The eternal epicure

Breakfast | Baking

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RECIPE: Peanut Butter Chocolate Nuttie Cookies~ "Oh look at me, aren't I such a chic young woman exuding wifely charm with my fresh batch of peanut butter chocolate nuttie cookies and my lush Lilly plant, whose envious length clearly signals my outstanding ability to nurture and nourish." Ingredients (2 dozen cookies) 1 cup of softened butter 1 cup of peanut butter 3/4 cup of brown sugar 3/4 cup of granulated sugar 2 large eggs (room temperature) 2 cups of all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 2 and 1/2 cups of chocolate nutties or maltesers Method 1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Line baking tray with parchment paper. 2. Whip butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. 3. Add peanut butter and sugars and whip for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add eggs and whip until all the ingredients are well incorporated and produce a soft fluffy texture.  4. Add flour and baking soda into the wet mix and mix well using a spatula. 5, Drop in the chocolate nutties and mix well.  6. Drop a tablespoon full of cookie batter on the tray. Leave a 2 inch gap between each cookie. Bake for 15 minutes. Cookie would be flat and wide, with a crisp golden rim and a soft center.  7. Cool for 30 minutes before serving. Store in a tight container overnight for the next day. 

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RECIPE: Nutty Chocolate Granola Bars ~

Ingredients (21 bars)

2/3 cup coconut oil 1/2 cup dark chocolate  1 cup peanut butter 1/3 cup honey 2 1/2 cup of rolled oats 1 1/2 cup of rice cereal 1 1/2 cup of mixed nuts (I used chopped almonds, peanuts, and sunflower seeds) Method 1. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.  2. Over medium heat. melt coconut oil and dark chocolate together until smooth.  3. Add peanut and honey and stir until everything is combined and the mixture is smooth and warm. Let is cool for 5-7 minutes.  4. Mix oats, rice cereal and nuts (leave 1/2 cup for the topping) 5. Pour the warm mixture over the dry mixture and stir with a spatula.  6. Fill baking pan with the granola - using your spatula to flatten it down. Toss leftover nuts over and use the spatula to flatten them in.  7. Refrigerate for 2 hours before eating!

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RECIPE: Kit Kat Marshmallow Peanut Butter Cookies ~

Ingredients (1 dozen) 1/2 cup of butter 1/2 cup of smooth peanut butter 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup of brown sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla essence  1 egg 1 and 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp baking soda A pinch of salt 4 dark chocolate Kit Kat bars 1 cup of mini marshmallows Method 1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut Kit Kat bars into small half an inch bites. 

2. In a small saucepan, over low-medium, begin browning the butter - as it starts bubbling keep whisking until the butter boils into a brown liquid. This should take around 5 minutes. Turn off the heat as soon as the bubbles simmer and the butter exudes a faint caramel smell. Whisk for another 30 seconds and let it cool for 5 - 10 minutes. 

3. Once the brown butter has cooled, whisk it together with the peanut butter. Add in the two sugars and blend until they have dissolved and the mixture creams together. Add in the egg and vanilla essence and cream the mixture together one more time. 

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. 

5. Add flour mixture into the wet ingredient mixture, half cup at a time, and mix until you have a smooth cookie dough. Add in the Kit Kat bites and marshmallows and mix with a spatula. 

6. Scoop heaped tablespoons of cookie dough and place it onto the baking sheet. Make sure each cookie has the marshmallows facing upwards. 

7. Bake for 11 minutes. Cookie should be be soft to touch, especially in the middle. Transfer onto a cooling rack and enjoy it as a naughty treat!

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RECIPE: Beets and Greens Breakfast Smoothie ~ Ingredients ( 2 servings) 2 small beets (peeled and sliced) 1 medium banana A knob of ginger (grated) ½ cup of black grapes ½ cup of spinach ½ cup of lettuce 1 TBS chia seeds ½ tsp of cinnamon 1 ½ cups of chilled water 1 TBS of pure honey Add ingredients (in the above order) into a blender and blitz until purple perfection!

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RECIPE: Spring is in the air cookies ~

To capture the spirit of Spring, I created this delightful batch of cookies that I have dubbed as my ‘Spring is in the air” cookies.  Inspired by the wonder of peach tree blossoms, the return of radiance, and a pining for something sweetly citrus, you will find a sugar cookie that is sweet and piquant and swathed with a lick of a light lemon frosting and embellished with delicate peach tree blossoms dusted in yellow icing sugar. There you go, a quintessential spring dessert to charm friends and foe!  Ingredients (1 dozen) Cookie 2 1/2 cups flour (sieved) 2 tsp cornstarch 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 cup butter, at room temperature 1 cup fine sugar 1 TBS lemon zest 1 egg 1 egg white| 1 tsp lemon/lime extract 1 tsp vanilla extract

Lemon Frosting 1/3 cup salted butter, at room temperature 2 1/2 cups fine powdered/icing sugar 1/2 tsp lemon extract 2 1/2 - 3 TBS fresh lemon juice

Method

1. Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt and whisk together. 2. In a separate bowl, whip together butter, sugar and lemon zest on medium-high speed until it reaches a pale and fluffy consistency. 3. Add egg and mix until combined, then add egg white, lemon extract and vanilla extract. 4. Begin to slowly add in dry ingredients (scooping ¼ cup at a time) and mix until well combined. Transfer dough to an airtight container and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. 5. Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. 6. Place dough ball on a lightly floured surface, sprinkle top lightly with flour, and then roll it out into 1/2" thick rectangle. Using a round cookie cutter dusted in flour, cut out your cookies. Re-roll scraps from the first rectangle to cut out additional cookies.  7. Transfer cookies onto cookie sheet and bake in for 11 minutes. Cool completely (overnight or 3 hours) then frost with the Lemon Frosting. 8. For the lemon frosting, combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and whip until frosting is smooth and fluffy (around 4 minutes). Using a small palette knife, frost your cookies and embellish with peach tree blossoms and yellow sprinkles. *Note: I didn’t have yellow sprinkles, so I mixed together some fine sugar and ½ tsp of yellow food coloring. Fingertips work better than any utensil. 

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RECIPE: Breakfast Bacon and Cheese Bbang (Korean Bread) ~ Transformed Korea’s beloved street food star, the Gyeran Bbang (Egg bread) into a delectable breakfast muffin by using the same bread batter but omitting the egg (you can add it if you like, I was out of eggs at the time) and instead adding cheese and bacon and a garnish medley of ketchup and thyme. Honestly, this bread is so versatile, you can add anything into the batter and it’ll make the best impression! I have made this before with an egg, bacon, cheese and etc and it was a flavor miracle in my mouth! Ingredients (6 muffins) For the Batter 2/4 cup buttermilk 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 2 TBS sugar 2 TBS melted butter, cooled 1 egg For the filling/topping 6 strips of bacon (sliced into small squares, around 1 by 1 inch) 2 slices of processed cheese, or cheddar cheese if you prefer it (slied into small squares, slightly bigger than the bacon) 1 cup ketchup Dried thyme flakes *note: In case you want to make more, you can double up each ingredient to yield 18 muffins

Method 1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Line muffin trap with muffin liners  2. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking flour, salt, and sugar.  3. Add egg, buttermilk, and melted butter and whisk the batter together until it is lump-free.  4. Drop a spoonful (I like used a soup spoon) of batter into the liners. Then place a cheese square followed by 4-5 bacon squares. Add another spoonful of batter and top it with two squares of cheese, a dallop of ketchup, 5-6 squares of bacon, and a dash of thyme (follow this order to get the best visual of the finished muffin).  5. Bake for no more than 25 minutes. Serve hot or cooled. 

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RECIPE: The World’s Most Chocolatey Chewy Cookies ~ Yield to your temptations and succumb to the spell of irresistible chocolate! Boasting a deep cocoa flavor, a crisp cushiony exterior, and a most delectable chewy inside, these cookies will make an indelible imprint on even the coldest of hearts. Ingredients (2 and half dozen cookies) ¾ cup butter (room temperature) 1½ cup fine sugar (I added granulated sugar in the blender and pulsed for 1 min) 2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour ⅔ cup cocoa powder 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt Leftover sugar, for sprinkling Method 1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 2. In the bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and creamy (approximately 3 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Add the vanilla. 3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the mixer, spooning a few ladles at a time and mix until just combined. 3. Scoop a tablespoon of cookie dough onto the cookie sheet and sprinkle the sugar on top (be generous). 4. Bake until edges are crisp, about 9 minutes. Let it cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy with warm milk or hot chocolate :)

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RECIPE: Cinnamon Chia Buckwheat Banana Bread ~ Ingredients (1 loaf) 1/3 CUP coconut oil 1/3 CUP honey 2 large eggs 2.5 medium bananas (mashed) *overly ripe bananas preferred 1/4 milk of your choice or water 1 TBS cinnamon 1 TBS vanilla extract 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 and 3/4 CUP buckwheat flour 2 TBS chia seeds Method 1. Grease a 9″x 5″ loaf tin with coconut oil. Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. 1. Whisk together coconut oil and honey until fully blended. Add eggs, one at a time, and whisk together until incorporated.  2. Add mashed bananas and milk and blend completely. 3. Add cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and baking soda and mix well. 4. Spoon flour in 1/4 additions and carefully fold the mixture until it is a semi-tacky, stretchy mix of a batter.  5. Sprinkle chia seeds one TBS at a time and incorporate it into the batter.  6. Ladle batter into your tin and if you would like, toss a TBS of brown sugar + 1/2 tsp of cinnamon over the top and using a knife, create a zig zag pattern.  7. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Turn the tin at the 25 minute mark.   

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RECIPE: Carrot Cake Cookie ~ Carrot cake in cookie form is the remedy for all of your fall-time cravings. Ingredients (30 cookies) 1/2 Cup melted butter 1 Cup brown sugar 3/4 Cup grated carrots 2 eggs 1 Cup all-purpose flour 1 Cup whole wheat flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 2 TBS cinnamon Method 1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Cream together butter and brown sugar.  2. Add in egg, one at a time, and mix well. 3. Add carrots. 4. Combine all of your dry ingredients in a separate bowl. 5. Slowly add in your dry ingredients into your carrot mixture, scoop by scoop, and mix well. Add 1-2 TBS of melted butter if your dough end up dry. 6. On a cookie tray lined with a baking sheet, drop spoonfuls of cookie dough. Ensure there is an one-inch gap between each cookie.  7. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes. Remove cookies when they appear a little under-cooked. This will make sure your cookies have that chewy texture. 

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No explanation needed.

Cheesecake is my middle name.

Recipe is on my blog roll below! ^^

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BOOK REVIEW: Malice | Keigo Higashino ~ Kunihiko Hidaka, acclaimed novelist, is found brutally murdered in his home. His body is found in a locked room within a locked house. The only two suspects, his wife Rie and his childhood friend Osamu Nonoguchi both have solid alibis. Detective Kyochiro Kaga is assigned to the case. Malice follows the investigation of Hidaka’s death – beginning with leaden proceedings of the investigation and then transforming into a fast-paced cat-and-mouse game between Kaga and his primary suspect, Nonoguchi, both of whom interchangeably narrate their version of events in alternate chapters. Following a frenzy of dizzying twists and turns, revelations of Hidaka and Nonoguchi’s shared past come to light and the astute and assiduous Kaga produces spine-chilling deductions that finally reveal the true motive for 'malice'. Kaga delivers this in a tight, powerful and palpitating end monologue that will leave you astounded and breathless. Highly addictive and satisfying! 

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Petit zinnia bouquet to refresh the kitchen table vase, remaining chapters of Higashino thriller, a robust bowl of honey-almond oatmeal, and bubbling sips of mocha with matcha cookies. Just a sample of the paraphernalia of a zealous gastronome!

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RECIPE: Matcha Green Tea Sugar Cookies ~ Good morning! Having a blissful moment this Monday morning cavorting in my apron and dusting my matcha green tea sugar cookies. Also how precious are those mischievous matcha cat cookies evading my sugar rain?!!! I die! Ingredients (30 cookies) 2/3 cup butter (softened) 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 TBS matcha green tea powder 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt Method 1. In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla essence. 2. Whisk together flour, matcha powder, baking powder and salt. 3. Add this dry mixture into butter mixture and gradually mix until a dough comes together. 4. Wrap dough in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 40 mins to 1 hour. 5. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Line cookie sheet with baking paper. 6. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and roll to 1/2 inch thick. Use cookie cutter to make your favorite cookie shapes. Re-roll any scraps but don’t re-roll more than two times as gluten becomes more activated the more you roll.   7. Place cookies on the cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are light brown. 8. Let cookies cool for a minute on baking sheets on racks then transfer to racks and let cool completely.

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RECIPE: Succulent Chocolate Marbled Cake ~ 'Tis the season to be folly ... with all of your dietary regulations! Get fat or go home! So today on The Eternal Epicure, I bring you this sinful, this stunning, this succulent chocolate marbled cake that will love you like no man ever did so go 'head that pop that oven door open.

Ingredients (6 - 8 servings) 3/4 Cup of softened butter + two TBS for greasing 3/4 Cup of sugar 3 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 tsp baking powder 3/4 Cup of all-purpose flour A pinch of salt 3 TBS of milk Chocolate paste (2 TBS of high quality cocoa pwder mixed with 2 TBS of hot water) 1/2 Cup of chocolate chips Method: 1. Grease a medium-sized bundt cake tin. Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius.  2. Cream butter and sugar until you reach a fluffy consistency. Mix in the vanilla extract.  3. Mix flour and baking powder and add in your pinch of salt.  4. Beat in one egg into your butter/sugar mixture and add a spoonful of your flour mixture. Continue until you had added the remaining two eggs and the remainder of your flour mixture. Add in your milk at the very end and stir until batter is smooth and supple.  5. Scoop a quarter of this batter into a separate bowl and add your chocolate paste.  6. Add a spoonful of each of the batters alternately to the tin and drag your spoon/spatula to create the marbled effect. Drop in your chocolate chips and continue adding alternate spoonfuls and dragging the mixture. 7. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes and test cake with a dry toothpick at the end of the time frame.  8. Cool cake in the tin for 20 minutes in the tin before turning it over on a cooling rack. Cool on rack overnight and dust with icing sugar in the morning, 

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RECIPE: Buttermilk Buckwheat Peanut Butter Pancakes~ Ingredients (3 pancakes) Dry Ingredients 1/2 Cup sweet buckwheat flour 1/2 TBS sugar 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda A pinch of salt Wet Ingredients 3/4 cup buttermilk 1 tsp vanilla essence 1 egg Special Ingredient Peanut butter (smooth) to add into the pancake when it cooks. Method 1. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl and wet ingredients in another bowl. 2. Combine, making sure not to over mix. 3. Melt a tsp of butter into a pan over low-medium heat.  4. Pour some batter into the pan and when little bubbles start to appear, carefully spread peanut butter over the cooking pancake. Make sure you do not break the pancake. 5. Once more bubbles appear, flip the pancake. Cook this side only for 15 seconds.  6. Serve your stack with maple syrup and desiccated coconut!

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RECIPE: Nourishing Apricot and Chocolate Oatmeal~ Well lookey here! While I was away, The Eternal Epicure was beautifully spotlighted as THE Instagram page to follow in Yeewong Magazine's Fall issue! What a wonderful honor! Y'all be sure to pick up a copy for lots on food, fitness, and fashion. Also, I am back in my kitchen and back on my insta-grind so go 'head and tell your homies and boothangs to keep a watch on this space for more food phenomena! Ingredients (1 serving) 3/4 Cup of your choice of milk 1/2 Cup of rolled oats 2-3 squares of milk chocolate 1 TBS of apricot jam 1 TBS of honey Method 1. Heat milk over medium heat and once bubbles appear, add in your oats. Stir gently for a minute or less.  2. Once milk begins to simmer with the oats, drop in your chocolate squares and stir gently until it has melted.  3. By this time your oats are almost cooked so go ahead and add your jam and honey and stir over low heat until it has incorporated with your oats.  4. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy! I used dried blueberries and melon seeds mmmm.

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RECIPE: Tropical Smoothie with Coconut Chia Pudding ~ Ingredients (1 Serving): 1/3 Cup of diced pineapple 1/3 Cup of frozen mango 2 heaped TBS of yogurt 1/2 Cup of Coconut milk 1 tsp of honey A dash of cinnamon Coconut chia pudding: 1/2 Cup of coconut milk, 3 TBS chia seeds, 1 TBS of honey Method: Coconut chia pudding: Mix ingredients in a small bowl or glass jar and refrigerate overnight. Smoothie: Drop ingredients in a blender in the aforementioned order and blend until smooooooooth! Serve by adding dallops of chia pudding and coconut flakes!