Healthy Living with Anita.

This Limoncello Pound Cake is seriously delicious. Tart, sweet, soft from the inside with crispy crusty edges that in my family we all fight for.

Ingredients for the Limoncello Pound Cake

2 cups All-purpose flour, sifted

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup butter, softened at room temperature

4 ounces vanilla yogurt, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract

2 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/3 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

zest of one lemon

2 Tablespoon of Homemade Limoncello (see recipe on my site)

Ingredients for the Limoncello Glaze

1 1/2 cup powder sugar

2 Tablespoons of Limoncello

1/2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

zest of a lemon

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 grades Farenheit .
2. Use baking spray and spray a 5×9 inch loaf pan. Set aside.
3. Use a bowl and incorporate together sifted flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
4. Cream together the sugar and butter using a whisker or an electric mixer in a large bowl until fluffy and pale. Incorporate eggs one at a time. Beat well and add in vanilla yogurt and vanilla extract.
5. Stir all ingredients and add lemon juice, limoncello and lemon zest.
6. Keep on whisking as you add gradually the flour mix until well incorporated.
7. Pour batter into greased loaf pan.
8. Bake for an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Remove from oven to cool slightly in loaf pan. Meanwhile prepare the glaze.
10. Whisk all ingredients, powder sugar, limoncello, and lemon juice until thickened.
11. Pour glaze over slightly warm cake in pan.
12. Let it dry and drip around the sides. Transfer pound cake into a platter. Enjoy!

Homemade Limoncello!

Please yourself with this delicious Caramel Flan, tangy from the Sour Cream with a super creamy cheesy delightful ending in your palate to enjoy after any meal!

Ingredients

5 large eggs, room temperature

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

4 ounces sour cream, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

zest of an orange

3/4 cup of water

Preparation

1. For the Caramel: Cook sugar and water over medium-low heat in a heavy saucepan for about 10 to 12 minutes or until melted and sugar color is golden brown. Use some extra water to brush down crystal form around the sides of saucepan. Pour caramel quickly into a round glass souffle dish. Make sure to coat sides and bottom of dish. Let caramel stand for 5 minutes to set. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 grades Farenheit.
2. Use a large bowl, cream together with a hand mixer sour cream and cream cheese together until smooth. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla, zest of an orange, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk. Beat until all well combined. Pour mixture over caramelized sugar.
3. Place flan over a larger deep baking pan (I used a half size deep aluminum steam table pan). Pour boiling water up to 1 1/2 inches deep in the larger baking pan.
4. Bake for about 1 hour and fifteen minutes or until mixture is set in the center.
5. Remove dish from water to cool completely over a wire rack.
6. Refrigerate for about 4 to 6 hours or overnight.
7. Run a knife around edges and unmold over a platter. Enjoy!

Ingredients for the Monkey Pull-Apart Bread

2 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 Tablespoon whole milk, warm

1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste

3 eggs

3 cups All-purpose flour

1/3 teaspoon salt

5 Tablespoons melted butter

Preparation for the dough

1. Use a stand-mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add to the bowl warm water, and yeast. Incorporate heated milk with melted butter. Combine in low speed and add flour gradually, add sugar, and salt. Mix all ingredients.
2. Incorporate eggs one by one, and vanilla. Beat in low until dough pulls away from sides of the bowl and become a soft joined ball.
3. Remove bowl from stand-mixer. Cover with a towel and let dough rise in a warm place over the counter for 1 to 2 hours.

Ingredients for the Filling

2 cups Granny Smith or any tart apple, diced

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground

Preparation for Filling

1. Meanwhile, over medium-high heat, sate apples in melted butter, brown sugar with cinnamon until slightly tender. Apples will continue to cook in the oven. Remove from heat and set aside.

Preparing and Assembling Pull-Apart bread dough after rises:

1. First combine in a medium bowl 3 Tablespoon of brown sugar with 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Set aside.
2. Pre-heat oven to 350 grades Fahrenheit. Grease a bund cake pan with butter.
3. Make same size dough balls using your hands. Place 1/2 teaspoon of apple filling inside dough balls.
4. Coat each ball with cinnamon-sugar mix and place them into the grease Bundt pan sprinkling some from the apple fillings in between layers till top of the Bundt pan.
5. Also, some dusty extra cinnamon-sugar all over the top will create that caramelized color and taste we all love.
6. Bake monkey bread in the middle rack for 30 to 35 minutes or until dough is golden brown and cooked in the center.
7. Remove from oven. Let it rest for few minutes. Invert into a dish while still warm.
8. Enjoy now or at room temperature!     

This is one of the best Sponge Cakes I have ever taste. Guess who made it to surprise me. My amazing and lovely son.

Ingredients

1 cup Cake flour, sifted

8 large eggs (separated)

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 cup powder sugar

1 1/2 Tablespoon corn starch, sifted

3/4 cup coconut oil

1 pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325 grades Fahrenheit. Grease a 9-inch round Bundt pan with baking spray. Place Bundt pan inside a deep baking tray. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan place coconut oil and heat it at medium heat until warm, but do not overheat it.  Add to this oil, the cake flour with the cornstarch. Whisk constantly until smooth.
3. Add in coconut milk and stir until well combined or until mixture slightly thickened.
4. Transfer mixture to a glass bowl. Let it cool.
5. Incorporate the 8 eggs yolk beaten, vanilla and salt. Whisk gently until all well incorporated. Set aside.
6. Use a large bowl and beat the 8 eggs whites with cream of tartar using a stand mixer for about 8-10 minutes or until stiff peaks has formed. Add powder sugar in 2 to 3 batches and beat in high for couple seconds until well mixed.
7. Incorporate this stiff merengue slowly into the cake batter folding in using a spatula until all well combined. Do not over mix batter.
8. Transfer cake batter into greased Bund pan.
9. Pour warm water to the outer baking tray 1/2 way up carefully. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until you insert a toothpick in the center of cake comes out clean or has that blondie beautiful color all around.
10. Remove Bundt pan carefully from outer baking tray with water. Let Sponge cake rest in pan for about 15 to 20 minutes. Invert cake into a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Transfer into a cake stand and enjoy this super soft and sponge cake. Delicious!

Ingredients for the Puff Pastry Horns (10-12 servings)

1 sheet of 8-ounce puff pastry, defrosted

1/3 cup Turbinado sugar

1 Tablespoon butter, softened

Powder sugar to decorate

2 Tablespoon of corn starch for dusting underneath puff pastry and top

1 egg mix with1 tablespoon of water (egg- wash)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 grades Fahrenheit
2. Use a parchment paper over a surface and sprinkle with some corn starch. Slightly sprinkle the top too.
3. Roll out the sheet of puff pastry to an approximately 9×12 inches rectangle. Cut first the rectangle in half. Then each half into 5 or 6 equal size stripes. A total of 10 to 12 stripes, about 1 1/2 inches thick
4.  Take the metal cone molds5. Grease each cone with butter using your hands. Roll each strip of puff pastry into the cone mold overlapping.

6. Brush the horns with egg wash and sprinkle each one with Turbinado sugar

7. Place over a baking tray lined with parchment paper

8. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until cones are golden brown

9. Remove from oven. Let them cool for 10 minutes. Remove metal cone molds and let them cool completely before filling them with cream

This is the way the beautiful cones or horns should look from the inside. The trick is in overlapping the stripes of puff pastry dough.

Custard Cream for the Horns

1. Use a bowl and whisk together 3 egg yolks with 3/4 cup of sugar till pale color. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste or extract. Add 2 1/2 Tablespoon of All-purpose flour. Whisk until fluffy. Set aside while warming up the milk.
2. Use a medium sauce pan, and at medium heat warm up 1 cup of whole milk before the boiling point.
3. Incorporate half of the warm milk into the egg mixture by whisking continuously to avoid lumps.
4. Place the sauce pan over medium heat again and add rest of the milk and keep whisking until cream start slightly boiling, lower the heat and keep whisking for about 1 to 2 minutes or until cream thickened.

5. Remove cream from heat and place into a bowl cover with plastic wrap. Let it cool before placing into the fridge for about 1/2 an hour.

6. Remove from refrigerator and place cream into a pastry cream bag. Be ready to fill the horns up. Sprinkle with powder sugar.

Enjoy!

Ingredients for Doughnuts

Yield: 6 doughnuts

3/4 cup All-purpose flour

2 Tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 Tablespoon Matcha green tea powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1 large egg

2 Tablespoon sour cream

1/4 cup of Green Matcha tea latte (store bought)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Tablespoon coconut oil

Ingredients for Matcha Glaze

1-2 cup powder sugar

1 Tablespoon Matcha green tea Powder

1-2 Teaspoon green Matcha tea Latte

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation for Doughnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 grades Fahrenheit. Grease lightly with baking spray a donut pan.
2. Mix all dry ingredients in a medium size bowl: flour, sugar, Matcha powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl whisk together eggs, sour cream, green Matcha tea latte, vanilla and coconut oil until well combined.
4. Incorporate wet ingredients into all dry ingredients. Whisk.
5. Mix well until well combined. 6. Transfer doughnut batter into a pastry piping bag and fill almost all the way up into the molds. 7. Place doughnuts baking pan in the center rack of your oven and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges of doughnuts are slightly golden and a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. 8. Remove from oven and let it cool in pan for 10 minutes. Transfer doughnuts over a wire rack to cool completely. Meanwhile prepare Glaze.

Preparation for Glaze

1. In a small bowl, whisk together powder sugar, Matcha green powder, Matcha tea latte and vanilla extract until creamy, and smooth with a thick consistency.
2. Dip each donut in the glaze and let them drip off a wire rack. Place a parchment paper under wire rack to catch the drippings.
3. Make your desired decoration. Let glaze dry for about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Ingredients for the Cake

2 1/2 cups All-Purpose flour

1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 Teaspoon baking powder

4 large carrots, coarsely grated

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon, ground

1/3 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated

1 Teaspoon allspice, ground

3 large eggs

1/2 cup rum

3/4 cup raisins(soaked in rum)

1/4 cup golden raisins(soaked in rum)

1/2 cup sweetened coconut + 2 Tablespoons, shredded

1/2 cup walnuts + 2 Tablespoons, finely chopped

1 teaspoon orange extract

zest of 1 orange

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325 grades Fahrenheit. Spray using baking spray a Spring form 9-inch pan. Set aside.
2. Soak black and golden raisins in 1/2 cup of rum for about an hour. Set aside.
3. Place 1/2 cup of coconut into a baking pan with parchment paper and introduce into the preheated oven. Toast them for about 10 minutes. Set aside.
4. Place 1/2 cup of walnuts into a baking pan with parchment paper and toast them in the oven at the same time of coconut for about 10 minutes, until slightly golden. Set aside.
5. Use a large bowl and cream together with an electric mixer or hand whisker vegetable oil, eggs, heavy cream, white, light brown sugar, and orange extract.
6. Incorporate all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice,  orange zest and mix until well combined.
7. Add soaked raisins with left rum, grated carrots, 1/2 cup of shredded toasted coconut, and 1/2 cup of the toasted walnut. Mix with a spatula until all ingredients are well incorporated.
8. Bake batter for about 45 to 50 minutes until golden. Let the cake cool in pan for about 15 minutes, and then remove from spring-form pan and let cool completely before icing.

Frosting Ingredients for the Cake

2 Sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature

16 ounces of cream cheese, softened

3-4 cups of powder sugar

2 Tablespoon of coconut previously toasted (for decorating)

2 Tablespoon of toasted walnuts (for decorating)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Using and electric mixer cream together softened butter and cream cheese for about 3 to 4 minutes until creamy and fluffy.
2. Add vanilla and slowly on low speed incorporate powder sugar. Increase speed and beat until well incorporated. Position some parchment paper underneath cool cake to be able to frost sides and top of the cake easier.
3. Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons each of toasted coconut and walnuts on sides and borders all around.
4. Can be used Candy melt chocolate ( I had white only, so I mixed yellow and red coloring using food coloring and created with a spatula the shape of the carrots, made some sugar roses too).
5. You can leave it simple and it’s equally amazing. Enjoy this delicious homemade one of a kind Carrot Cake. Have a very sweet and Happy Easter! Have a piece or more 🙂

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups Cake flour

5 eggs, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon rum

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

1 can (12 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

1 cup whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

4 cups mixed fruits

2-3 cups of powder sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 grades Fahrenheit.
2. Butter a heart-shape spring-form baking pan or any shape pan with baking spray. Set aside.
3. Combine in a big bowl cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
4. Whisk on high speed using an electric mixer eggs, rum, and sugar until yellow pale.
5. On low speed incorporate flour slowly. Beat until well combined.
6. Add melted butter and mix using a spatula. Do not over mix batter.
7. Transfer batter into your baking dish and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in middle of cake comes out clean.
8. Meanwhile, combine and whisk using a large bowl evaporated milk, whole milk and sweetened condensed milk till combined.
9. Remove cake from oven and let it cool just for 5-7 minutes in pan.
10. Use a long wooden skewer to poke top of warm cake. Pour mixed milk all over, and let cake cool and absorbed mixed milk.
11. Meanwhile, whip in a cold bowl cold heavy cream for 2 minutes. Add powder sugar and beat until creamy and soft peaks forms.
12. Release cake from spring-form baking pan and transfer into your serving dish. I always prefer to use a deep serving plate as the cake continue to release some milk mixture out.
13. Spread whipped cream evenly over Tres Leches Cake and top it with mixed fruits. Keep refrigerated. Enjoy!