Tapioca fruit dessert (3 simple ingredients)

Ingredients:

1) 3 medium pk dry pre-made tapioca strips, pearls, etc (starch flour) any shape or size
of your choice (Found in international stores)

2) Raw coconut milk (1 can)

3) Brown sugar (1 cup or bark)

* 4) Jackfruit (1 can) **optional for a fruity and texture test

Fill pot with water about 1 1/2 inch from the tapioca and bring til boil. Then simmer down to low, and stir and stir and keep on stirring. You want to let it soften but not get sticky to the bottom of the pot too much. So periodically stirring and letting it sit for a good 30 minutes until its ready. Taste test to make sure it can be chewed with your teeth by biting off. You will notice colors will change as seen in picture step on right. Do not leave your tapioca to long as it could drain water fast and burn. Add a little more water at a time if needed. The end results of the tapioca should look like the last picture.

Coconut milk comes in can as this and make sure its milk, not clear juice. You may find these in most grocery stores.

Add 1 cup of water with 1 1/2 cup of brown sugar into a small pan or pot. White may be used for substitution. Keep at medium-high until boiling and stir in periodically to make sure brown sugar is melting. I am using 1 1/2 bark sugar because it is easier at melting but granulated is fine as well. Once all sugar has dissolve, let cool.

Cut up the Jackfruit out of the can as picture shown. Size is up to you however I prefer small thin slices. *If you aren't fimiliar with jackfruit, its a tropical sweet fruit that grows on tree. Its rare to find them around but you can find can ones at the international stores.

Once all is done, mix tapioca, jackfruit in a big bowl. Then pour in the brown sugar and can of coconut milk. Stir in til mixed well. It may still be warm at this point but since it is usually served chilled, you may add ice into the bowl or in individual's cup for their own desire. For a milkier taste, add a bit more of coconut milk if you have extra cans around.

Home made mint chocolate truffle balls

Ingredients: 
1 block (8 oz) cream cheese (room temp.)
Oreo mint cookies (plain oreos if you don't like mint flavor)
Melting white (or vanilla bar) and milk/dark chocolate (I used Hershey morsels)

Easy chocolate truffles ever and you can actually find this on the back of Oreos too. I just like to add white chocolate to mines as well.

1) Crush up your bag of cookies in a plastic Ziploc plastic bag. If you like some crunch in your truffles, lessen the crush. Then move on to mushing in your crumb cookies and room temperature cream cheese into a bowl and mix well.

2) Start by rolling into gum-size balls with your hands. *Mines weren't perfect since I was not too patient today but you can take your time and roll them nicely in a ball. Place them on a cookie sheet under parchment or wax paper about half inch apart. Let sit in the fridge to harden for a few hours. I had to leave mine over night because I started ahead of time and it turned out fine too.

3) Melt your chocolate, broiling style or microwave. I used mini tongs to dip each chocolate ball in the chocolate until coated well. Let sit on parchment paper until harden well. Usually takes almost a whole day for chocolate while white chocolate only takes an hour or two to dry fully well.

Love, peace & eats!

Kay

white chocolate peppermint popcorn

Ingredients: 

Popcorn
White chocolate morsels or vanilla bar
Candy canes or peppermints
Big bowl or Tupperware








I start off with 2 bags of popcorn, 1 bag of white chocolate and 1 candy candy or 4-5 peppermints. You can do without the mints if you prefer just simply the white chocolate. Next, I pre-chopped up the mints. There is no easy or best way to do this. I simply used a wooden meat pounder to crush the candy. Its best if you have a clean cloth to put the candy wrapped in. Ive tried using paper towel, plastic bags and pounding in a bowl. they all get ruined quickly and candy goes flying everywhere. Moving on, now pop all your popcorn. Separate all the kernels from the bag as much as you can. It takes time but you will be glad you did it later.

Melt a handful of white chocolate at a time under 25-30 seconds. You will have to microwave the chocolate in 3-4 separate times. Do not attempt to melt the whole bag of chocolate at once. *There's also the option of melting the whole bag in a double boiler. Anyhow, check on chocolate every 15 seconds and stir in microwave. Leave the chocolate back in if not complete melted. Set for another 15-20 seconds. You can also til when the chocolate chips are shiny, they are melting. Stir with spoon quickly.
*Always watch your chocolate, they burn really fast.

Once you are able to smash all the morsels together into a pasty melt, throw in the crushed mints in. As much or little as you want. And quickly mix it in. Then pour over popcorn and mix well completely. Do this for a good 20 minutes until you evenly get most popcorn covered with chocolate. The chocolate hardens pretty quick. Just keep mixing. I like to do this in a big tupperware so I can cover it with a lid and shake it around. Once they become loosely, let it sit for 30 minutes to dry off to get best testing. These popcorn are amazingly addicting and just melts in your mouth!

Peace, love & eats!

Kay

Candied-corn mini almond tartlets

This was my first attempt of making tartlets ever in my adult life. So I got some help from a friend and online, of course. These babies really take time if you aren't so crafty. So I have to give credit to everyone out there who gave tips. I admit, I screwed up the first batch.  My crust was burnt and bland. I gave it a second try and the second batch turned out better. So since it nearing holidays, I top it with a Halloween candy corn treat. I tell ya, the butter shells really melt in your mouth. Hope you enjoy!

Tartlet crust:

6 tbsp butter (room temp)

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 
  
• Filling:
• 
  2 tbsp butter (room temperature)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp milk
• 2 tsp all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

*muffin cups or cupcake pan

• 
  
• Preheat the oven to 350F.  Mix together butter and sugar. Slowly beat in flour, salt and almond extract. Use a spoon to fill dough into mini muffin cups or cupcake pan and press the dough down to create shell shapes going up the sides of the muffin cups as well. Bake shells for 5-6 minutes. 
• While shells are baking, combine sugar, butter, milk and flour in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Leave aside and return to the tart shells.
• Remove the tart shells from the oven and use a small spoon to press an indentation into the center. Fill each indentation with the filling. Return tarts to oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, until shells edges and filling are lightly browned. The last minute or less, garnish with candy corn on top. 
• Let cool in tray for 15-20 minutes before taking out of tray unto serving plate.

Peace, love & eats!

Kay

Holiday pumpkin spice dip

Ingredients:

8 oz - 1 can of pumpkin puree

3/4 of an 8 oz whip cream bucket

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp pumpkin spice (add again later for garnish)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

6 granny green apples

graham crackers

6 oz - 1 white yogurt (I used apple cinnamon greek yogurt for more flavoring)

1/4 cup of orange juice for some tartness (*optional)

Blend in all spice, sugar and pumpkin puree in one bowl. Mix well. Then add yogurt and juice. Mix again. Finally, pour in whip cream and whip gently into whole. Chill for an hour before serving. 

Cut up apples in small slices and spread along to serve with graham crackers in serving dish. I used graham cracker sticks, a lot funner to eat and dip. 

This dish is light and less heavy than your average dip. I found different but similar online recipes on this so 

I decided to make it for the holiday and added a little twist to mine. I cannot recall sites now on sharing this dish but thank you. 

Enjoy!

Peace, love & eats!

Kay

Marshmallow Rice Krispy --> pops

This is an old tradition many families have done in their homes for decades and with the holidays nearing, had to try it on my own one time for the daughter and her cousins. We all love marshmallow rice krispy treats, don't we?! The gooey and crunch can't combine any better than this. To avoid messiness with the kids, I decided to roll the marshmallow rice crispies into balls on a stick like a cake pop. Shape them in any way for fun, I even made heart shaped ones for the little girls.
And if you want to experience a super sugar high, melt some morsel chocolates in the microwave for dipping.  You can use anything edible, whatever you can find in your cupboard from sprinkles to candy to throw on the pops. I let the girls make their own, dipping and sprinkling while I indulge in a plain rice krispy pop. Traditions are always best.

Marshmallow rice krispy Ingredients (serving size for about 15):

Bag of marshmallows 

Rice crispy cereal (1/2 of regular standard size box)

Butter ( 1/2 - butter bar)

1) Melt butter in microwave until into liquidfy. (approx. 20-25 seconds for room temp butter)

2) Melt marshmallow next in microwave for 20 seconds in a glass bowl. Check to make sure it does not burn. If it bubbles up, it is done.

3) Mix rice Krispy cereal into the marshmallow quickly. Then add the butter. Mix well.

4) While still soft and gooey, roll up balls of the krispies. I kept my hands cleaned and wet to do this process. And then add the pop sticks. Let it sit dry for 20-30 minutes. Then add decors.

Enjoy!

Love, peace & eat!

Kay

Banana puree filled mini brownies

Ingredients: 
Box of brownie mix 
1 banana
1 Large egg
3 teaspoon of water
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
Mini baking cupcake sheet (regular size cupcake is optional)

Or make from scratch :: 1 cup butter, 1 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 cup vanilla extract, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup chocolate, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients (exclude banana) into one bowl and mix well until lumps are gone. Pour into baking mini cupcake sheet. Cut up banana in small slices and stick individual slice into the middle of each brownie. Toss into the oven for 20 minutes and come back and check by poking with a toothpick or fork to see if ready. 

A last minute throw in the oven brownies after dinner with a whip of puree banana filling to excite it.. made by daughter tonight. So simple, even kids can do it. The bite size was addicting. We left some brownies unfilled and threw the slice banana as garnish on top as well.





Love, peace & eat!


Kay