mix well.
4. Divide batter into prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean.
5. Remove from oven and let cool completely before frosting them.

How to make orange marmalde whipped cream:

1. Place mixing bowl and wire whisk in freezer for 15 minutes. Then place all ingredients in cold bowl and beat until stiff peaks form.
2. Cover and refrigerate before using. Pipe on cupcakes.

With all my love <3

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