Taiyaki filled with Nutella

When I was young my parents used to take me to this Asian market then called Yoahan and now Mitsuwa, where my uncles worked.  I used to get happy on Saturday mornings because I knew we were going to see my uncles and also to eat.  The market section is full of delicious exotic fruits and different kinds of veggies used in Asian cuisine.  There is also a food court with different little shops.  My favorite part was the bakery section where you found pastries filled with sour pork, chicken curry and my all time favorite sweet bun with red bean paste, I love it!  There was also a little Taiyaki sweet shop which was my dad's all time favorite, so we couldn't leave without stopping by it.  I always amazed how the workers were so fast turning those huge multiple cast iron pans and how fast they moved.  Now days when I take my children to Mitsuwa everything is the same including the long line we have to make to get these delicious treats.  My daughter Mei-Li loves them so about 2 years ago I decided to buy a cast iron Taiyaki pan ( I got mine from eBay) and ever since I have been making these Japanese pancakes(that's what she calls them).  You can filled them with what ever you like, we usually do nutella, strawberry marmalade with cream cheese or peanut butter.  Well, here is my favorite recipe for Taiyaki, I hope you enjoy it!

Taiyaki filled with Nutella 
makes 6

Ingredients:

2/3 C. cake flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2Tbsp. sugar
3/4 C. milk
1 egg
1/2 C. Nutella or filling of your choice

Directions:

1. Heat up the Taiyaki pan over medium heat.

2. while the pan is heating up mix all ingredients together except for the nutella.

3.  Grease the pan with a pastry brush or you can use a non-stick cooking spray.
4.  Pour a little bit of batter in each fish (about 2 Tbsp.)
5.  Put about a Tablespoon of nutella in the center or with a stick spread it all the way to the tail. At this point make sure not to put to much of the nutella or it will ooze out and cause the fishes to stick to the pan, which makes it a bit difficult to remove.
6.  Cover the nutella with some more batter and cook until bottom is nicely golden brown.

7.  Then close the pan and flip, cook for a few more minutes until is golden brown.

Enjoy!!!

FUNFETTI CUPCAKES WITH BUTTERCREAM

My daughter Ana school is raising money for school trip and like always she volunteer me to bake cupcakes for the sale.  This recipe is one of my favorites for birthdays.  I hope you guys enjoy it.

Funfetti Cupcakes

Ingredients:
3-1/4 cups of all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1-3/4 cups of sugar
1/4 cup butter
1-1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 egg whites
1-2/3 cups of milk
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (3) oz. jar of sprinkles

Instructions:
1.  In a bowl with a wire whisk mix together flour, baking powder and baking soda, set aside.
2.  In another bowl mix together milk, yogurt and vanilla extract, set aside.
3.  With a paddle attachment cream sugar, butter and oil.
4.  Add egg whites.
5.  Incorporate flour mixture alternating with milk mixture.
6.  With a spatula fold in the sprinkles.

7.  Pour batter in prepared cupcake pans.

8.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

I had some time in my hands so I decorated  them in different ways:

Carrot Cake

One of my favorite cake is carrot cake and is enjoyed by everyone in my family.  When I make this cake my daughter usually calls my brother (my baby brother who is only 20 yrs. old) to tell him that she is having carrot cake and he is not. I get a call from him telling me.... yes, telling me to send him cake with my hubby.  You see Paul is a slick little man  who is used to getting his way so, when I am about to start to say no because he lives about an hour away from us he cuts me off and propositions me  to 2 nights of babysitting my kids.... now,  how can i say no to that.  Anyways I baked him his own cake, and he was very happy the next day when my hubby took the cake to him, my mom told me that he had made a "Do Not Touch" sign in case my other brothers stopped by and were tempted.  This cake is so moist and delicious you can't go wrong with it.

CARROT CAKE

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. salt
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup of crushed pineapple without the juice

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven at 325 degrees and butter and flour (3) 9" pans or (2) 10" pans.
2.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, set aside.

3.  Beat together on medium speed eggs and sugar until well combined.

4.  Add the oil and vanilla extract.

5.  Add dry ingredients.

6.  With a spatula mix in the carrots, walnuts or pecans, coconut, and pineapple.

7.  Pour batter on prepared pans.

8.  Bake for 40-50 minutes

Look at how moist this cake is, I hope you guys enjoy it as much as my family and I do.

I am back!!!

Hello everyone I know i have been away for a while but during that time a lot of crazy stuff happened. My husband got deployed  overseas then we moved from upstate NY back to NJ with orders to Fort Dix and after a month of moving we got affected with hurricane Sandy.  Well we just recently got settled in late November in another new home and we had to start from scratch, I have to say many of the things we got at the house were all donations from many wonderful people.  But i have to specially thank my daughter's   Mei-Li school for being so helpful and supportive, as soon as we got the house the nurse from the school and my daughters teacher brought us all the essentials, blankets, cloth, dishes, pots and food. I went through all of this while my husband was away because I thought that it would be much easier for the kids if they started school in NJ instead of taking them out half way from NY.  He is home now thank God for that.  

Thank you everyone for your patients and I will be posting lots of delicious recipes.