Baked by Irene

Healthy Pumpkin Pie

2017-10-23T09:58:00.003-04:00

Healthy Pumkin Pie - kids approved!

Ingredients

Crust

1/2 cup flour (I used 'almond flour')

3/4 cup whole wheat flour plus more for rolling (I used 'Spelt flour')

1/2 tsp salt (I used himalayan pink salt)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp maple syrup

3 Tbsp soymilk

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1-3 Tbsp water + more if needed

Filling

2 cups canned pumpkin

1 cup soymilk

3/4 cup sugar (I used 'date sugar')

1/2 Tbsp dark molasses to taste

1/4 cup cornstarch (I used 'arrow root starch')

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated (i just used ground nutmeg)

1/4 tsp ground allspice

dash cloves (optional)

1/2 tsp salt (himalayan pink)

Directions

Crust: combine all the dry ingredients and wet ingredients in two separate bowls. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a fork until a dough holds together in a ball. if it's too dry, add some water. If it's too wet add some flour.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface and rolling pin. form an 11 inch circle.

Line a 9-inch pie pan with the dough.

Flute or crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork.

cover with plastic and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.

Filling: in a bowl, mix all the filling ingredients until smooth. (I used a blender)

Pour into prepared crusts and smooth top.

Bake for 10 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 F and bake until filling sets, about 50 minutes.

Let cool completely and then refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours before serving.

Oil free, vegan, plant based.

Need more ideas on grocery shopping for a plant-based / Vegan diet?

2016-11-18T00:41:00.002-05:00

I"m going to share with you my weekly grocery hauls. If you're vegan or trying eat more healthy, a plant based diet is a great option. There are many things you can shop for. Many people ask me what groceries I usually buy and so I decided to share it with everyone. I usually go to Trader Joe's, Stop & Shop, Target, Costco and sometimes any local supermarket.

This is last week's grocery haul from Trader Joe's:

http://bakedbyirene.blogspot.com/2016/11/trader-joes-haul-001-plant-based-vegan.html

And this was the week before:

http://bakedbyirene.blogspot.com/2016/11/trader-joes-haul-000-plant-based-vegan.html

Trader Joe's Haul 001 - Plant based, Vegan

2016-11-18T00:34:00.001-05:00

Trader Joe's Haul 000 - Plant based, Vegan

2016-11-18T00:30:00.001-05:00

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread

2016-10-24T21:44:00.002-04:00

I tried out Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread Mix minus the eggs. Check out the video below!

Mother’s Birthday Cake!

2013-04-22T17:20:00.001-04:00

We celebrated my mom’s birthday this past Saturday at a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. I made this cake for my mom because she loves the beach, aquariums, and sea creatures. My mom is a fan of light cakes that aren’t too dense. April seems like a refreshing month where the birds are chirping and the trees are starting to look more lively. We can start to ditch our jackets already… well, kind of. Maybe not today since the weather is so unpredictable these days. So I made a lemon cake with strawberries and cream filling in between layers, covered with mousseline buttercream. Just seems like a time for something refreshing and my mom loved it. Yay! Thank you Joe for dinner and putting a smile on my mom’s face!

Under the sea… under the sea… la la la

We were so full from dinner that it’s almost hard to make room for the cake. But we did! keke

1 candle for being so young. =)

Cake cutting time!

I see you strawberries… yummm…

Happy Birthday Mommy! I love you! =D

Wedding Cake–Vonny & Brandon

2013-04-06T15:22:00.001-04:00

Yay! I was able to try my cake at the wedding. The pastel colors were from the wedding invitation and the bridesmaids each had a different pastel color dress. The bride requested a red thread that connects the two of them which was also part of their theme. I decided to have them tie a knot with the string since that’s what they are doing. =) I thought the idea was cute!

“An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break.”

At the table with the other cakes. yumm…

Cake cutting time! =)

Congratulations love birds! =D

Macarons

2013-03-12T14:01:00.001-04:00

Rose

Strawberry, Earl Gray

Maple Bacon

Pistachio

Dulce De Leche

Someone’s surprise snack. =)

Uncle’s 60th Camera Cake

2013-03-12T13:39:00.001-04:00

My uncle loves to take pictures and he takes pictures of everything. I was told that he owns this Olympus camera.

I wish I had more time to work on the cake since I was on a time crunch.

I’m glad they enjoyed the cake. =)

Happy Heart Day

2013-02-14T05:21:00.000-05:00

So I don’t really celebrate Valentine’s day but I decided to make something cute. I gave one to my dad and since my mom is on vacation I ate one for her. hehe

yum yum yum…

Valentine’s Day Cake

2013-02-14T05:05:00.000-05:00

Cake requested for a cute couple. This was a surprise valentine’s day cake! I hope he liked it. =)

He’s a chef.

Someone is snatching the food while the chef’s not looking. yumm… bacon and eggs…

Happy Heart Day!

Happy Chinese New Year 2013!

2013-02-10T22:41:00.001-05:00

Wow! It’s 2013 already and I’m still not married. That means more red envelopes for me! LOL
I made cookies for my family since I‘ve been having a cookie kick lately and thought my family would enjoy it. So I ended up making two kinds of cookies, Macadamia Pineapple Shortbread cookies and Pineapple cookies. Yum… The regular pineapple cookie is a soft chewy version for those who like chewy cookies only.

I added the red ribbon since it’s Chinese New Years…

The Making of the cookies:

Making candied pineapples for one of the cookies.

almost done…

tada!

cut cut cut

pineapple cookies…

glazed…

ready to go!

yay! =)

Zoo Crew Baby Shower Two-Tier Cake

2013-02-04T19:46:00.001-05:00

Yay! So this was the latest cake I made for a baby shower on February 2, 2013. Everything here was made from scratch by me, the 1 man crew.. haha… it was kind of tiring doing everything by myself from start to finish and wish I had a team of people. This specific design was requested and was not designed by me. But I still added a touch of my own style to these characters (ex. I actually gave the monkey fingers and toes). hehe The top tier is 6 inches and the bottom tier is 10 inches in diameter. This cake was super heavy!!!

Packed up and all ready to go. I spent so much time making these animals… that I was starting to miss them already.

Sneaking a picture of this while I was in the car. bye bye cuties…

So the animals made it to the baby shower safe and sound. Hmmm the decorator did a good job! Looks awesome. I actually wasn’t there and these pictures were taken for me. Thanks for the pictures!!!!

The signs are so cute! It says “DON’T FEED THE ANIMALS!”.

Yay! Cake cutting! This is a 4 layer red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. Yum… actually I didn’t get to have any so I hope they liked it. =)

Hope you guys enjoyed it!

Two Tier Cosmetic Cake - 30th

2013-01-01T13:50:00.000-05:00

I’ve been busy, sorry for taking so long to post these pictures. This was a special cake that I designed for a 30th birthday party in December 2012. We’ve been calling this the make up cake. The requested was for a two-tier make up theme with three main colors, which were pink, white, and black. So this is what I came up with. The top tier was a 6” and the bottom tier was a 9” cake. Yay!

I was so happy to hear that the birthday girl loved the cake. =)

Tres Leches Cake Recipe

2012-03-25T14:40:00.001-04:00

So here it is! The cake that keeps me coming back for more… How can I say no?

“Tres Leches cake” translates to ‘three milk cake’. This is one of those ‘too simple’ recipes that tastes amazingly delicious! It is seriously too simple to have any excuses not to make it. I mean you can even go buy a yellow cake if you wanted to skip the baking part. =)

In this recipe you will need one yellow cake. You can use any yellow cake mix or use my Yellow Cake Recipe.

Ingredients

1	(13x9”)	yellow cake
1	can (14oz)	condensed milk
1	can (12oz)	evaporated milk
1	cup	half and half

Topping:

whipped cream

Make your own:

1	cup	heavy cream
2	T	powdered sugar (or more to taste)
1/2	t	vanilla extract

Fruits are great on top but it is totally optional.

Key: T = tablespoon, t = teaspoon, g = grams, oz = ounce

Directions:

Make your own whipped cream:
Place the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Whisk together until stiff peaks are formed. Spread the topping over the cake and allow to chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Use a stand mixer if you have one.

The Yellow Cake recipe is over here: http://bakedbyirene.blogspot.com/2012/03/yellow-cake-recipe.html

Happy munching!

Puff Pastry

2012-03-24T18:32:00.001-04:00

Oh my yummy yummy puff pastry… how I’ve been craving for you. It’s been a while… the last time I made these were back in 2010. The flaky goodness with the perfect pastry cream and the freshest fruits!

Look at my mini version!

Guess what I’ll be making soon… =)

Yellow Cake Recipe

2012-03-13T18:16:00.001-04:00

Since I am going to share my favorite Tres Leches recipe next, I decided to post this one first.

This is my favorite Yellow cake recipe because of how simple it is to make. This recipe also works well with any other recipe that calls for yellow cake (e.g. Tres Leches recipe). It is also easier to just use a box of yellow cake mix for those times when you run out of cake flour at home. Finding cake flour in a supermarket can be difficult. I usually use Pillsbury’s cake flour. You can also use all purpose flour, which I wouldn’t recommend.

Let’s get started!

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Ingredients – for 13 by 9 inch pan

butter or vegetable oil (for coating the pan)

191
1
1/2
4
225
5
1-1/2

g
t
t
oz
g

t

cake flour
baking powder
salt
unsalted butter (1 stick)
sugar
eggs
vanilla extract

Key: T = tablespoon, t = teaspoon, c = cup, g = grams, oz = ounce

Directions:

Check out my first video for this blog. Yay!

Coming up next: Tres Leches Recipe

Zojirushi’s Sponge Cake Recipe (for their rice cookers)

2012-03-03T00:27:00.001-05:00

This is the recipe that came with my rice cooker since a few people have asked about it. The cake recipe was ok… just a little dry. I might tweak this recipe a little and try to make it again next time.
It’s a convenient little cake but I’m not sure if you can make it in any rice cooker. Since the one I used has a cake setting. But you can always try it and tell me how it comes out.
This recipe is for a 3 cup rice cooker.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup   all purpose flour
2             eggs (separate egg yolk from white)
1/4 cup   sugar
vanilla extract to taste

A) 1/2 tbsp   Milk
     0.4 oz.     Butter

Fresh cream, fruits (for decoration) as you like
Butter (for greasing Inner Cooking Pan) to taste

Directions:

Grease the inside of the Inner Cooking Pan lightly and evenly with butter.
Add A in a small bowl and float the small bowl in a larger bowl containing hot water to melt the butter.
Beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add sugar until whites begin to hold their shape.
Add yolks and vanilla extract to Step 3 and beat until thick.
Add sifted all purpose flour to step 4. Mix with rubber spatula until smooth and well blended. Gently fold A from Step 2 without over-mixing.
Pour the batter from Step 5 into the Inner Cooking Pan and hit the bottom of the inner Cooking Pan with the palm of your hand several times to release the air bubbles in the batter.
Press the MENU button and choose the CAKE menu setting. Set the cooking time to 45 minutes and press the COOKING button.
When baking completes, remove the cake onto a plate by turning the Inner Cooking Pan upside down, and allow it to cool.
Frost the cake with whipped cream and garnish with desired fruit.

* Flavor variations: Sift cocoa powder with all purpose flour to make a chocolate cake, or green tea powder to make a green tea cake. (Add 2 tsp.)

Happy Baking!

This is the Rice Cooker I used to make the cake:

You can also check out my post on this Rice cooker here: Zojirushi 3 Cup Rice Cooker

Zojirushi Micom 3-Cup Electric Rice Cooker and Warmer

2012-03-03T00:23:00.001-05:00

This little guy is so cute! Thanks to my dad for this Christmas present. I named him Boombox since it looks like one. I actually already have a rice cooker that can make up to 10 cups of rice. But seriously, I usually make only for 1 or 2 people and that big rice cooker that I have is just not convenient or efficient at all for everyday use. Since I would have to wash more and make more than I need with the big one. This Zojirushi can make just 1 cup of rice if that’s all I need. Unlike the big one, the least I can make is 3 cups of rice and it looks ridiculous. Also cleaning is a breeze for anything tiny. So if you’re cooking for yourself or 1 extra person, I say any 3 cup rice cooker is perfect.

As for this specific model… I would have to say that I really like it and it performs very well. I get perfect rice every time I use it. But it is a little pricey especially in the Chinese supermarkets or stores. I’ve seen it for over $180! I don’t think you need to pay more than $150 for this rice cooker. I have a link below for the best deal I’ve found so far. You can also read more about it there.

Yay to fluffy rice…

This specific model has a setting for baking a cake. haha yes, I thought that was funny and of course… I was curious enough to experiment. If you’re interested in the recipe, check it out here: Rice Cooker Sponge Cake Recipe

More information here:

My Quick Chicken and Chives Dinner

2012-03-03T00:00:00.001-05:00

So this is one of those times when I need to make dinner with only what I can find in my kitchen. Meaning… very unplanned, unpredictable, and experimental. So, I found a piece of chicken breast, some chives, and a lemon in my fridge and decided to use them before they go bad.

I also decided to try and cook my chicken with coconut oil instead. Surprisingly is was tasty in an interesting way. haha I had this dish with white rice. Speaking of rice… I’ve been using my new mini Zojirushi 3 cup rice cooker that looks like a boombox for about 3 months now. Click here for my thoughts on it: Zojirushi Rice Cooker.

These are the ingredients that I used for the chicken and chives dish. Since this was very experimental…try at your own risk.

Experimental Ingredients:
2 servings         chicken (I didn’t really measure when I made this.)
3 tablespoon     chives cut (more if you like)
1 tablespoon     coconut oil
1 tablespoon     sugar
1.5 tablespoon soy sauce
4 tablespoon     lemon juice (I used the juice from 1 lemon)

Coming up next: My favorite Tres Leches Recipe!

Yum…

Lemon Bar Recipe

2012-02-22T18:18:00.001-05:00

So here is… one of my favorite lemony snacks!
I changed the color of the text for the 'ingredients' to match the color for the 'directions'. The color matching usually speed things up for me when I gather ingredients. I hope it works for you too.
Try to use fresh lemons… it makes a difference. =)

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter
4 eggs
1 1/2 granulated sugar
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
3/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup milk, light cream, or half and half
for topping powdered sugar

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with foil. Grease foil; set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine the 2 cups flour, the 1/2 cup powdered sugar, the cornstarch, and salt.
3. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Press mixture into the bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until edges are golden.
4. Meanwhile, for filling, in a medium bowl stir together eggs, the granulated sugar, the 3 tablespoons flour, the lemon peel, lemon juice, and half-and-half.
5. Pour filling over hot crust. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes more or until center is set.
6. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Grasping foil overhang, lift from pan. Cut into bars.
7. Cover and store in the refrigerator.
8. Right before serving, sift powdered sugar over tops.

Happy baking!

Wine Enthusiast Cork Trivet Kit

2012-02-20T21:14:00.001-05:00

So I came across this Wine Enthusiast Cork Trivet Kit Last week and I thought, what a clever idea!! I mean, come on… I threw out all my wine corks that I have been saving last year. Since my idea of creating art with it on my wall didn’t really work out. But this Trivet kit is way more useful than that wall art I had in mind. So I am planning on getting this soon. That way, my not so fancy pot can rest on something fancy. I will update you with pictures once it’s completed. Since I rarely drink, it’s going to take a while collecting wine corks all over again.

I like this Oval shape too.

Hmm… I’m not sure which one I should get now.

More information at:

Recipes!

2012-02-20T20:25:00.001-05:00

Hello! Yes, I know… It’s been a while. And I know I haven’t shared all my pictures with you guys yet. But I’ve decided to continue this blog by posting recipes that I’ve tried, liked, loved, and reviewed so far. I will also be sharing my thoughts on kitchen gadgets too. So I will keep you posted. Although I don’t own many kitchen essentials in my kitchen, I still try working with what I have. So we can improvise together!

Many of us gets intimated when we see a long list of ingredients. There will be a section for simple and quick meals for those of us who gets lazy sometimes but still want to make something yummy. I will be sharing my home cooked desserts/meals with you. Hope you’ll enjoy my recipe picks! You can also send me some requests for recipes.

Cheers,
Irene

Chocolate Candy Stand

2010-06-09T23:02:00.001-04:00

I finally made my first chocolate candy stand. This stand is made out of chocolate and completely edible. It is holding chocolate items that I made. So after you eat the candy on the candy stand... maybe you can eat the stand too...

Chocolate Box

2010-06-09T23:00:00.000-04:00

First chocolate box ever with orange chocolate truffles! I can't wait to make another one.