Weekend eats: Food for the Gods, Cinnamon Coffee Cake and Banana Choco Chips Bread

I started Weekend eats a week ago where I featured 3 recipes from my friend Elaine Santos-Arevalo. Keeping in mind that I am somehow helping out my readers by sharing these recipes, I decided to make Weekend eats a weekly feature in my blog.  I'll be sharing my recipes, as well as recipes from family and friends.


Last Friday, I featured 3 recipes that the family could feast on for lunch or dinner, today I will be sharing 3 recipes that you and your kids can munch on while watching TV or just for merienda. Or better yet, why not invite friends over for an afternoon coffee or tea?


Like mother, like daughter, this is the case with Czarina Felizz Gadiano, the daughter of my friend Ajie Gadiano. When she was a kid, she often helps her mom when she bakes, her task? Measuring the ingredients. For them, it is their bonding moment. Inspired by her mom, she started baking on her own. For Czarina, baking is her passion, there's a different feeling every time she hears wonderful compliments from family and friends. Since she love sweets, she focused on baking pastries, cakes and easy to make breads.

Food for the Gods

1 ¼ sifted all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup coarsely chopped pitted dates

1 cup butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1. Preheat oven 350 F.
2. Grease and line 13x9x2 inch rectangular pan.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
4. Take ½ cup of this mixture and dredge dates. Set aside.
5. Cream butter until soft and fluffy. Add granulated and brown sugar and blend well. Add eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition. Fold in the flour mixture and dates into the creamed mixture. Add walnuts; stir completely to blend batter.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes. Lower heat to 300 F and continue baking for 30 to 40 minutes longer.
7. Cool slightly then cut into bars. Individually wrap with cellophane or colored foil.

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

For the cashew filling

1 cup cashews, chopped finely

2 tablespoons sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

For the streusel topping

¼ cup butter, cold and cubed

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup cashews, chopped

1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the cake

1 ½ cups butter

1 1/3 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

½ cup milk

1. Make the cashew filling; Combine the ingredients in a food processor and pulse several times until combined, or mix everything in a bowl until mixture resembles course meal. Set aside.
2. Make the streusel topping: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut in the butter and mix until mixture looks crumbly with pea-sized lumps.
3. Preaheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy.
5. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
7. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream and milk.
8. Pour or spoon about 2 cups of the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Smoothen out the batter using the back of a spoon.
9. Sprinkle about half of the cashew filling evenly over the batter.
10. Spoon 2 cups of the batter over the cashew filling then cover the batter with the remaining cashew filling. Spoon the remaining batter over and spread evenly.
11. Insert a knife or small metal spatula 1 inch from the edge of the pan all the way down to the bottom of the pan then run the knife around the batter. Run the knife one more time around the batter 1 inch closer to the center of the bundt pan.
12. Spread streusel over the top.
13. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center of the cake comes out clean.
14. Cool cake in a pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes or cool completely.   

Banana Choco Chips Bread

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

¾ cup corn oil

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven 350 F. Grease and flour an 8 ½ x 4 ½ inch loaf pan.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir to mix.
3. In another bowl, combine sugar and corn oil. Add eggs one at a time then add the vanilla and mashed bananas.
4. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture. Stir until combined. Lastly, add the chocolate chips and mix just until combined. Pour mixture into the loaf pan.
5. Bake for about 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs clinging to it. Remove bread from the oven then allow to cool for about 20 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool for another 15 minutes on a wire rack before serving.

My daughter also loves baking, but sad to say, it is not my forte, all I can bake are Betty Crocker and Ghirardelli brownie/cake mixes. But inspired by the story of this mother and daughter tandem, I might try my luck again on baking. This time, I'm going to have a little helper by my side, and it would definitely be a wonderful bonding for us.

This weekend, bring out your measuring cups and mixing bowls. Bake with your kids and I'm sure you're going to have a great time, specially the part where you will be enjoying the fruits of your labor.

Enjoy your weekend!

P.S. If you have recipes that you want to share, you can email me at mitch(dot)guerrero(at)gmail(dot)com