Pumpkin Cake Truffles

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Halloween is just around the corner, and I couldn’t be happier because after Christmas, Halloween is my favorite holiday! Here is a new recipe for you to make at home and maybe share some with your family and friends.

Today, I’m hosting my monthly collab on Instagram so do not forget to look for #chocopumpkincollab so you can see all the delicious treats my baking friends made. Also, if you visit me on Instagram @pastry_tales, you can watch the video of how I made these cake truffles.

Why making this recipe?

*Pumpkin and chocolate are best friends. They both taste really good together.

*I am giving you the recipe for the most delicious pumpkin cake but for the frosting you can use store-bought frosting, or you can make your own.

*You can make these cake truffles in advance of your party. If you keep them in the fridge, they can last up to a week.

*You can use any kind of sprinkles you want. (Walmart has really cute ones this year)

*If you need a bigger batch, just double the ingredients.

Let’s start with the recipe and if you make it, don’t forget to let me know!

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Ghost Alfajores

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It’s the time of the season…to make Alfajores… because why not? An alfajor is one of the most popular cookies in South America. Each South American country has their own version and today I’ll show you how to make Peruvian alfajores but Halloween theme ones (ghost shape).  No, you don’t need a ghost cookie cutter, just grab a heart shape one and I’ll you will get cute ghosts!

Why making these cookies?

*The cookie part is soft with a delicate taste of vanilla. The filling is a milk base caramel called dulce de leche.

*You can make these cookies in advance; they keep really good for a few days if you store them right.

*Ghosts for Halloween? Of course, you need and want these.

*You don’t like pumpkin or tired of chocolate? These are a good alternative.

Let’s start with the recipe and if you would like to see how I made them, visit me on Instagram @pastry_tales

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Two years ago, I posted a recipe for pumpkin cookies with chocolate pieces, they were really good, but the texture was more of a cakey cookie which is pretty common for pumpkin cookies due to the moisture that pumpkin has.

After a couple of tests, I finally came up with this recipe that will be your favorite chocolate chip cookie not just for Fall season but for the whole year.

In this recipe, you will find interesting things like:

*I just use light brown sugar (no granulated sugar). Light brown sugar will give a darker and a touch of caramel flavor.

*I don’t use eggs, not even an egg white. Why? Because, we do not want to add more moisture. Pumpkin has enough.

*You have to blot the pumpkin puree. I use 3 layers of paper towels, spread it out and scoop it out. Do this procedure twice. You just need 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree AFTER blotting.

*Baking soda: yes, baking powder: no. Baking soda will make them crunchier and chewier.

*I use chocolate chips and chocolate chunks. It gives a nice look to the cookies.

*Flatten the cookies with the palm of your hand. Do it gently but press them down good, otherwise they won’t spread nicely when baking.

Remember, this recipe is for CHEWY AND COOKIES WITH A GOOD CRUNCH. They are not cakey at all.

If you want to see how I made this recipe, visit me on Instagram @pastry_tales

Let’s start with these delicious cookies…

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Apple Crumb Cake

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Today is the collab that I host monthly on Instagram, the theme is “apples” and I thought about this recipe I posted a couple of years ago which is one of my favorites during Fall season, but I think it did not get the right attention it should have. So, here it is again, my apple crumb cake.

Why making this cake?

* Fall is the perfect time to find different kinds of apples. You can use any kind of apples for this recipe, you can even mix 2 or 3 kinds.

*The crumb part of this cake is a real crumb, not mushy or soft like other recipes. I have made this cake 3 days ago and the crumb is still perfect.

*Perfect to share with your family or friends on Halloween or Thanksgiving.

*Does not need refrigeration.

This cake has 3 layers: cake, cinnamon-sugar apples and a nice crumb. All the layers are very easy to make. The cake is soft with a touch of cinnamon, the apples have the right amount of sugar and cinnamon, and the crumb is perfect. Actually, you can use this crumb recipe for any cake, muffins or pie you make.

Let’s start with the recipe and if you would like to watch the video, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @pastry_tales

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Gansito Brownies

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I haven’t posted for over a month and if you know me, you know that I have applied for my American citizenship last May and finally my exam was late July, so I had to prepare and study to take that test. I passed it and then my ceremony was last week, I finally can say that I’m an American citizen and I’m proud to be part of this country. So, yes… I have been busy with all this process plus if you have watched the news, Texas weather has been really hot, so yeah it is kinda hard to turn on the oven when it is over 100+ F degrees outside.

With this dessert, I traveled back in time to my childhood. This treat was very popular while growing up in Peru and is still one of my favorites when I’m craving a Hispanic treat. I should say this treat was created in Mexico. Gansito is a filled snack cake. Vanilla cake with a creamy and strawberry jelly filling coated in chocolate. The Gansitos are similar to an American Twinkie.

A couple of months ago, I got a big box of Gansitos at Walmart which I placed them in the fridge (I like to eat them cold) but I had 3 Gansitos left which I decided to incorporate them into my famous brownie batter and the result was amazing! Also, I have to confess something, those tiny pieces of the Gansito that get a little toasted are so yummy to eat!

If you would like to watch how I made these, visit me on Instagram @pastry_tales

Let’s start with the recipe…

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The Best Passion Fruit Cheesecake

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Passion Fruit is native to Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Peru (South American countries). I think this fruit is pretty popular in the Philippines too. The list of health benefits commonly attributed to passion fruit is due to the nutrient, mineral, and vitamin content of the fruit, which includes antioxidants, flavonoids, vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, niacin, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, fiber, and protein.

I always find passion fruit at Hispanic supermarkets or supermarkets like Kroger or Walmart. I buy it frozen; you can get the pulp with/without the seeds. Other names for passion fruit are: maracuya, parcha,  lilikoʻi , etc.

This cheesecake is perfect for warm days, it’s not very sweet and the fruity flavor makes you want to spend the day in a tropical beach.

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @pastry_tales . I always post all the videos of the desserts I make.

Ready to bake? Let’s start with the recipe!

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My Favorite Banana Bread

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I ordered some groceries from Amazon Fresh more than a week ago and the bananas they brought me were green like the Grinch. Then, I remember my husband told me that he ordered bananas a couple of months ago, they were green too and they NEVER turned yellow, they stayed green for about 2 months until we finally decided to get rid of them. But guess what, this time after about 10 days my bananas ripen so they were ready for my next recipe.

I think banana bread is one of the bread/cakes that is a crowd pleaser on any occasion, there are many recipes out there because it’s such a popular cake to bake. In this recipe, I’ll show you how to bake my favorite version of this delicious treats.

Why make this banana bread?

  • You can bake it for any occasion like breakfast, brunch, potluck or just to have something to eat for your weekly snack.
  • I’m sure your kids will love it especially if you add some fruit on the side.
  • Yes, you can add some fruit or maybe ice cream on the side if you are in a hot place like me (TX)
  • The ingredients are super easy to find, you might have most of them already in your pantry.
  • It will take you 15 minutes to make the batter and about 1 hour to bake, so nothing too complicated here.

Let’s start with the recipe and if you would like to watch the video of how I made it, visit me on Instagram @pastry_tales

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Mini Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cake

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Have you ever wondered if you could bake just a small cake to serve a couple of portions or just to indulge yourself? Well, if you get 6-inch cake pans, this is possible. For me, it’s hard to make big cakes because we are just 2 people at home and we don’t know a lot of people where we live now (comparing to where we lived before, I had people to share my treats all the time). So guess what… 6 inch cakes are the new thing for this Summer for sure.

 The cake is moist but keeps a nice crumb in each bite. The dulce de leche is the perfect partner for this chocolate cake. If you do not have a mixer at home, don’t worry because you can make this cake in a bowl with a whisk and a spatula.

Let’s start with the recipe and if you would like to see how I made this cake, don’t forget to visit me on Instagram @pastry_tales

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Vanilla Flan

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This classic dessert is always a favorite in my house. In my recipe, I give you all the tricks and tips to achieve the perfect caramel and custard. Smooth and silky perfect for any celebration. No more flans that won’t come out of the pan or broken side/edges or burnt caramel, this recipe is perfect! Also, check out my stories on Instagram so you can see the step by step of this flan.

I decided to make this dessert in contribution for the collab i’m hosting today #cincodemayocollabfriends2023 . Don’t forget to click on the # so you can see all the delicious treats my friends made.

If you would like to see how I made this flan, visit my Instagram page @pastry_tales

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

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Hello friends. I’m back! I know it has been a long time since my last post, but I have been super busy with my family in Peru. I traveled to help my mom move from her house (where she lived for almost 40 years) to her new apartment. It was a very exhausting process emotionally and physically. As you know, my mom has dementia, which is getting worse little by little, she does not have the capacity to remember anything anymore and living in such a big house for just her and her caregivers was too much for her to handle. Now, she has a smaller place where she feels happy and secure.

Also, you might ask, what happened to my dad? To make this story short, my dad’s health has been declining fast during the last year to a point that I could not even sleep thinking that he might fall or that he was going to hurt himself or someone in the house. Having one full time caregiver was not enough anymore, the house was not safe for him, so I had to make the hard decision to place my dad into a geriatric clinic, I don’t like it to call it a “home” or “assisted living”. I found the perfect place for him and like I called it “clinic” because it is really a clinic. They just accept patients that needs help for everything (like my dad), they have nurses, doctors, and everything you could think of. How is he doing? He is ok, he has deteriorated for sure, not because of the care he gets, but because he does not want to walk anymore.

So yes, I’ve been very busy, and I just want to rest and catch up with my sleep. I want to start baking which you know is my therapy and makes me feel happy. I’m happy to be back home with my hubby and dogs.

Ok, so now let’s talk about this recipe. I know Easter is this week and since I moved to USA, Easter changed for me. In Peru, the whole week of Easter is more “special” and more religious. We do not eat ham or red meat; we eat fish and Easter eggs were not really a thing growing up. BUT, I find it really interesting and cute that here you can find a lot of easter eggs, decoration, chocolate rabbits, etc. etc.

Because this is my first bake after a couple of months, I decided to make something simple but cute for Easter. These bars have vanilla, eggs, butter, chocolate chips just like cookies and they are topped with festive mini eggs.

Let’s start with the recipe, and if you would like to see how I made them, do not forget to visit me on Instagram @pastry_tales

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