Kalamansi Desserts

Well hello there stranger!  It's so nice to see you. :)

I really don't have a good excuse as to why it's taken me so long to update my blog, but this is the honest to goodness truth - I've been ridiculously busy.  So what has happened since my last post?  Well, I went on a wonderful trip with my family to the Philippines where I had a mini-reunion with my relatives who I haven't seen in almost 10 years.  I also was very lucky to try so many Filipino dishes that were, of course, vegetarian.  The dish that stood out the most was Vegetarian Kare-Kare, which is a dish that normally has beef, oxtail and tripe stewed in thick orange peanut-base sauce.  I really need to recreate it but the only thing I remember was that banana hearts were an ingredient.

When I came back to Guam, I officially became a homeowner.  That in itself took much of my time but I'm so glad I did it.  I now have the kitchen space I need!  So on to my post.

Now, I know I'm lucky to have the boyfriend I have today.  There's a million (and growing) reasons why this is so, but one of my favorite reasons is the fact that his dad always gives me fresh fruits and vegetables from his yard.  So today, his dad gave me a huge bag of kalmansi.  Kalamansi is a type of citrus fruit originally from the Philippines that's small (1"-2" in diameter) and has skin that turns orange when ripe.  I get pretty excited when I'm given kalamansi because some of my favorite foods and drinks use it as an ingredient.

 

Today, I decided to make some kalamansi cupcakes w/ cream cheese frosting and kalamansi sugar cookies.  Both turned out well, but I think my favorite is going to be the cupcakes since they came out fluffy and the cream cheese just tastes so good w/ a semi-tart cupcake. 
My kalamansi cupcake recipe is my adaptation of this recipe.  I went with less sugar so that the kalamansi flavor comes out more, and I left it in the oven for just 11 minutes instead of 30 so they came out with a golden color.

The sugar that I used in my cupcake is called cocosugar which is sugar made from the coconut plant.  It's similar to brown sugar and the reason why I use it is because it's much healthier than white or brown sugar since it has a low glycemic index.  I purchased the Benevita brand of  cocosugar at my local Pay-Less Supermarket.

I wish the frosting that I used was made of cocosugar but unfortunately, I ended up using store-bought ready to use frosting.  All my past experiences making frosting from scratch all ended horribly so I've been relying on Betty Crocker in that department.  Once I upgrade my mixer, I think I'll attempt making frosting again.

The kalamansi sugar cookies were a last-minute "eh why not?" thought.  When life hands you kalamansi, make more kalamansi treats.  I mixed 2 recipes I found online together to make one I-hope-it-goes-well recipe and in the end, I was semi-satisfied with the turnout.  I personally like my cookies on the crunchy side and these cookies came out soft.  The kalamansi taste did come out subtly so next time, I think I'll add more kalamansi and maybe some zest.  The one thing I really did like was how cute the little guys turned out.

 
Kalamansi Cupcakes w/ Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes 12 cupcakes
1/2 cup dairy-free butter
2/3 cup cocosugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup kalamansi juice
whipped cream cheese frosting

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Mix together dry ingredients in a bowl: flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.  Mix together kalamansi juice and milk in a bowl and set aside.  Cream butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time and mix well.  Add in milk mixture and flour mixture.  Mix until well blended but don't over mix.  I mixed my batter on low for 2-3 minutes.  Scoop in non stick cupcake pans.  Bake for 11 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  Once the cupcakes have cooled for 30 minutes, top them with a healthy dollop of cream cheese frosting. 

Kalamansi Sugar Cookies
Makes 32 2" cookies
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dairy-free butter
1/2 cup cocosugar
1 1/2 teaspoon kalamansi juice
1/2 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar.  Then add dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.  Add egg, kalamansi juice, and vanilla and mix until incorporated.  Transfer dough to a work surface.  Shape into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.  Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper and set aside.  Scoop teaspoons of the dough and roll them gently into little balls.  Place them on the sheet 2 inches apart and flatten with the tip of your finger.  Bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden.