I’m alive guys!

So sorry for the delay, laziness has taken over and something new has happened.

I have become a Vegan.

OMG! The end of Freakin’ Delicious!?!?

Not quite. I will still be posting delicious NON VEGAN recipes, along with some Vegan ones.

Yeah, I had to put that in Caps, just to make sure you didn’t miss it, because your probably thinking…

Ewwwww! Vegan!?

No, its not ewwwww, there are a lot yummy Vegan friendly recipes out there!

Stuff like Seitan, the delicious wheat meat that tastes just like actual meat.

Many new and interesting things to come, so don’t go anywhere!

…and again, don’t worry – there will still be some cruelty to animals here on the site, shame on me.

Recipes full of Eggs, Milk, Butter, Chicken, etc.

So no changes to Freakin’ Delicious, other than having some Vegan recipes.

This Mango Mousse is not Vegan, containing cows milk.

The recipe is from my mom’s old recipe journal, so no idea where its originally from.

Its a refreshing and light dessert, perfect for hot Summer days.

Most of you guys are suffering with Winter, just stay strong and make this in a couple of months.

As for all of us down in the Southern Hemisphere, make this – its freakin’ delicious!

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INGREDIENTS:

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2 boxs of mango gelatin

1 large mango, cut into small cubes

3 cups water

1 can evaporated milk (you can use fat free)

2 egg whites

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DIRECTIONS:

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Make the gelatin as instructed in the box, using 3 cups of water and let cool.

Beat the egg whites into a meringue consistency for about 5 minutes and gently pour

the evaporated milk without stopping beating. Beat this for about 3 minutes and add the

mango gelatin syrup. Add this point you can add some fruit to the mix.

Get a deep parfait dish and wet the inside with cold water.

Pour the mango mousse into the dish and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Now that the mousse is a bit more firm, you can add your cut up mango pieces to the top.

Refrigerate this for 3 more hours and its done!

Here it is!

After a long wait, full of purely sweet induced recipes, the savory is back.

I give you the Quiche.

An egg custard with savory additions like bacon or cheese, baked in an

open pastry shell. The quiche is a favorite and traditional brunch dish, as it is usually served at

room temperature or chilled so the custard has time to set up.

I like mine served either in room temperature or hot. This is great for picnics, as it can be made into

mini pie shells, making each mini quiche an individual serving.

The variations are endless, combine anything you may have in your kitchen, I usally make quiche when

there are a lot of leftovers. Of course there is also the sweet version of quiche, the flan.

One of my favorite flans has got to be the cherry praline flan. Yum!

This is a Sausage Quiche Loraine, a small variation to the classic Quiche Loraine, I just substituted the bacon

with sausage. Anyone that knows what a quiche is, knows the Quiche Loraine, its like the pizza’s cheese pizza.

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INGREDIENTS:

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Shortcrust Pastry

1 1/2 cups flour

3 tbsp margarine

3tbsp shortening/lard/butter/margarine

2-3 tbsp chilled water

pinch of salt

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Filling

4 cooked sausages

2 large eggs

2 egg yolks

2/3 cup cream

2/3 cup milk

1/2 cup grated Gruyère/Pecorino/Parmesan cheese

pinch of salt

freshly ground black pepper

tomato rinds to decorate (optional)

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DIRECTIONS:

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Shortcrust Pastry

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Rub in the margarine and lard (shortening) until the mixture resembles

fine breadcrumbs. Add the water and mix to a firm dough. Knead on the lightly floured surface until smooth.

Roll out the pastry (dough) and use to line a 20 cm/8 inch flan tin (pie pan).

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Filling

Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF

Cut the sausages into small pieces and add to the prepared flan case.

Place the eggs, egg yolks and cream in a bowl and beat together.

Stir in the milk, and add salt andpepper to taste. Pour the mixture over the sausage and sprinkle

with the grated cheese. Bake in the already preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden.

Remove from the oven and leave to set for 10 minutes before serving.

I know what your thinking…

“What has gotten into this girl?! All I’ve been seeing is sweet recipes here!”

“What is this, a baked sweets only blog?”

Am I right or am I right? I can’t help it, I have a undying love for sweet baked goods.

It’s all I seem to make these days. From time to time I make some savory things but not like

I used to. Dinners have become snack time around here or left overs from lunch.

As a result, Freakin’ Delicious has become a sweets only place. Which is not what I wanted,

I love savory dishes! Especially baked savory dished, as you can see, I have a thing for baked foods.

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So for my next recipe, I will try to post something savory. In the mean time, enjoy these delicious cupcakes

from one of my favorite blog Vanilla Garlic. Vanilla Garlic is a special blog, because it has the most

unique and different recipes. Like Bacon Cupcakes, Pea Cupcakes, Green Tea Cupcakes, Butternut Squash

Cupcakes, etc. The blog specializes in cupcakes, the weirdest flavors, but don’t let the ingredients fool you.

They are good! Have you ever heard of the combination of vanilla and thyme? Most likely you haven’t,

yet the taste is surprisingly very good. These new combination make new flavors that I’m sure one day will

be a normal staple to cooking. Anybody want to some Maple Bacon Cupcakes?

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INGREDIENTS:

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Cupcakes

3/4 cup (1-1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1-2/3 cups vanilla sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

2-2/3 cups flour

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out

2 tsp of loosely packed, fresh thyme

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Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature

8 oz of Philly cream cheese (1 package), room temperature

2 – 3 cups of powdered sugar

1 tsp of vanilla extract

Scrapings from 1/2 of a vanilla bean or 2 tsp vanilla extract

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DIRECTIONS:

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Cupcakes

1. Beat the butter and sugar together for a few minutes until light and fluffy.

2. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating in each for 30 seconds.

3. Measure the flour, baking powder, salt and thyme into one bowl.

4. Measure the milk, vanilla bean scrapings, and vanilla into another bowl.

5. Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar and beat to combine.

Add about a half of the milk/vanilla and beat to combine. Continue adding, alternating between

dry and wet and finishing with the dry.

6. Scoop into cupcake papers about 2/3 full. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool on wire racks. When completely cool, frost with cream cheese frosting.

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Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

1. With an electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes on medium

speed until very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

2. Add the vanilla extract, vanilla bean and mix. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Keep adding until

you get to desired sweetness.

3. Either spread on with a blunt knife or spatula, or spoon into a piping bag to decorate your cake

or cupcake.

4. Sprinkle some Thyme on top to decorate.

Shame on me.

I haven’t posted anything for so long – I am so sorry for this.

The truth is, I’ve been having a case of cook’s block. You know, like writer’s block?

Yeah, I just made that up. There really isn’t a better way to explain it.

I just haven’t been cooking at all ever since the beginning of 2010.

Last night I made some Caramel fudge that I was planning to Post on the site. Only problem

was, the pan I used burned the fudge on the bottom, giving it small ugly burnt caramel pieces to it.

Not the best appearance, so no picture,  hence no recipe.

Today I realized that it has been 3 whole weeks since I posted anything!

I had no choice but to post a Bite From The Past recipe as the first recipe of 2010 for Freakin’ Delicious.

…which was something I did not want, explaining why I this wasn’t posted earlier.

Although it may be a Bite From The Past recipe it doesn’t stop the fact that it is DELICIOUS.

I made this cake back in May of 2008 for a friends birthday, as the birthday cake of course.

Everyone loved it, the taste, the appearance, but especially the taste.

The recipe is from Paula Dean, the queen of Southern Cuisine – never dissapoints!

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INGREDIENTS:

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Cake

Nonstick vegetable spray

All-purpose flour, for pans

3 cups self-rising flour

2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

2 very ripe large bananas, mashed

1 (8-ounce) crushed pineapple, with juice

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

4 large eggs, beaten

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Frosting

1 lb/450 g (1 box) confectioners’ sugar

1 (8-ounces) cream cheese, room temperature

6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tbsp milk, or more if needed

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

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DIRECTIONS:

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Preheat oven to 325°F.

Spray and flour three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans, tapping out excess flour; set aside.

Prepare the cake; in a large bowl, stir to combine self-rising flour, sugar, oil, pecans, bananas,

pineapple, vanilla, cinnamon, and eggs.

Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, smoothing with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans

halfway through, until the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertips, 26 to 28 minutes.

Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire rack. Reinvert cakes and let them

cool completely, top sides up.

Prepare the frosting; in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar, cream

cheese, butter, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon milk on medium speed until frosting is smooth.

If needed, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to achieve the proper spreading consistency.

Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter

of a serving plate or lazy Susan.

Place the first layer on the cake plate. Spread the top of the first layer with 1/4 of the frosting.

Place the second layer on top and repeat process with another 1/4 of the frosting.

Place the remaining layer on top of the second layer bottom side up. Spread entire cake with remaining frosting.

Sprinkle the top with pecans. Remove parchment paper strips; refrigerate until ready to serve.

I used flowers from my papaya tree and a bright red gerbera daisy to decorate.

To me, this recipe is essential to every food blog out there!

The famed $250  Neiman Marcus Cookie recipe, an urban legend still told and believed by some to this day.

In the legend, a woman and her daughter enjoy a cookie while shopping at Neiman Marcus in Dallas, Texas,

and ask for the recipe. The waiter informs her there will be a “two-fifty” charge, which the woman interprets

as a modest $2.50. Upon receiving her VISA statement, she is shocked to discover she has been charged

$250.00 instead. In revenge, she photocopies the recipe and urges her friends to distribute it for free to

everyone they know so that the store will make no further profit on its sale.

The Neiman Marcus Cookie sold is actually quite different from this recipe, they even show the recipe for

free in their website.

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Its so silly how so many people actually believe in this story, here are a few things that prove it isn’t:

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• Prior to the emergence of the legend, the store did not have a chocolate chip cookie;

• A similar story has been around since the 1940s, originally involving a red velvet cake
  recipe from the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. It wasn’t until the 1980s that the story’s focus
  shifted to cookies. The cookie version of the story originally was attached to Mrs. Fields
  cookies, causing that company eventually to post disavowals of the notices at all its stores.

• Neiman-Marcus for most of its history only accepted its own card and American Express.

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So there you have it folks, not a true story.

However, whoever did invent this recipe sure knew what they were doing, these cookies are DELICIOUS.

So good in fact, that I find it difficult to choose between the classic chocolate chip cookies and these.

…and boy do I LOVE chocolate chip cookies!

Like most cookie recipes, its very easy to make. So why not make these for New Years as a delicious treat?

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INGREDIENTS:

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2½ cups rolled oats

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

4 ounces milk chocolate chips

1½ cups chopped walnuts/pecans

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DIRECTIONS:

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1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Blend the oats in a food processor or blender to a fine powder. In a medium bowl whisk together

the blended oats with the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy,

3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides and beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Beat in the vanilla extract. On low speed gradually mix in the flour mixture, beating just until incorporated.

With a rubber spatula fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

4. Roll the dough into 2-ounce balls (or about 2 heaping tablespoonfuls worth) and place about 2 inches apart

on the baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Cookies should be lightly brown and set on the

outside but still look a little undone in the middle. That’s okay – they will finish setting up after you remove them

from the oven. Let cool 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container.