Easy sweet treats you can do at home

CEBU CITY, Philippines—There are a lot of things that we want to try but do not seem to have enough time to actually do it.

Maybe you have been planning to go hiking on this new peak you’ve heard about or go to an island paradise that you’ve been seeing online. Or maybe you have been wanting to do very simple things like baking.

Baking to some is such an easy thing to do, but for starters like you and me, it does not hurt to start with the basic sweet treats that can ignite the baking god or goddess in us.

CDN Digital’s resident host Kria Padilla-Roleda is not just all pretty smiles and wit but is also a very good pastry teacher in the International School of Culinary Arts and Hotel Management.

Roleda shared three easy sweet treats that you can try at home and turn baking into a newfound hobby and a good way to bond with the family.

Let’s start with one of our favorites, Muffins.

What you will need:

Two cups of all-purpose flour

Three teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup white sugar

One egg

One cup of milk

1/4 vegetable oil.

How to do it:

1. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with cupcake liners.

1. Sift dry ingredients together, stir, and make well in the center.
2. In a bowl, beat the egg lightly with a fork and stir in milk and oil.
3. Pour egg, milk and oil mixture in the center of the dry ingredients.
4. Mix batter until just incorporated.
5. Pour only up to 1/4 full of the cupcake liners.
6. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Feel free to choose your favorite flavor for your muffins. You can add chocolate chips or blueberries or cheese.

Next, let’s try Fudgy Cocoa Brownies.

What you will need:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

One tablespoon cooking oil

1 1/8 cup sugar

Two large eggs

Two teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup all-purpose or plain flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt.

How to do it:

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees celsius
2. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking oil spray.
3. Combine melted butter, oil and sugar together in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk well for about a minute. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat until lighter in color.
4. Add flour, cocoa powder and salt, gently stirring the dry ingredients through the wet, just combined.
5. Pour batter into the prepared pan, something the top out evenly.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the center of the brownies in the pan no longer jiggles and is just set to the touch.
7. Remove and allow to cool to room temperature before slicing into 16 brownies.

And with a little bit of patience, you can indulge in small square fudgy brownies.

For our last sweet treat, let’s try and make a Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie.

What you will need:

One cup butter softened

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

One teaspoon vanilla extract

Two eggs

2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

One teaspoon salt

One teaspoon baking soda

Two cups chocolate chips

One cup toasted peanuts

How to do it:

1. Sift together in a bowl flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beat well.
3. Gradually add sifted flour, salt, and baking soda, beat until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
4. Divide cookie dough in 2 and spread in an 8-inch round baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes.

These are just some of the easy but best treats that you can do in the comforts of your home with minimal ingredients needed.

Happy baking! / dcb