Thai Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango

Recipe Status: I am in LOVE with this, and look forward to it at every Thai restaurant I go to. Unfortunately it doesn't always taste good. But THIS does! Happy sigh.

1 1/2 cups Boton rice

2 cups water

2 cups coconut milk, divided

1 cup large dried coconut shavings (NOT sweetened shredded coconut.)

1 cup sugar

3/4 tsp sea salt, divided

3 mangoes

• Combine rice and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to low. Simmer until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

• While the rice is cooking, mix together 1 1/2 cups coconut milk, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup (or a large handful) dried coconut, and 1/2 tsp salt in saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then set aside. Stir cooked rice into the coconut sauce and cool for an hour or two.

• Slice the mangoes in half along the pit, scoop out with a spoon and cut into cubes.

• Make a sauce by mixing 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1 tbsp sugar 1/4 tsp salt and a small handful of dried coconut if desired. Bring to a boil, then simmer for a few minutes until thickened.

• Place the mango on top of the sticky rice, then pour sauce over the mango and rice. Top with a pinch of cardamom or sesame seeds if desired. This will keep in fridge for a few days.

Sweet Zucchini Bread

Recipe Status: Best Zucchini bread EVER! Oh my heavens! Because it's not masked by cinnamon like most breads are, the wheat flavor is present, light and sweet. The orange gives it a beautiful complimenting element to the wheat. (And when I make it, I always double the recipe and bake 4 loaves at the same time.)

Song: Northern Lights - BNL

2 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups grated zucchini
Peel of 1 washed orange, minced (or try this with lemon peel)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter two 9-inch loaf pans and dust with sugar, flour or wheat germ. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk the eggs, then add the oil and blend. Use a spatula to mix the dry ingredients with the egg mixture in several additions, then fold in the zucchini and the orange peel.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the top springs back when pressed lightly. Cool in the pans for 5 to 15 minutes before being turned out onto a rack or plate. Makes two incredibly tasty loaves, or 24 muffins. (Bake muffins for 30 minutes.)

Authentic Mexican Flan

Recipe status: This is a recipe that my mom was taught over 50 years ago while serving a Spanish Speaking Mission. It is easier to make than I thought.

Song: Southern Lands - Cetu Javu

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

8 eggs (3 whole, 5 yolks. Save the 5 egg whites for omelets?)

2 cans evaporated milk (has to be Carnation brand)

1/2 tsp vanilla

Dish towel, or cheesecloth

In a 9 inch round cake pan, caramelize 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat. Once completely melted, turn the pan around and around to coat the bottom and sides with the sugar. Set aside to cool. 

In a medium bowl, combine 3 eggs, 5 egg yolks, vanilla & both cans of evaporated milk. While beating, slowly add 1 cup sugar until completely blended. Once blended, pour into cake pan through the cheesecloth to make it completely smooth. Place the cake pan in a larger casserole dish and fill with an inch of water. Bake @ 350 for about an hour. Flan is done when knife comes out clean. Texture will be soft, custardy. Place a larger plate with raised edges over the cake pan and flip to release the flan onto the plate. Let cool, although it is good warm.

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

Recipe Status: Amazed that my first attempt at a cheesecake was successful!
Song: Autumn - Stoa

Crust:
2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies (or mix of gingersnaps and graham crackers)
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (opt)
1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling:
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix together the crushed gingersnap cookies, pecans, and butter. Press into the bottom, and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake crust for 10 minutes. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla just until smooth. Mix in eggs one at a time, blending well after each. Set aside 3/4 cup of the mixture. Blend 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg into the remaining mixture. Spread the pumpkin flavored batter into the crust, then drop the plain batter by spoonfuls onto the top. Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.

Bake 55 minutes in the preheated oven, or until filling is set. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Allow to cool before removing pan rim. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

*I checked the cheesecake at 45 minutes, and it was already set.
*If you don't like a lot of spice, just put half the amount of cinnamon & nutmeg in, and omit the cloves.
*I didn't quite like the pecans in the crust. However, I did LOVE the gingersnaps. I ended up mixing gingersnaps & graham crackers, because I wasn't sure how strong the cookies would be.

Better than Sex cake

Recipe status: NOTHING is better than sex! 

(Although the cake is good.)

Song: Conflict - The Azoic

One chocolate cake mix (the chocolatier the better)

1 20 oz bottle Smuckers caramel topping

1 small container whipped cream

About 2 dozen mini Heath bars, chopped

Bake cake as directed on package. (The best is chocolate fudge, or triple chocolate. Just plain milk chocolate won't taste as good.) Once cake is cooled, poke holes about an inch apart all over the cake, and pour the caramel over the cake. Use a spatula to guide the caramel down into the holes, not letting it pour over the side of the cake. Once holes are filled, spread whipped cream over cake, then sprinkle with the chopped Heath bars. Store in the fridge.

*Note* A lot of recipes also call for a can of sweetened condensed milk. Don't go there. It's too rich, too heavy, too sugary, too fattening, and you'll feel sick to your stomach, and in absolutely no mood for sex... ;) 

Cornbread

Recipe status: Not so great, but made it better.
Song: Slender Frame - a-Ha

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
4 tbsp sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup oil

Bake in greased 6" or 8" pan for 25 minutes @ 425.

The batch was dry and crumbly, not sweet at all, in fact, it had hardly any flavor at all. It also burnt on the bottom and sides before the middle baked. This particular recipe was a flop. However, I tweaked it and came out with an amazing result. Here's what I did:

First of all, I doubled the recipe, so that it would fill a 9x13 pan. Then, I increased the amount of milk and sugar, and soaked the corn meal in the milk for an hour to allow it to soften. I also added honey. I baked at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. With these changes, the bread stands on its own, and has no need for butter, honey, or any other additives.

2 cups corn meal
3 cups milk
2 cups sugar (lower the amount to taste if desired)
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
2 heaping tablespoons baking powder
2 tsp salt

Bake in greased (sprayed) 9x13 pan @ 350 for 45 minutes

Much much much better. :) It was well received at the luncheon.