THE KITCHEN CRAFT BLOG

 Magic Kitchen - Mocha Ice Cream Cake Recipe Ingredients 26 chocolate cookies (about 6 ounces), broken into pieces 3 tablespoons butter, melted Mocha ice cream, slightly softened(recipe follows) 2 1/4 cups chilled cream 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder Milk chocolate shavings Method 1. Crush cookies until finely ground. 2. Add melted butter; mix until crumbs are moistened. 3. Press crumb mixture onto bottom of springform cake pan . Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes. 4. Transfer ice cream to crust-lined pan. Smooth top. Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze overnight. 5. Combine cream and vanilla in a large bowl. Sift powdered sugar and cocoa over. Using electric mixer, beat until soft peaks form. 6. Spread mixture over top of cake. 7. Sprinkle chocolate shavings over top of cake. 8. Freeze until cream is set, at least 1 hour. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; keep frozen.) Mocha Ice Cream Recipe 1 cup semisweet chocolate , coarsely chopped 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee 2 cups cream 1 cup milk 3/4 cup sugar, divided 3 tablespoons instant coffee granules 4 egg yolks Method 1. Microwave chocolate in a bowl at high1 1/2 minutes or until melted, stirring twice; stir in brewed coffee. Set chocolate mixture aside. 2. Bring cream,milk, 1/2 cup sugar, and coffee granules to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar and coffee dissolve. 3. Beat yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar at high speed with an electric mixer until thick and pale. With mixer at low speed, gradually pour hot cream mixture into yolk mixture; return to saucepan. 4. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6 to 8 minutes or until mixture thickens and coats a spoon. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate mixture. 5. Cool,cover and chill 2 hours. 6. Pour chilled mixture onto crust lined cake pan.

Kitchen Craft Specialty - Sponge Cake A classic sponge cake recipe with a seasonal twist Ingredients 2eggs 1 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup milk 2 tablespoons butter Method 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  2. Grease a round or rectangle cake pan. 3. In small bowl stir together four and baking powder; set aside. 4. In large bowl beat eggs on high about 4 minutes, until slightly thickened. 5. Gradually add sugar; beat on medium 4 to 5 minutes until pale yellow and thickened. 6. Add flour mixture; beat on low to medium just until combined. 7. In small saucepan over low heat stir milk and butter until butter is melted; add to batter, beat to combine. 8. Pour batter in pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack . 9. To serve, cut cake in slices; top with fruit and lemon syrup. Serve immediately. To store, cover and refrigerate untopped cake. Lemon Syrup with Fruit  Ingredients 1/4cup lemon juice 1/4cup water 1/2cup sugar 2teaspoons lime peel 4cups fruit (mango, papaya, star fruit,kiwi,oranges,apples,strawberries) Method In pan combine lemon juice and water with sugar; cook and stir to dissolve sugar. Increase heat; boil gently, uncovered, 3 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Stir in lemon peel and fruit

Mini Flourless Chocolate Cake (click photo for recipe)

More pretty cupcakes from the 3dible blog

Pretty cupcakes!

Gorgeous Peacock Wedding Cake - found online at thecakebar blog!

Did You Know? (The Human Heart)

Here are some interesting facts about your heart!

1. The heart is one big muscular pump made up of involuntary striated muscle cells.

2. An adult heart pumps approx. 2,000 gallons of blood throughout the body.

3. The average adult heart beats 72 times a minute; 100,000 times a day; 3,600,000 times a year; and 2.5 billion times during a 70-year span.

4. An adult man’s heart weighs about 10 ounces and a woman’s about 8 ounces.

5. Your system of blood vessels — arteries, veins and capillaries — is over 60,000 miles long and would stretch around the world more than twice!

6. The human heart has four chambers, two superior atria and two inferior ventricles.

7. Blood flows into the right atrium and through the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle. From here it is pumped to the lungs to dispose of CO2 and pick up O2. Next the oxygenated blood is pumped into the left atrium and then to the left ventricle, through the bicuspid valve. Finally it is pumped out of the left ventricle to the body via the aorta.

8. The heartbeat (lub-dub sound) is the produced by the closing of the atrioventricular valves.

 

9. Arteries carry oxygenated blood away form the heart to the muscle cells. Veins carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart.

10. Blood pressure is a measure of the pressure exerted by blood on the walls of the heart chambers. Systolic is a measure of the pressure when the heart is pumping and diastolic is a measure when the heart is relaxed.

11. The pressure created in the heart during a heartbeat is enough to squirt blood a distance of thirty feet.

12. Blood takes about 20 seconds to circulate through the entire human body.

13. Electrical impulses in the heart muscle (the myocardium) are what cause the heart to beat

14. The first successful heart transplant was performed in Cape Town, South Africa in 1967. 15. Most heart attacks occur between the hours of 8 and 9 AM with Monday being the most “popular” day.

16. Every day 2,700 people die of heart disease.

17. The risk of heart disease for inactive people is double that of people who get regular exercise.

18. To reduce the chances of heart disease the American Heart Association recommends at least 30min of moderate exercise on most days of the week.

19. Regular exercise can strengthen your heart and cardiovascular system and improve circulation, helping your body use oxygen better and lower blood pressure.

20. It is thought that the heart got its love association in the ancient Greek city of Cyrene due to the Silphium plant with it’s heart-shaped seed pods that grew in the region.

21. The Greeks believed the heart was the seat of the spirit, the Chinese associated it with the center for happiness and the Egyptians thought the emotions and intellect arose from the heart.

22. Plato theorized that reasoning originated in the brain, but passion originated in the heart.

Be kind to your heart, you only get one!! Treat it well with exercise and a healthy diet.

(Source: madsweat)
Rainbow Cupcake Recipe

INGREDIENTS
13/4 cups butter, room temperature
31/4 cups sifted flour
11/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoons vanilla essence
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
5 egg whites, room temperature
Food coloring

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease cupcake pan or line with cupcake liners. 
3. Whisk together the flour,baking powder and salt in a bowl; set aside.
4. Stir the milk and vanilla essence to combine; set aside.
5. Beat butter in a bowl until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
6. Add the sugar: mix until pale and fluffy.
7. With he mixture on low add the flour, alternating with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.
8. In a clean bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites in two additions into the flour batter.
9. Divide the batter evenly among bowls and dye each bowl of batter a rainbow color.
10. Evenly distribute the blue batter among the cups, then the yellow, and so on.
Bake for 15-20 minutes.
11. Cool and ice with colored buttercream icing.

via thecakebar: fudgesicle stack!

thecakebar: bright beauty!

Delicious looking dessert, borrowed from the mochacafe blog

Celebrating the Year of the Dragon with Chinese cuisine

Chinese New year on Jan 23, 2012 ushered in the Year Of The Dragon. Seemingly frightening creatures, dragons are actually believed to be the bringers of the Pearl Of Wisdom and guardians of society in Chinese mythology, and symbolize power, strength, and good luck. The Year of the Dragon is often considered the luckiest year in the Chinese Zodiac, and it is believed by many that this year will wash out the old and bring in new beginnings for the world.

In the spirit of this magnificent creature Kitchen Craft thought it would be appropriate to celebrate the Chinese new year with some delicious Chinese recipes that are sure to bring diversity to your meals.

Give them a try, and we would love to hear back from you about which one was your favorite!

Chinese Chicken Salad - click here to see recipe

Chicken Noodle Soup - click here to see recipe

Shrimp and Chive Dumpling - click here to see recipe

Chicken Fried Rice - click here to see recipe

Ginger Fried Rice - click here to see recipe

Hoisin Sauce - click here to see recipe

Brown Sauce - click here to see recipe

Sichuan Style Shrimp - click here to see recipe

Stir Fried Vegetables - click here to see recipe

Spicy Lamb Chop - click here to see recipe

Ginger and Scallion Crab - click here to see recipe

Spicy Sesame Beef Stirfry - click here to see recipe

Peanut Cookies - click here to see recipe

Pineapple Shortake/Tart - click here to see recipe
“Mocktails” to celebrate the holiday season

Holiday season is in full swing by now, and it’s always fun to see how people are celebrating around the world. Every culture and country has it’s own celebrations, be it Christmas, Diwali, Hannukah, Eid, or any other seasonal celebration.

In the spirit of the holidays, we have put together a list of some of our favorite holiday drinks along with recipes. Enjoy!

1. Spiced Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

  • 4 cups prepared hot cocoa with 1% milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 4 cinnamon sticks

Preparation

Combine cocoa, nutmeg and chili powder. Pour into mugs and serve with a cinnamon stick. Serves 2.

2. Spiced Hot Cider

Ingredients

  • 4 cups apple cider
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 2 tbsp cinnamon flavored syrup (optional)
  • Cinnamon sticks, for garnish

Preparation

Bring apple cider, cinnamon stick and cloves to a boil. Add the cinnamon syrup. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and serve hot.

3. Sparkling Pomegranate - Cider Punch

Ingredients

  • 2 bottles sparkling cider
  • 1/2 cup brewed tea
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice

Preparation

Combine all the ingredients in a punch bowl. Chill before serving.

4. Baby Bellini

Ingredients

• 2 parts Chilled peach juice/nectar
• 2 parts Sparkling apple cider
• 1 part Fresh squeezed lemon juice

Preperation

Stir peach and fresh lemon juices together and pour into glass(es). Add sparkling cider to the rim. Serve chilled.

5. Eggnog

Ingredients

  • 4 cups milk
  • 1 1/3 cups sugar
  • 12 large egg yolks
  • 1 cup chilled heavy cream
  • Grated nutmeg, (optional)

Preparation

  1. In medium saucepan, whisk milk and sugar over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks. Whisking constantly, pour hot mixture into yolks in a slow and steady stream.
  2. Return mixture to pan; cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until thick enough to coat back of spoon, 20 to 25 minutes; do not let simmer. Quickly strain into a bowl. Stir in cream. Cool completely; cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until chilled. Garnish with nutmeg, if desired.