• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin
• Ingredients:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 extra-ripe bananas, mashed (1 cup)
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup milk 
• Method:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with baking cups. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, whisk together banana, sugar, egg, butter, and milk. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients then stir in chocolate chips.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared cups, adding a scant 1/4 cup to each. Bake until tops spring back when lightly touched, about 20 minutes. Cool in pans 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Nutella Souffle

Ingredients:
2 Eggs, Separated
½ cup of Nutella
2 Tbsp of Granulated Sugar      
¼ tsp of Salt
½ tsp of Vanilla Extract
¼ tsp of Cream of Tartar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray two 6 oz ramekins with non-stick spray, dust each ramekin with some cocoa powder and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar until they develop stiff peaks, set aside. 

In another bowl, using the same whisk, beat together the egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale. 

Add the nutella, vanilla and salt and mix until you have a smooth creamy mixture. 

Gently fold in 1/3 of the egg whites to loosen up the better a bit then fold in the remaining egg whites.

Fold in the remaining egg whites, divide the mixture between the two ramekins and bake them for 15 to 17 minutes or until they have puffed up but still have a little giggle in the center. 

Coxinhas (Chicken Ball) 

To make coxinhas
3 chicken breast fillets
1L chicken stock (cube is fine)
1 small onion (chopped)
2 clover garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons olive oil
375ml milk
50g butter
450g plain flour
1 small handful fresh parsley
3 spring onions(green part only)
salt to tast
pepper to taste

To fry
2L vegetable oil
250ml milk
200g very fine breadcrumbs
1 large egg

Method

Poach the chicken breasts in the chicken stock in a saucepan until cooked; this will take around 15 minutes, but do check they are cooked through. Remove from liquid and let cool.

While the chicken is cooking, fry the chopped onion and garlic in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil for about 10 minutes, until soft.

Remove some of the chicken stock, so that only 375ml / 1½ cups remains and then add the 375ml / 1½ cups milk along with the butter, and melt the butter in the liquid in the pan then slowly beat in the flour and cook just for a few minutes until the dough begins to come together and also come away from the sides of the pan as you stir. Turn the dough out onto a plate and leave until it's cool enough to handle comfortably.

While you're waiting for the dough to cool, finely chop the chicken, parsley and spring onions, add salt and pepper to taste and leave this finely chopped mixture while you get on with the dough.

Do not flour a surface, but simply knead the dough until it is smooth and bouncy (about 10 minutes), and then pinch off walnut sized lumps of dough, roll them into a ball and then flatten into discs with a slight lip at the edges: I think these resemble fine artichoke hearts.

Take these rounds and add a scant teaspoon of chopped chicken and bring up the edges, all around, so that you have a ball, which you coax with your fingers into a bulbous pear shape. Place on a lined baking sheet and get on with the rest.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. You need to start frying when the oil is about 180ºC/350ºF. You don't really need a cooking thermometer: simply add a tiny ball of dough and if it starts fizzling straight away, and rising goldenly to the top of the pan instantly, the oil is hot enough. But while you wait for it to heat up, dip the coxinhas.

Beat the egg with the 125ml / ½ cup milk in one dish; tip the very fine breadcrumbs into another. Dip the coxinhas first into the egg mixture then into the sandy breadcrumbs, making sure they are well covered, then leave on a lined baking sheet.

When the oil is hot enough, deep-fry the coxinhas, about 5 at a time, until they are gorgeously golden, in about 2 minutes' time. Remove to a baking sheet lined with kitchen paper

If you wish, you can keep your cooked coxhinas warm in a 120ºC/250ºF oven while you continue with the rest.

Black Magic Cake

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder      

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup strong brewed coffee

1 cup buttermilk

1 /2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans or one 9x13 inch pan.
2. In large bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center.
3. Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pans.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and finish cooling on a wire rack. Fill and frost as desired.

Banana Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

6–7 slices of bread (whatever is about to go stale)
4 ripe bananas
3 eggs
1 cup milk  
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Method:

On a cutting board, cut bread into small cubes. Place onto a baking sheet and bake at 350°F/175°C for five minutes to help dry the bread out.

In a large mixing bowl, add ripe bananas and mush before adding in beaten eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract, and stir. Once fully mixed, add bread and let it soak for five to 10 minutes before adding in chocolate chips. Stir together, and spoon mix into a large muffin tin. Bake at 350°F/175°C for 20 minutes.

Scoop your favourite ice cream or whipped cream and top with chocolate syrup.

 

Apple pie

Ingredients:

box Pillsbury™ refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box 

6cups thinly sliced, peeled apples (6 medium)

3/4 cup sugar 

2tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4

teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4

teaspoon salt

1/8

teaspoon ground nutmeg

1

tablespoon lemon juice

Method:

Heat oven to 425°F. Place 1 pie crust in ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate. Press firmly against side and bottom.

In large bowl, gently mix filling ingredients; spoon into crust-lined pie plate. Top with second crust. Wrap excess top crust under bottom crust edge, pressing edges together to seal; flute. Cut slits or shapes in several places in top crust.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Cover edge of crust with 2- to 3-inch wide strips of foil after first 15 to 20 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. Cool on cooling rack at least 2 hours before serving.

Parmesan Garlic Bread

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, melted                    

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1.4 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/8 teaspoon dried basil

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

1 (1 pound) loaf French bread, halved lenghtwise

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl, mix butter, garlic salt, rosemary, basil, thyme, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese.
3. Spread each half of the French bread with equal portions of the butter mixture. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.
4. Place bread halves, crusts down, on a medium baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are very lightly browned.