Calamansi Muffins and Earl Grey Tea

There is an old proverb that the elders and most motivational speakers love repeating that it's practically embedded in my brain. "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade".  This proverb encourages optimism and can-do attitude in the face of adversity or misfortune.  
The logic behind it is, the Lemon being a really sour fruit represents difficulty in life while lemonade, a juice mixture of lemon and sugar is a sweet refreshing drink.
These days, an updated version goes like this:

Not a bad idea when you think about it...

However, with the increasing price of Lemons in the country, making fresh squeezed lemonade or even baking Lemon Bars has become quite an expensive task.  So I'd go for the alternative instead: our very own Calamansi.

Fate seems to hear my thoughts on the matter, for most recently I was gifted with --- not Lemons, but Calamansi. Literally. Over 3 kilos of the stuff. 

I was thinking of doing a switcharoo with the Lemon in a classic Lemon Bar recipe in lieu of Calamansi but a quick google (and a gurgling sound coming from my tummy reminding me that it's time for a coffee break) instantly inspired me to try baking Calamansi Muffins instead.

And due to the muffin's popularity, hacking its recipe is just a few clicks of the keyboard away...

My recipe is adapted from the famous recipe hack by Pepper.ph, but here's my version:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup light brown sugar
2 pcs large eggs
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup calamansi (8-10 pcs)
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. granulated sugar + 1/4 tsp fine salt

Procedure

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit

In a separate bowl, mix together calamansi extracts and milk, set aside.
Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until light and pale yellow, between 3-5 minutes.
Add eggs and vanilla.
Mix well.

Slowly add in the dry ingredients alternatively with the calamansi/milk mixture.

Stir  until well combined.  Do not overmix. A few lumps may still be visible, but it's ok.

Scoop in non stick muffin pans.

Sprinkle extra sugar/salt on top before baking

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

I tasted my fresh baked Calamansi Muffin with sweetened coffee, then later I tried it with tea.
And between the two beverages, pairing the tangy muffin with a cup of hot Earl Grey tea is the winning move.

The blend of black tea and bergamot oil is complemented by the sweet & sour sensations bright flavor and tartness brought by of the muffins.  No need to put honey or lemon in my tea, the muffin's subtle sweetness and its sharp acidity plays with the earthiness of the black tea and brings out the latter's own citrus hint from the oil blend. Yummy.


So the next time life hands me lemons ...





No, not that.
I'll just keep the lemons in the refrigerator, reach for the Calamansi, bake muffins, ditch the coffee and brew some Earl Grey for a relaxing afternoon tea.
Bon Appetit!

notes:  For a fuller flavored muffin, omit the paper cup (afterall, these are no cupcakes!). Without the paper barrier between the batter and the pan, the sugars caramelize and the muffins get toasted all around, cutting the overall tartness with its roasty sweetness.

Zoolander 2 and Deep Fried Oreo Cookies

One of my all time favorite movie is the really, really ridiculously funny Zoolander, starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson.  The movie was first released in 2001 about the really, really, ridiculously good looking people and how they save the world one fashion show at a time. Or something like it.

         *** if you're not familiar with the first Zoolander movie, you're missing a lot. Here's a peek ***

Anyways, seeing the teaser for its much awaited 15 year-old sequel, Zoolander 2 / 2oolander / Zoolander II, reminded of a recipe I learned from the last place I would ever think of getting a recipe, or any thoughts on food for that matter!

Why do I say this?

Because as a self-taught home cook and baker, I usually credit my cooking know-how to a collection of cookbooks, a couple of social media sites for recipe inspirations and endless hours watching cooking channels like Food TV.

But the last place I'd ever thought I'd get a recipe from is ANTM.

America's Next Top Model. The Tyra Banks reality TV show about the really, really ridiculously good looking people living in a single house for weeks until one by one, the models are eventually evicted due to lack of fierce posing potential.

In an episode I saw a few years back, they featured a model who prepared what she claimed to be her hometown favorite snack, the Fried Oreo Cookies.

I thought it looked intersting (the Oreo, not the show) and said to myself I'd give it a try one of these days (making Fried Oreos, not modelling)

Anne Ward from ANTM.
She eats Fried Oreo Cookies.
She is also a winning model.
Fried food and modelling.
Where is the justice in this world?!

According to Ann, making the Fried Oreos are quite easy.  They're just cookies dipped in pancake batter then deep fried in oil.

I doubt it would take a sleuth (or even a real chef) to piece two and two together, so I figured its just like making funnel cakes with a cookie surprise in the middle. Or a donut. with a cookie surprise.  Yummy!

Salivating from the idea of making my own fritter/donuts at home, I quickly rushed into my pantry and gathered the tools and ingredients:

Following the instructions in the hotcake mix box, I whisked together the egg, water and oil, afterwhich I emptied the contents of the pancake mix and stirred the mixture for a total of 20 counts.

Then I just walked away.

Walked away.

Why? Remember the 2nd rule on pancake batter mixing? DO NOT OVERMIX. Just walk away while a few lumps are still visible.

This is also the perfect time to prepare the oil for frying. In a deep saucepan, heat oil to 350 degrees F.

When everything is set up, start the assembly. Dip the cookies into the batter one at a time, and carefully place into the hot frying oil.

Cook only 3-4 pieces at a time to avoid overcrowding. You know they're ready when the color turns from pale beige to GBD - golden brown and delicious.  This process would only take less than a minute, so watch carefully and don't leave the area. Now flip the fritters over to cook the other side for 30 more seconds.

Immediately remove from pan and drain your newly fried cookies/fritters on paper towels to remove excess oil.

Now the fritters are ready. Serve them topped with powdered sugar and a tall glass of soy milk.

Voila! A snack fit for a model.  Or for the really, really ridiculously good-looking people?

The cookies covered in pancake batter and deep fried would soften and taste like really chewy brownies.  This reminds me of another great cookie treat, The Pillow Cookies. But that's for another post. ;-)

While I'll never dream of ever hooking a gig like Ann Ward's or like Derek Zoolander's, I can take comfort in the fact that these Deep Fried Oreo Cookies are ridiculously really, really delicious!

And just in time to watch a much anticipated movie sequel, Zoolander 2 on February 10, 2016. ;-)