Homemade Cakes And Desserts (Extra Easy)

INGREDIENTS (for 4 persons)

4 pears slightly ripe
Lemon juice
4 soupspoons of sugar (only 3 soupspoons if you use Carob Flour instead of chocolate)
1 coffee spoon of cinnamon
1 dl of white vine
2 dl water
50g almonds (slightly cut)
50g sultanas
100g of grated cooking chocolate (or 2 soupspoons Carob Flour)

METHOD

Peel the pears cut them into halves and remove the seeds; then water with the lemon juice.

Put them to boil in a saucepan with the water, sugar and the cinnamon. When the sugar is well dissolved, add the halves of pears and allow them to boil until they are soft. Remove the pears from the syrup and reserve them.

Add to the syrup the white vine and the dry fruits. Allow it to boil for 10 minutes and then add the grated chocolate (or the Carob Flour), mix well and when it is melted, remove from the heat. Allow this composition to cool down.

Fill the halves of pears with this cool composition and arrange in bowls.

Even though you can easily find in a multitude of places many examples of super-appetizing, hyper-qualitative and ultra-tasty chocolates, maybe sometimes you would like to try something 'different'.

Here is a suggestion for an extra-easy homemade chocolate recipe that you can make to surprise your family and maybe some of your friends when you invite them for a cup of coffee.

It is not because making chocolate at home is cheaper - I do not agree completely with this 'reasoning', because thinking about our health we will buy good quality ingredients anyway- but more because it is made 'by you' and especially when you have some guests, you are offering something with your 'fingerprint'.

INGREDIENTS

½ kg powdered milk
½ kg sugar
1 dl water
125g butter
50g cocoa
1 pinch of salt
Vanilla
Sultanas, walnuts (optional)

METHOD

Put on heat a dish with water and sugar to dissolve; when the water is boiling and the sugar is dissolved, add the butter, the vanilla, salt and (sultanas and nuts - if you decided to use them), then add the cocoa.

Mixture well and remove from the heat and add small quantities each time of milk powder, mixing continuously, chose a good quality of milk powder to avoid it from going lumpy.

Pour this composition on a tray that you have spread with butter.

Leave it to rest until cold, (about 2 - 3 hours) then cut into cubes or as you wish.

Optionally when you serve this chocolate, you could put a small amount of Chantilly or cherries on the top of each chocolate cube (use your own imagination).

Find the curiosity to try this delicious extra easy homemade chocolate recipe and let me know what you think

For the quantities of the ingredients that I used for this delicious light chocolate cake I recommend a shallow Pyrex dish, base size 18 - 20 cm.

BASE - INGREDIENTS

4 eggs
1 pinch of salt
4 soupspoons sugar
4 soupspoons flour - self raising

METHOD

Beat very well the eggs, salt and sugar until almost double in volume. Then add the flour and beat a little bit more.

Pour into the dish that you decided to use and put in the oven at a temperature of 160 - 170°C for about 25 - 30 minutes.

Then take the dish out of the oven and after the cake base is cold, take it out of the dish, wash the dish and put back the cake base.

Make the sponge-cake wet with water and Port wine, (if it is not for any children to eat). Or you can substitute with a syrup (by boiling water and sugar), or any kind of fruit juice.

CHOCOLATE CREME - INGREDIENTS

125g butter
5 - 6 soupspoons sugar
1 cooking chocolate (good quality)
4 eggs

METHOD

Put in a bowl the butter (not cold) and the sugar.

Put in bain-marie the chocolate broken into small pieces and 3 - 4 spoons of water; allow it to melt and become a crème. Take away from the heat and add it into the bowl with the butter and sugar.

Add the yolks of the eggs (put the egg whites in another bowl) and then whisk it all very well (with a mixer), until it becomes a crème.

Then take the egg whites and whisk them until they are stiff and involve in the chocolate crème with a spoon.

Now put it over the sponge-cake.

COVERING - INGREDIENTS

200g cold cream
2 - 3 soupspoons icing sugar

METHOD

Mix these together very well, until they gain a good consistency and then put it over the chocolate crème. Or you can use Chantilly.

Bon appetite! And when possible, let me know your opinion.

This pudding cake is very easy to make and with the ingredients that are used it is fine to be given to your children as well.

BASE - INGREDIENTS (for a 20 cm diameter Pyrex dish)

4 eggs
4 soupspoons of sugar
3 soupspoons of breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons of flour
1 pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder

CRÈME - INGREDIENTS

1 sachet of vanilla or pineapple pudding powder
1 sachet of chocolate pudding powder
150 grams of sugar
150 ml of water
300 - 400 ml of whipped cream

PREPARATION AND METHOD

With a mixer whisk the eggs, salt, baking powder and sugar until they are double their volume. Then add the breadcrumbs and the flour, whisk a little bit more and then put the composition into the Pyrex dish, which has been greased and sprinkled with flour previously.

Put into a preheated oven at 170°C to bake for about 25 minutes.

In the meantime you can make the syrup - 150 grams of sugar added to 150 ml of water, which should boil until the sugar dissolves.

When the base is baked, take it from the oven, allow to cool for a little bit, then take the base from the dish, wash the dish and then put back the base into the Pyrex dish.

Pour over the entire base the syrup that you have just prepared.

Now prepare the vanilla (or pineapple) pudding, using the instructions on the sachet, and pour it over the entire base while it is hot.

Then make the chocolate pudding and pour it on top of the vanilla (or pineapple) pudding.

TOPPING

Allow just a little bit of time to cool down and then finish by pouring the whipped cream on the top. Put in the refrigerator for two to three hours.

Note: I would suggest that for the people who have a blood group that is other than type B, they should consider using soy milk, (which is much more easily digestible), instead of cows milk for the preparation of the puddings.

BASE INGREDIENTS (for a 25 cm diameter Pyrex dish)

4 eggs
4 soupspoons sugar
4 soupspoons flour
1 coffee spoon baking powder

METHOD

Beat with a mixer the eggs, the sugar and the baking powder, until it is double the volume. Add the flour, mix a little bit more and put into the Pyrex dish, which should be oiled and sprinkled with flour.

Put in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes at 170°C.

In the meantime make the SYRUP from;

300ml water
6 soupspoons brown sugar
Juice from 2 lemons

Leave the syrup to boil for 15 minutes and then remove from the heat.

When the cake base is ready, allow it to cool down, then remove it from the dish and wash the dish, because in the same dish you can continue to make the cake.

Carefully cut the cake on the horizontal in two and put back the first half in the Pyrex dish, water it with a few spoons of lemon syrup and save the rest of the lemon syrup.

You need another few soupspoons of this lemon juice to water the top half of the cake.

CREAM INGREDIENTS

1 can of condensed milk
200 ml whipped cream
Lemon syrup (that you made)

METHOD

Put the condensed milk in the bain-marie to warm, add the lemon syrup and mix well. Save some lemon syrup for the middle and top part of the cake. Keep on the bain-marie for 10 minutes and then remove.

If you care about blood type diet, then the usual condensed milk can be substituted with soy condensed milk.

Allow to cool down and add the whipped cream. Mix well together these ingredients and put the composition obtained on the first half of the cake which is already in the dish and water with lemon syrup. Spread uniform the cream and put on the top of it the other half of the cake.

Water this top part of the cake with the few drops of lemon syrup that you reserved.

TOP INGREDIENTS

300g whipped cream that you spread on the top of the cake.

Put the cake in the refrigerator for a few hours then serve.

The ingredients used for this very presentable and tasty cake are for a 35 cm x 25 cm tray size.

BASE - INGREDIENTS

150 grams of flour
70 grams of sugar
140 grams of butter (or margarine for easier digestion)
1 egg
1 coffee spoon of baking powder
a small amount of milk
apricot or cherry jam

METHOD

Mixture well all these ingredients, adding tepid milk a little at a time until the composition is of a good consistency and then with a rolling pin make a thin cake base which you put in the tray. Spread over the cake base apricot or cherry jam, (or whatever jam is your preference).

MIDDLE LAYER - INGREDIENTS

6 egg yolks
150 grams of sugar
6 egg whites
250 grams of walnut kernels
1 vanilla sugar
2 soupspoons of flour
1 coffee spoon of baking powder

METHOD

Start by putting in the oven the 250 grams of walnut kernels to bake, then ground with a food processor until they are at the stage of thin granulated flour.

Mixture very well the egg yolks with the sugar, add the baking powder, the vanilla sugar, the flour, then add the baked walnut kernels and lastly add the stiffly beaten egg whites.

Place this composition on the jam covered cake base and put it in the oven at about 170°C, for about 30 to 40 minutes, (try if the base is done with a cocktail stick). When it is done, take out from the oven and allow it to cool down.

TOPPING - INGREDIENTS

200 grams of almonds, (slightly baked and ground with a food processor until they are at the stage of a thin granulated flour)
100 grams of brown sugar
100 grams of sugar
100 grams of honey
2 soupspoons of lemon juice
100 grams of butter

METHOD

In a saucepan put 100 ml of water, add the sugar, the honey and put on the heat, until the sugar dissolves, then add the lemon juice and allow the syrup to boil gently for a few minutes. Add the butter and when it is melted add the almonds.

Mixture well and put this composition, (while it is warm), onto the cake, levelling well with a spatula. As an option, sprinkle a few almond flakes on the top.

I hope you will like a lot this cake! Let me know your opinion.

INGREDIENTS (For a dish of 26 cm diameter)

100g sugar
4 eggs
100g flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons chocolate powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
400g bananas
100g honey
50g butter
100g rice flour
2 soupspoons of rum
500g whipped cream
2 soupspoons grated chocolate

METHOD

Heat the oven to 180°C

Beat the egg whites until stiff; mix the yolks with the sugar and with 2 soupspoons of hot water, add the baking powder, the chocolate powder, the cinnamon powder and the flour. Now add the stiffly beaten egg whites to this composition. Pour in the dish and put in the oven for 25 minutes.

Allow to cool and cut in half horizontally.

Put on the heat a pot with 2.5dl of water, the butter and the honey, when it starts to boil add the bananas sliced (save some banana slices for the top) and the rice flour; allow to boil for 5 minutes, mixing continuously. Remove from the heat and add the rum. Spread the composition onto one half of the cake base.

Spread 1/4 of the whipped cream on the banana cream and then place the other half of the cake base on top. Use the rest of the whipped cream to cover the whole cake base, decorate the top with whipped cream stars. Add banana slices or cherries to your preference. Sprinkle the top with the grated chocolate.

INGREDIENTS (for 4 bowls)

1 big can of peaches
2 soupspoons of lemon juice
3 egg whites
6 soupspoons of icing sugar

METHOD

Drain the juice from the peaches and reduce the fruits with a hand mixer to a smooth cream and then add the lemon juice.

Beat the egg whites with the mixer until they are stiff and them add little by little the sugar and continue to beat until you obtain a thick meringue.

Put the peach cream in the bowls in alternative layers with the meringue.

Put the bowls in the refrigerator for a few hours then serve.

INGREDIENTS (for 30 pieces)

60g butter
100g sugar
1 pinch of salt
2 eggs
3 soupspoons of milk
2 soupspoons of natural yoghurt
500g of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
3 soupspoons of water
oil to fry
2 soupspoons of granulated sugar (for sprinkling)

METHOD

With a mixer combine for two minutes the butter, sugar, salt, eggs, milk, yoghurt, 3 soupspoons of water, the baking powder and 250g of flour.

Add the rest of the flour and knead together. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Then roll the dough on a surface sprinkled with flour until it will be about 4 mm thick.

Cut the dough into strips of 4cm x 10cm, make a cut in the middle of each piece, then loop one end through the hole.

Fry four little plaits each time for approximately 3 or 4 minutes on each side. Allow the oil to drain and then sprinkle each piece with sugar.

BASE INGREDIENTS

90g cooking chocolate (or 3 soupspoons Carob Flour)
90g butter (or 110g if you use Carob Flour)
3 eggs
150g sugar (100g if you use Carob Flour)
80g flour
1 coffee spoon of raising powder

METHOD

Melt the cooking chocolate in bain-marie (or put the Carob Flour with 3 soupspoons of water), add the butter and mixture until it becomes a smooth cream, then remove from the heat.

In a bowl beat with a mixer the eggs with the sugar and raising powder until double the volume, then add the flour, beat a little bit more and mix with the chocolate and butter cream.

Beat together for a few minutes and then put this composition in a Pyrex dish (25 cm diameter), that is oiled and sprinkled with flour. Put the dish in the oven for 35 - 40 minutes at 170°C.

When ready, allow to cool down and remove carefully from Pyrex dish onto a large plate.

COVERING INGREDIENTS

200g icing sugar
2 soupspoons cocoa powder
1 soupspoon oil
3 soupspoons of hot water

METHOD

Mixture together these ingredients until you have a smooth cream and put immediately on the top of the cake.

Make this covering when the cake is already done and it will then be easy to spread it on the cake.

You can also sprinkle icing sugar on top of the covering.

INGREDIENTS - Base

3 eggs
pinch of salt
100g sugar
75g flour

METHOD

Heat the oven to 180°C.

Beat egg whites with the salt until stiff. Mix the egg yolks with 2 soupspoons of hot water, add the sugar and the flour. Mix in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour into a dish (that is pre-greased and sprinkled with bread crumbs) and place in the lower part of the oven for 25 minutes.

Allow to cool and remove from the dish.

INGREDIENTS - Cream

1/2 sachet vanilla pudding
1 soupspoon sugar
2.5dl milk

METHOD

Mix the vanilla pudding with the sugar and a few spoons of milk, then add the rest of the milk and place on the heat until it gains a good consistency, mixing continuously.

Remove from the heat, allow to cool a bit and spread uniformly on the cake base.

INGREDIENTS - Topping

3 bananas
1 soupspoon lemon juice
1/2 sachet vanilla gelatine
1.25dl water
1 soupspoon sugar
2 - 3 soupspoons of splintered almonds (optional)

METHOD

Peel the bananas, cut into slices and place decoratively onto the cream, watering with lemon juice (to keep the color).

Prepare the vanilla gelatine with water and sugar and spread on top of the bananas.

The cake looks good decorated with the splintered almonds.

INGREDIENTS

150g Walnut kernels
50g rye flour
50g flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
5 teaspoons of chocolate powder
the zest of an orange
50g butter
175g honey
75g sugar
3 eggs

METHOD

Chop a few walnut kernels into small pieces and grind the rest.

Mixture the flour and rye flour with baking powder, chocolate powder, half of the orange zest and the finely ground nuts.

Mixture very well the butter with the honey and sugar, add little by little the flour mixture and the eggs.

Heat the oven to 180 Celsius; put 20 mini cake papers on a tray, pour the composition into them. Mixture the small pieces of nuts with the rest of the orange zest and place on each cake.

Leave in the oven for twenty minutes.

For all of the following recipes you can add a spoon of Frangelico liqueur, it will give it a special taste.

CHOCOLATE and ALMOND

INGREDIENTS

3 dl milk (or soy milk for cooking)
2 soupspoons of brown sugar
1 soupspoon of cocoa (or carob flour)
50g butter
400g cooking chocolate
100g crushed baked almonds

METHOD

Put in a dish the sugar, the cocoa, the butter and the milk. Place the dish on the heat, mixture continuously until it starts to boil.

Add the chocolate broken into small pieces and mixture until the chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat, add the almonds, allow to cool and then it can be applied.

COCOA and CONDENSED MILK

INGREDIENTS

1 can of condensed milk (soy milk if possible)
30g powdered chocolate (or carob flour)
2 eggs

METHOD

Mixture in a saucepan all of these ingredients, then place on the heat, continue mixing until it thickens a little. Remove from the heat, allow to cool and then it can be applied.

CHOCOLATE and CREAM

INGREDIENTS

200g cooking chocolate
50g butter
5 dl of whipped cream

METHOD

Put the cooking chocolate, broken into small pieces, the butter and 2 dl of whipped cream into a saucepan. Place the saucepan on the heat, mixture continuously until you have a fine cream.

Remove from the heat, allow to cool a little, then add the remaining 3 dl of whipped cream, mixing gently. Apply.

CHOCOLATE and BUTTER

INGREDIENTS

200g butter
180g icing sugar
40g chocolate powder (or carob flour)
2 dl of whipped cream
2 egg whites

METHOD

In a dish, cream the butter and then add the sugar mixing gradually; add the chocolate powder and the whipped cream, continuing to mix.

Then add the stiffly beaten egg whites, mixing gently. Apply.

CHOCOLATE, EGGS and MILK

INGREDIENTS

3 dl of milk (soy milk for cooking)
1 soupspoon of corn flour
70g brown sugar
1 egg
3 egg yokes
200g cooking chocolate

METHOD

Put in a saucepan the corn flour, the sugar, the egg and the egg yokes, mixing a little, then add the milk slowly, mixing well. Place the saucepan on the heat, until it thickens, mixing continuously.

Add the cooking chocolate, broken into small pieces, mix until you obtain a fine cream. Allow to cool and apply.

CHOCOLATE - is the biggest temptation for anybody, something that is not difficult to happen because it can be found everywhere, which is why there are a multitude of people for whom it is a vice.

As any other food, chocolate is not something bad in itself, if it is consumed in moderation. As adults we have a good understanding and because of this we can easily control our acts, but when we become parents we are then totally responsible for our children's health, which means that we have to be very attentive and aware as to how chocolate affects our children.

The bars of chocolate that can be bought in shops are filled with sugar, which is already bad for the level of glucose in the blood; then cocoa - the active ingredient in chocolate, which gives a significant quantity of teobromina (with similar effects as caffeine, but not as strong).

There are very often found other ingredients - additives to avoid, because of their negative effects on humans.

Examples of these additives are:

E320 (butyl-hidroxianisol BHA), which is used in several foods as a preservative and which could have cancerous effects on the body. As well, BHA could cause alterations in the DNA cells.

E216 (para-hidroxibenzoat propilo, parabeno), which is also used in many foods as a preservative and which could cause dermatitis.

Source of information comes from the following recommended books.

So, because of this there are a lot of ladies and mothers who prefer to make at home their chocolate, cakes, mousses and chocolate sauces, in this way they will have more control of exactly what they offer for themselves and their children.

Certify for yourselves about the quality of the cooking chocolate that you buy:

- Check the content of cocoa butter; if it is less than 18%, it is not chocolate, but a substitute (those products are cheaper, but inferior in quality).

- Also look out for the content additives that you have to avoid. You will find more information about content additives in the recommended books.

For people who, for different reasons cannot eat chocolate, or they can eat only a very small amount, there exists an organoleptic product used successfully to substitute the chocolate; the CAROB.

CAROB is an aliment with wonderful benefits for the body;
- It contains fibre, vitamin A, D and B6, iron, zinc, potassium and magnesium.
- It has a very high level of calcium (238mg / 100g carob flour).
- It contains pectin and other substances which make easier the digestion.
- It contains less fat matter than cocoa.
- It does not contain stimulating substances.

Because the carob flour has a natural sweetness, the quantity of sugar will be reduced when the carob flour is used for the preparation of cakes, creams or drinks.