Blueberry Cream Cheese Croissant Pudding

I have a friend named Nahtice who worked at a bakery and I would always ask her to bring me mango danishes. My love for croissants, fruit, and cream cheese is what led me to baking this glorious MEGA DANISH!

My new favorite breakfast. Make it and it might be yours too!

Such vivid colors!

Here the croissants are soaking in all the sweet creamy goodness.

makes 13" x 9" pan

Ingredients

5 jumbo CostCo Croissants or 6 regular sized ones

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 packages cream cheese

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 3/4 cups milk (almond or soy works perfectly great too)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Rip croissants and place in 13 x 9 pan. Pour blueberries on top.

3. Beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla with a mixer then gradually mix in the milk.
4. Pour the cream mixture over the croissants and blueberries.

5. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the cream cheese mixture is no longer jiggly. If the tops of the croissant are beginning to get too brown you can cover it with tin foil and continue cooking.

6. Serve warm as breakfast or dessert.

Honey Cinnamon Granola

Granola is another word for lazy but delicious breakfast.

Here are the ingredients needed to make this granola. I tried to make it 100% organic but the cinnamon ruined it :-(

Make sure to use parchment paper so it doesn't stick to the pan and to spread the granola to a thin layer so it can get crispy and evenly golden.

 Here is the granola in its full glory; golden, honey glazed, crispy, and just waiting to be eaten.

Makes 5 cups of granola

Ingredients

1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon coriander (optional)
2 cups oats
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons flax seeds
1/2 cup coconut shreds
1/4 cup macadamia nuts
1/4 cup cashews

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
2. Mix together coconut oil, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and coriander in big bowl.
3. Stir in oats, mac nuts, cashews, and flax seeds.
4. Pour out onto a parchment lined baking pan.
5. Bake for 50-60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
6. Let it cool and crispify for 30 minutes then pack into a tight seal container.
7. Eat with milk, yogurt, or on ice cream!

Hot Crab Dip

What to say about this dip... Hmm it's hot, crabby, cheesy, and known to cause happiness. The end.

makes 8" x 8" pan of dip

Ingredients

1 package imitation crab or 8 oz. or real crab
2 cloves garlic chopped
1/3 cup mayo
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup pepper jack cheese (4 slices) This is what gives it a nice spicy kick!
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 sprigs green onion chopped
salt and pepper to taste

For dipping

crackers or toasted bread

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix all the ingredients together.
3. Spread into an 8" x 8" baking pan.
4. Bake crab dip for 15 minutes.
5. Turn the oven to low broil and let top get golden brown and bubbly for about 2 minutes.
6. Serve hot with crackers or toasted bread. No need to wash the pan after as it will be scraped clean!

Crème Brûlée

Have I convinced you to buy a torch yet? This one is Jamaican Lilikoi flavored.

There's nothing quite like caramelized sugar on custard...

Variations include Green Tea! I bought my green tea powder online from Amazon.com

Up and personal with a green tea Crème brûlée! Usually I'm good about stopping to take a picture before digging in but for some reason my friends and I just couldn't resist. It's safe to say we ravaged this dessert.

 Here is what the custard looks like once the egg mixture and hot heavy cream have been combined.


Makes 4 7 oz. portions

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
sugar for sprinkling

optional add ins: 1 tablespoon green tea powder, cocoa powder, if using fresh fruit juice like lilikoi add in about 1/3-1/2 cup juice
garnishes: fresh berries, jam, chocolate sauce, etc.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whip together 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla in a big bowl.
3. Pour heavy cream into a pot and cook on high until it just starts to simmer (190 degrees).
4. Slowly whisk hot cream into the egg mixture, stirring constantly.
5. If making a flavored brulee (green tea, chocolate, etc.) add in 1 tablespoon of powdered flavoring or 1/3-1/2 cup of fruit juice.
6. Skim off any foam from the top of the mixture with a spoon.
7. Pour custard into small ramekins (glass bowls) then place into a 13" x 9" pan.
8. Carefully pour water into the baking pan until it reaches half way up the ramekins.
9. Bake custards for 20-25 minutes for small ramekins and 25-30 minutes for larger ramekins or until the custard is set and no longer liquidy.
10. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
11. Sprinkle about a teaspoon of sugar on the top of the custard and tap to evenly distribute.
12. Use a torch and move slowly in circular motions until sugar has melted and is golden brown.
13. Let cool for 30 seconds then top with garnishes.
14. Most important step is to get a spoon and crack the top then you can dig in!

Lihing Mui Animal Crackers

I couldn't find a recipe for these crackers anywhere on the internet! Thank goodness teachers are sharing because this treat is just genius. Who would have guessed that you could take a kid snack, throw some candied lihing mui powder on it, and it would turn it into something so dangerously addicting! Definitely puts the Crack in Animal Crackers...

Ingredients

About 5 cups animal crackers
1 1/2 stick butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 Tablespoons Lihing Mui powder

Directions

1. Melt butter and sugar and add lihing mui powder and salt.
2. Heat oven to 250 degrees.
3. Pour mixture over crackers in a large baking pan (big foil pan)
4. Bake for 1 1/2 hours and mix every half hour till it forms a candy coating.
5. Share with your friends! At first you'll get weird looks but then they'll love you even more.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Can you believe that the invention of the Chocolate Chip Cookie was an accident!? Ruth Wakefield was making chocolate flavored cookies when she realized she was out of baker's chocolate. She decided to drop in broken pieces of chocolate in hopes that it would melt and absorb into the cookies. Little did she know, her mistake was the first chocolate chip cookie!! Today I give you a recipe loaded with three of the most deadliest delicious combinations...rich peanut butter, chewy oats, and nauhty chocolate chips! You will LOVE these. THANK YOU RUTH! And thank you for mistakes!!!

Makes about 50 large cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter, slightly softened (2 sticks)
2/3 cup peanut butter (chunky or creamy that's up to you)
1 1/2 cup light/dark brown sugar, packed
1 cup white sugar

4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs + 2 egg yolks (save the whites for an omelette perhaps?)


2 1/2 cups flour (make sure to level off top of measuring cup with a knife so you don't put too much)
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a big bowl cream the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until it is smooth and fluffy (about 3 minutes) .
3. Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, oats, and chocolate chips.
5. Carefully mix the flour mixture into the wet dough mixture until just combined. ( I like to put half the cookie dough into the freezer to bake another day for a fresh batch anytime!)
6. Scoop big ping pong ball sized dough onto the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Creating bigger cookies allows cookies to have crispier edges and soft interiors. Everything a cookie should be!
7. Bake for 12 minutes for a gooey plop on ice cream cookie, 13-15 for a chewy soft cookie *suggested, or 16-17 for a crisper cookie.
8. Eat while hot with a cold glass of milk or vanilla ice cream! Warning: Impossible to eat just one.

Crab and Cream Cheese Pockets

Truly, one of the prettiest things I have ever pulled out of the oven.  I bet you could do a ton of different versions of this... Pizza Pockets, Spinach artichoke dip, Portuguese Sausage and eggs, Apple pie... Way too many options! Whoever thought of this whole flower idea is a genius... No, no don't look at me, I can't take any of the credit. How did people even come up with ideas before Pinterest?! ;-)

Makes about 16 crab stuffed pockets

Ingredients

2 cans croissant or pizza dough
1 block cream cheese
1 cup of chopped real crab OR 1 package of imitation crab, chopped
3/4 cup mozzarella, parmesan or provolone cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 sprigs of green onion, chopped
paprika, salt, and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Make crab mixture by mixing together cream cheese, imitation crab, cheese, garlic, spices and green onion. Set on the side.

3. On a cookie sheet, roll one can of dough into a big ball then flatten out into a large circle. Use a mug to make an imprint in the middle of the dough circle. 

4. Place the crab mixture on the dough in a ring shape and pile the remaining crab in a lump in the middle circle indentation.

5. Roll out the second can of dough, making sure this one is slightly larger than the first, and lay over the crab ring.

6. Use your fingers to press the dough down to hug the crab and be "fitted."

7. With a fork, press around all the edges to seal.

8. Using a sharp knife, cut slices all around the circumference about 11/2 inches apart. You can also slice an X in the middle for decoration. 

9. Here's the fun part... Take each slice and rotate it so it is facing up. Go in the same direction all around.

10. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until it is golden brown all over.

11.  Serve warm and be ready to get some hugs...

Cream Puffs

Filled with cream? Enough said... Here are cream puffs that are inspired by a bakery in Vancouver that served green tea puffs. Anyways, how often are you able to fly over to Oahu to get the ones at Liliha Bakery? Now you can bake these up right at home.

Green Tea Cream Puffs

Chantilly Chocolate! 

When Liliha Bakery is on the wrong island!

Makes 9 bomboocha cream puffs, 12 medium, or 20 mini puffs

Ingredients

Cream puff shells

1 stick butter

1 cup water

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 cup flour

4 eggs

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan combine the butter, water, salt and sugar and bring to a rolling boil.

2. Remove the pan from heat then add the flour and stir vigorously for about 3 minutes. You want most of the moisture to steam off.

3. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Dough should be smooth and satiny.

4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

5. Drop the dough in spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Use a heaping spoonful for large puffs and Tablespoon for mini puffs. Yes, they will look flat like a cookie at this point but that will change!

6. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and puffy. Meanwhile, make the cream filling (see below).

7. After puffs have fully cooled, poke a hole in the bottom with a chopstick/cut in half then fill a plastic ziploc bag with the cream filling, snip the corner, and inject the puff with the cream.

8. Garnish with powdered sugar, matcha powder, whipped cream, chocolate shavings or whatever your heart desires.

9. Eat up and try to share!

Variations of cream filling

Green Tea

1 cup heavy cream (or container of cool whip)

1 1/4 cup milk

1 package vanilla pudding mix

1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons Matcha powder (depending how strong you want it)

1. Mix together the milk, pudding mix, and matcha powder until smooth. 

2. Whip heavy cream with an electric mixer until it forms soft peaks, about 4 minutes. Skip step if you are using Cool Whip.

3.  Fold the green mixture into the whipped cream and chill in fridge until it's ready to fill the puffs

Chocolate/Chantilly

Chocolate Cream:

1 small box chocolate pudding

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2-1 container cool whip (depending on the desired consistency)

1. Mix together milk and chocolate pudding mix

2. Fold in cool whip. Use whole container of cool whip if you want the cream to be more fluffy.

Chantilly:

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup white sugar

3 egg yolks, beaten

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup finely ground macadamia nuts ( I used my blender)

1. Mix together evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, butter, and vanilla in a bowl placed over a saucepan of boiling water.

2. Cook over medium heat and stir constantly until thick, about 12 minutes.

3. Remove from heat then add in macadamia nuts and let cool.

4. Refrigerate until ready to fill cream puffs

Chicken Hekka

This is a delicious comfort food for a cold night! Did you know why they call it Chicken Hekka? It's because you will eat Heck of a lot. Alright, don't worry I have better taste in food then jokes.

Serves 4-6 people

Ingredients

2-3 pounds boneless skinless thighs cut into chunks
3/4 cup shoyu
1/4 cup sugar
1 can chicken broth + 1 can water (or more)
1 small piece  (2 inch) smashed ginger
1 carrot sliced
1 bag pepeiao soaked in hot water and sliced
1 onion sliced
1 can bamboo, drained
big handful/can of mushrooms
1 handful watercress
1 bundle long rice soaked in hot water and cut into shorter noodles
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a big pot cook the chicken until no longer pink then drain the extra oil.

2.  Along with the chicken add in chicken broth, water, sugar, ginger, shoyu, and onions and bring to boil then lower to medium heat for 10 minutes.

3. Add in the bamboo, carrots, pepeiao, and mushrooms and continue to simmer until carrots are tender (about 10 minutes).

4. Turn off heat then mix in the watercress and long rice. Let sit for a few minutes until noodles are soft.

5. Serve on rice.

Pirate Stew

This is what Black Beard ate when he landed in the Caribbean. Actually, I have no idea why this is called pirate stew. More importantly, it's tasty! Thank you to Uncle Bill, Kelsey's uncle who gave me this recipe after I went back for 3 servings. Going back for more has to be the best compliment you can give a chef!

Ingredients

3 pounds pork ribs chopped into bite sized pieces
4 large tomatoes
1 onion diced
2 bay leaves
5 cloves garlic
2 handfuls spinach
salt and pepper
water

Directions

1. Brown pork and drain out excess oil.
2. Boil about 2 1/2 cups of water and add in bay leaves, pork, and garlic. Cook for 15 minutes.
3. Lower heat to simmer and add in onions and tomatoes and continue to cook for 45 minutes.
4. Turn heat off then stir in the spinach leaves.
5. Serve hot over rice!