Sansrival Wannabe

I'm back in business again. I am losing control and working hard in the kitchen lately. My grocery bills are shooting like a rocket because of my baking ingredients.

Couple of weeks ago we went to Canberra to attend our goddaughter's first birthday. One of their dessert was Sansrival especially baked from Sydney. Everyone is taking about it although hot foods are being served I asked my kumare's mom if I could get  a slice of sansrival already.

I've been bugging by my husband to make this Sansrival. Even his sister is asking me to try making it. When you first look at it, it seems complicated. I read a lot of blogs and filipino cookbooks to get inspiration and idea on how to make this awesome cake. After 2 weeks of preparation and research and due to availability I gave it a try. The icing looks messy thou but since this is my first time forgive me for that :) I'll be more careful lately and will use the right tools to make it looks presentable next time.

SANSRIVAL

I got the recipe from this blog cooking with all my heart. I omitted the chocolate part but the rest is the same. Here is my edited version. 

Ingredients:
For the meringue bases

• 5 large egg whites, at room temp
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup  ground toasted cashew
• 1 teaspoon clear vanilla

or the French Buttercream

• 5 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/8 cup  water
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 teaspoon clear vanilla

Directions:
For the meringue base

• Preheat oven to 160 C
• Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and draw 4 circles around 6 inches diameter.
• In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites on medium until foamy.
• Sprinkle with cream of tartar. Gradually add sugar, a couple of tablespoons at a time, continuing to beat now at high speed until stiff shiny peaks form. 
• Fill the meringue into a piping bag. 
• Pipe the meringue in the circles drawn in the baking tray, evenly to edges. 
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the meringue from the baking tray while still hot; allow to cool slightly. 
• When cool, trim edges so that all 5 meringue layers are uniformly shaped. Set aside.

For the French Buttercream

• Put the egg yolks in a mixing bowl. Beat at high speed until the yolks have doubled in volume and are a lemon yellow.
• Put the sugar and water in a heavy pan and cook over medium heat, stirring the sides down only until all the sugar is dissolved and the syrup reaches 112°C .
• With the mixer on high, very slowly pour the syrup down the sides of the bowl, until all has been added. Be careful as the very hot syrup could burn you if it splashes from the beaters. Continue beating on high until the mixture is ROOM TEMPERATURE (about 8 mins). 
• Still on high, beat in the soft, room temperature butter and margarine a tablespoon at a time. Add vanilla flavouring after you beat in the butter. 
• Refrigerate the buttercream for at least an hour, and whip it smooth just before you use it.

To Decorate:

• Set bottom meringue on cake board with a dab of butter cream to hold it in place. 
• Spread a thin layer of buttercream and then place another meringue on top. 
• Repeat with a thin layer of buttercream, meringue, thin layer of buttercream, meringue, and finally buttercream the top and sides. 
• I used the cocoa flavored buttercream for decorating the cake by piping rosettes on the Sans Rival.
• Decorate with reserved nuts..

Braso de Mercedes

(Filipino Custard Roulade)

My husband is bugging me to bake something. I am so lazy these days and baking is just out of my system lately. After few days of persuasion..He won! yay! :) He said he wants something Filipino and I've been longing to make this. I still has doubts in me that I might not be able to make it "Goldilocks"style but still gave it a go. Bahala na si Batman. As long as I can read and follow the baking instruction carrybelles na yan!

My first try in Melbourne was awesome as in I ate half of the roll but when I tried baking it last week in Canberra for Jon's family... Oh.lala! It was a big Palpak. :( but it still taste like Braso de Mercedes tho hindi nga lang perfect ang appeal.

Here's the link by the way. Such a helpful website for Filo's abroad :)

Panlasang Pinoy: Braso de Mercedes

Pansit Bihon Guisado

The ultime favorite during birthday parties apart from Filipino Style Spaghetti.
I am alone when I cooked this Pansit there is no birthday party. I gave away some to my fellow nurses Katrina and Doreen and kept some for my husband when he comes home later.

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo Pansit Bihon Noodles ( I used Golden Q)
1 medium size garlic
1 large onion
500 grams pork belly (separate the fat and lean meat)
1/2 cabbage, sliced
2 medium size carrots, julianne
1 pack squid balls around 12 pcs cut into half
1/2 cup soy sauce
spring onions to garnish
5 cups stock
2 tablespoon cooking oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

You can also add black fungus (tenga ng daga) and pork liver. I just don't have this in our kithchen.

Procedure:

1. Saute Garlic until golden bron, add the onion and pork fat. fry until oil has come out from the pok fat.


2. Add the lean meat and keep it for 10 minutes until the meat is cooked.


3. Add the stock and soy sauce. Cover it for 15 minutes until the the pork is cooked completely.


4. Soak the bihon noodles to softened for 10 minutes.


5. Add the squid balls and let it simmer for 5 minutes.


6. Add the carrots and cabbage into the wok and immediately add the noodles so that the vegetables will still be half cooked.


7. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.


8. Serve with lemon or calamansi. Add spring onions to garnish.

Leche Flan

This is my first time to make a leche flan. I normally ask my mom to make one during special occassion. 2 days ago I was invited by a friend to have a dinner at their place. She served leche flan as a dessert and I love it. I searched in goggle and you tube on how to make the leche flan and come up with a recipe on my own.



Ingredients:
8 egg yolks
2 cans of condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice or dayap

Caramelized sugar
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Direction:

1.) Preheat the ovena t 160 F
2.) In a large bowl, mix the egg yolk together with the condensed and evaportaed milk.
3.) add in the vanilla and lemon juice.
4.) Mix for about 3 minutes.

Caramelized Sugar

1.) On a pan, mix the sugar and water and wait until boiled.
2.) add the vanilla and lemon zest.