BEST PANCAKES EVER !!!

First I want to apologize for the poor quality of this photograph. By the time I realized it was out of focus, the pancakes were long gone. That being said, these are the absolutely best home made pancakes I've ever made. They are super tall, light and fluffy and yet they don't get all mushy when syrup is added, they are excellent.

3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons white vinegar (see note)
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar (I used 3)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine the milk and vinegar in a small bowl for 10 minutes to "sour". This is an important step and it is called "soured milk" which is much different that sour milk. I guarantee you will NOT taste the vinegar in the final product. Set aside.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk the soured milk, egg and melted butter together. Pour into the dry ingredients and whisk until most of the lumps are gone, but don't over beat.

NOTE: The batter will be thick, don't add any more liquid. Let the batter sit, undisturbed for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, you will see bubbles in the batter, DON'T STIR.  Gently dip out a ¼ cup of batter and place it on a buttered grill or frying pan. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake and then flip with a spatula and brown the other side.

NOTE: This recipe only feeds about 3 or 4 people, but doubles or even triples nicely.

NOTE:  Don't skip the soured milk part of this recipe, you will not taste the vinegar in the pancakes. The vinegar super-activates the baking soda.

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STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE FOR TWO

I put three recipes together, to come up with this dessert for two. It has a shortbread cookie crust, a creamy cheesecake layer and it is topped with a  jelled strawberry topping. The contrast between the smooth vanilla cheesecake and the juicy strawberries was excellent!!!

COOKIE CRUST
¼ cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter
a pinch of baking powder

Mix the dry ingredients and cut in the butter. Press, evenly, onto the bottom of a greased foil lined mini-loaf  (6" x 3" x 2"). See important note below.

Bake the cookie crust in preheated 375 oven for 10-12 minutes or just until it starts to turn golden. Set aside to cool.

CHEESECAKE FILLING
4 ounces of cream cheese (room temperature)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons all purpose flour
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 egg white (room temperature)

Beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the egg white until well mixed. Pour over the baked (and cooled) cookie crust.

Set the mini-loaf pan inside of a larger pan (I use a 9" cake pan) and put enough HOT water in the larger pan, so that it comes about half way up on the mini-loaf pan.

Bake in preheated 325 oven for 28 to 33 minutes (my oven takes exactly 33 minutes). You'll know it is done when it barely jiggles when you tap the pan. This little cheesecake has NEVER cracked on me.

Cool about 20 minutes before putting it into the fridge to chill for several hours.

STRAWBERRY TOPPING

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
¼ cup granulated sugar

Cook strawberries and sugar in a heavy saucepan. When the strawberries start cooking, they will release lots of liquid. Let this cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until strawberries are soft. Thicken
the mixture with a slurry of cornstarch and water (1 tablespoons cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water). Cook until this mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in ½ teaspoon vanilla. Cool to room temperature and pour over the cooled cheesecake. Put the whole thing in the refrigerator to chill
for several hours. To serve, gently lift the dessert out of the pan by holding onto the foil ends.  Peel back the foil and cut in half.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure you line the mini-loaf pan with foil and then spray it with vegetable spray. Leave the ends of the foil long enough so that you can grab onto them and lift the chilled cheesecake out of the pan.

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Proudly Pinoy: Tapang Kalabaw (Carabao Meat)

 



When I was still a kid, I wouldn't dare touch the meat if they say it's tapang kalabaw (carabao tapa).  Because I got used to the notion that they are as tough as natural leather, I never dared eat it again until recently, when my dad brought this home from Bulacan. He said that unlike before, the tapa right now is a lot more tender, but still quite chewy. 








Dad told us that this is

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