Basic Pancakes

Sometimes, when you live far away, you crave the basics flavors of home. These pancakes are not in any way healthy - but they just taste good (with lots of butter and syrup). And I can find all the ingredients here in Ghana Recipe from allrecipes.com

and they didn't serve four - the two of us ate them all.

Fluffy Pancakes

Rated: Submitted By: kris Photo By: Sara Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Ready In: 25 Minutes Servings: 4

"Tall, fluffy pancakes are delicious served with butter and syrup or top with strawberries and whipped cream for a real treat."

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup milk 2 tablespoons white vinegar 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons white sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg 2 tablespoons butter, melted cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".
2.	Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.
3.	Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

Brownie recipe using oil

I need simple ingredients here in Ghana for baking occasional treats. Good quality chocolate is hard to find but there's a good local cocoa powder.

I used this simple browning recipe using oil instead of butter, which is quite expensive. It was easy and delicious!

Recipe is from food.com

The Best Brownies

By Juenessa on February 17, 2003

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup flour

Directions

·      Preheat oven to 350°.

·      Mix oil and sugar until well blended.

·      Add eggs and vanilla; stir just until blended.

·      Mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

·      Stir dry ingredients into the oil/sugar mixture.

·      Pour into greased 9 x 9 square pan.

·      Bake for 20 minutes or until sides just start to pull away from the pan.

·      Cool completely before cutting.

Note: I usually double the recipe and bake in a 9 x 13 pan. If you double the recipe, you will need to cook longer than 20 minutes.

coconut cupcakes

•  

• This was Rachel's request for her birthday dessert.  They turned out delicious! For the icing I just made a basic buttercream frosting using coconut milk for the liquid and then topped the cupcakes with toasted shredded coconut.  (this makes about 21 cupcakes)
• 
  
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup packed sweetened shredded coconut
• 6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs, plus 2 large egg whites
• 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk dry ingredients (including coconut) in a large bowl. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.

Reduce speed to low. Mix remaining wet ingredients in a bowl. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with wet ingredients and ending with dry. Scrape sides of bowl. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each full.

Bake cupcakes until testers inserted into centers come out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks.

True Parisian Crepes

Having eaten crepes in France last week, we realized the ones we make here do not compare to the real deal.  So here is the secret sauce  (for 8-10 people)

Preparation time 10 min - Cooking time 3 min (but it has to stand for 30 min after preparing)

List of Ingredients

250g flour (1 1/2 cups of flour)
4 eggs,
one pint of milk
1 pinch of salt
50 g butter (3 1/2 tablespoons)
1 tsp vanilla sugar
1 tablespoon rum (5 cl)

In a bowl, mix the flour and eggs. Then gradually add the milk while stirring with a whisk.

Add the vanilla sugar, a pinch of salt, butter and rum
Let stand for 30 min and then heat the crêpe pan  and melt a little butter. 
Use a ladle depending upon the thickness of the dough. IT is not necessary that the batter is too thick. If it is too thick add a little more milk. IF it is too liquid add flour.
Use waxed paper to stack the crepes.  Put butter on pan between cooking each crepe to not make it stick

I am ready to make these in any of your homes.

(This is the recipe Micka was going to use in the US for his restaurant).

from Reid

and remember 'crepes' rhymes with 'reps' not 'tapes'

very important if you are making true Parisian crepes!

Angelina's Hot Chocolate

That should read - chocolate chaud en Francis

Angelina's is a Patisserie in Paris and is said to have the best hot chocolate in the world.

I was there last week and I agree - if you like a rich decadent treat once in a while.  My everyday hot chocolate favorite is on this blog.

I searched for Angelina Hot Chocolate recipes and here are two quite different ones. I haven't tried either  yet.

From food.com

6 ounces chocolate, chopped (fine-quality semisweet or bittersweet)

1/4 cup water, room temperature

3 tablespoons hot water

3 cups hot milk, divided

sugar

whipped cream, if desired (optional)

1. In a double boiler over low heat, combine chocolate and 1/4 cup water until melted, stir until smooth.
2. Remove top of double boiler pan from.
3. Whisk in 3 tablespoons hot water.
4. Pour into pitcher or divide among individual 4 mugs.
5. Either stir 3/4 cup hot milk into each mug or serve milk in a separate pitcher.
6. Pass sugar and whipped cream in separate bowls; add to taste.

From Cooking by the Book

Paris Angelina’s Chocolat L’Africain

Yield: 1 cup [which is not going to be enough for you alone]

Ingredients:

3/4 cup whole milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Whipped cream

Preparation:

Combine the milk, cream and sugar in a saucepan and heat over medium-high head until bubbles appear around edges. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Whisk until melted. You may n eed to returen to low heat. You are going to generate a very thick beverage, part of the charm.

My Favorite Cook Book

Jane Brody's Good Food Book is my absolute favorite cookbook ever!

Her recipes are healthy and delicious.

I found the entire book online at Google Play

Refrigerator Bran Muffins

These are my favorite bran muffins - I've been making them for years.

You can keep the batter in the refrigerator for weeks - so warm, fresh muffins are just 15 minutes away!

They are from Jane Brody's Good Food Book - my favorite ever cookbook

3 cups whole bran cereal (all-bran or bran buds)
1 cup boiling water
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup raisins, other dried fruit, or chocolate chips (my favorite)

In medium bowl, soak cereal in boiling water. Let cool. Stir in buttermilk

In large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until well blended. Beat in the eggs, and then mix in the bran-buttermilk mixture.

Sift or stir together the flours, baking soda, and salt. Add this to the bran mixture, stirring just enough to combine. Add dried fruit or chocolate chips.

Either refrigerate the batter in a tightly closed container for later use or divide it among 23 muffin cups (or 24 large ones) - filling each cup about two-thirds full.

Bake 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes.