I Love You, I Love Chocolate!



How do you say ‘I Love You?’ Say it with chocolate, that’s how! 

Say it three ways, even - from your favorite tiramisu dusted with cocoa powder to decadent brownies to a chocolate-dipped meringue swirl. Have a whole lot of ‘lovin’ plus a ton of ‘kissin’ this Valentine with these uniquely delicious recipes only from The Maya Kitchen.

For more recipes, other culinary ideas and course schedule, log on to www.themayakitchen.com.       




ANGEL FOOD CAKE TIRAMISU

Angel Food Cake:
½ cup + 1 tablespoonMAYA Cake Flour, sifted
1/8 teaspoonSalt
¼ cupSugar
½ +1/3 cupegg whites
½ teaspooncream of tartar
1 teaspoonvanilla extract
¼ cupSugar

Coffee Syrup:
½ - 1 tablespooninstant coffee powder
2 tablespoonsSugar
½ cuphot water
2 tablespoonscoffee liqueur 

Cream Topping:
1 barcream cheese
¼ cupSugar
2 tablespoonsconfectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoonslow-fat milk
2 tablespoonsplain yogurt
1 piece vanilla bean pod
½ cupwhipping cream

2 tablespoonscocoa powder, for garnish

Prepare angel food cake. Preheat oven to 350ᵒF/177ᵒC. Line the bottom of an 8-inch square pan. Set aside. Sift flour, salt and ¼ cup of sugar 4 times. Set aside. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add vanilla extract and remaining sugar gradually and continue beating until stiff. Fold in flour mixture gently; blend well. Pour into the prepared pan and smoothen the top. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until done. Loosen the sides by using a spatula or dinner knife and invert cake on a wire rack to cool for about an hour.

Prepare coffee syrup. Dissolve coffee powder and sugar in hot water. Add coffee liqueur and stir well.

Prepare cream topping. Beat cream cheese, sugar and confectioners’ sugar until the sugars are dissolved. Beat in milk and yogurt. Split the vanilla bean pod lengthwise and scrape the seeds; beat in the mixture. Set aside. Whip the cream until double in size. Fold whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Transfer to a piping bag with a round piping tip.
To assemble. Transfer cake to a plate. Brush with coffee syrup until well-soaked. Pipe cream on top of the cake. Dust with cocoa powder on top.

Yield: 8 servings




CHOCOLATE HEART FUDGE BROWNIES

1 pack                                 MAYA Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix 500g
½ cup                                  butter, softened
2                                           eggs
1 tablespoon                      water
½ cup                                  chopped cashew nuts

                                                dark chocolate, melted, as needed
                                                chocolate heart cut-outs, as needed
                                                whipped cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 325°F/163°C. Grease and line the bottom of an 8-inch square pan. Set aside. In a bowl, stir brownie mix, butter, water, eggs and nuts (set some aside for topping) until well blended. Spread in prepared pan and top with reserved nuts. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool completely before cutting. Drizzle or spread melted chocolate on top of brownies and decorate as desired.

Yield: 4 servings (4 x 4” squares)

CHOCOLATE MERINGUE KISSES

1 tablespoonMAYA Cornstarch
6 tablespoonsSugar
2 egg whites
1/8 teaspooncream of tartar
pinchSalt
½ teaspoonvanilla extract
1 tablespooncocoa powder

Dark chocolate, melted, as needed

Preheat oven to 300ᵒF/149ᵒC. Line one cookie sheet with baking paper and set aside. In a bowl, combine cornstarch and sugar. Mix well then set aside.

Using a stand mixer on high speed with whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the cornstarch and sugar mixture. Return to high speed and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in the cocoa powder. Transfer mixture to a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe meringue kisses on the cookie sheet and bake for 40 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the tray inside the oven for one hour. Let the meringue kisses cool at room temperature for at least 10 minutes. Once cooled, dip half in melted chocolate. Let the chocolate-dipped meringue kisses set on a lined cookie sheet and transfer to an airtight container.

Yield: 15-20 pieces




CHOCOLATE MERINGUE KISSES

1 tablespoonMAYA Cornstarch
6 tablespoonsSugar
2 egg whites
1/8 teaspooncream of tartar
pinchSalt
½ teaspoonvanilla extract
1 tablespooncocoa powder

Dark chocolate, melted, as needed

Preheat oven to 300ᵒF/149ᵒC. Line one cookie sheet with baking paper and set aside. In a bowl, combine cornstarch and sugar. Mix well then set aside.

Using a stand mixer on high speed with whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the cornstarch and sugar mixture. Return to high speed and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in the cocoa powder. Transfer mixture to a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe meringue kisses on the cookie sheet and bake for 40 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the tray inside the oven for one hour. Let the meringue kisses cool at room temperature for at least 10 minutes. Once cooled, dip half in melted chocolate. Let the chocolate-dipped meringue kisses set on a lined cookie sheet and transfer to an airtight container.

Yield: 15-20 pieces


Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club Yearbook Features Eskaya

Eskaya Beach Resort & Spa is featured in Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club Yearbook for 2015, joining a selected and few luxurious resorts selected all over the world for their opulence and elegance that befits royals.

The resort located in Panglao Island in Bohol is the only Filipino luxury resort featured in the 444-page glossy coffee table book published to mark the 90th anniversary of one Rolls-Royce’s most revered cars – the Phantom.






The book explores the origins of the Phantom, as well as the stories and personalities that go to make it the “best car in world” to this day. It also includes stories about the best luxury hotels, resorts and


hotspots in the world; elegant fashion and fragrances; stylish dwellings and living spaces; essentials for globetrotting; finest jewelries; most sumptuous food and drink.

“Eskaya is a good fit for Roll-Royce. They are both the embodiment of luxury and opulence,” said Richard Lim Jr., Eskaya’s managing director.

Eskaya is in a good company. The book also listed 24 other luxury resorts and hot spots in the world such as Dhara Dhevi Chang Mai in Thailand, Four Seasons Resort Mauritius in Mauritius, Hotel Quinta do Lago in Portugal, The Mulia Resorts & Villas in Indonesia, and Park Hyatt in Maldives.

Lim said Eskaya has been selected to be part of the book because it is very active in the European market, luring a lot of holidaymakers from the continent into its white, powdery shores regularly.

“We are very honored to be associated with Rolls-Royce. Eskaya’s inclusion in the book will help attract more high-end guests – especially the Phantom car enthusiasts worldwide,” said Lim.






Eskaya’s membership in the Small Luxury Hotels (SLH), an organization based in UK, also helped the Bohol-based resort clinch a place in the coffee table book. Eskaya is one of only four luxury hotels from the Philippines that’s a member of SLH, which groups together more than 520 hotels in over 80 countries.

Eskaya sits on a 16-hectare facility in Panglao Island that boasts of private villas and swimming pools amid lush mountains and crystal-clear beaches.

Most of the villas have their own private pool, outdoor showers and whirlpool tubs, and a stunning view of the endless sea and sky, all blue and white all year round, especially during the summer season.

The resort also has an infinity pool, swim-up bar, mini library, and for the sport enthusiasts, facilities for beach volleyball, badminton, water sports and scuba diving. For those who want utmost pampering, its Handuraw Spa offers traditional Filipino and Asian spa treatments.

The Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club is an international organization of owners and admirers of Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars.

The 2015 yearbook is written by Rolls-Royce experts and motoring journalists. 



This material is fully and directly from the company issuing the press release. This also means that this website is not the author of the statement being read. Gest to Utopia is simply providing the information for readers who may be interested.