Azoresgal~Life on an Island

Can you believe Christmas is just four days away? My goodness I have lost track of how many  trips I have made to the grocery store already. I have also chosen to ignore the fact that I have a ton of gifts to wrap, and crossing my fingers my mailman brings one last missing gift on Monday. In the meantime, instead of entering panic mode, I opted to go into the kitchen and make some homemade Baileys. That's right folks, I made Irish cream, because you all know tis' the season to drink and be merry!  Super easy to make, once you have all the ingredients, it's is as easy as throwing everything into a blender. Then just whirl everything up, and ta-dah you are done! Keep it all for yourself, or make same for sharing, as gifts. Just make it, I promise you will love it! INGREDIENTS 1 cup/250ml heavy cream  ( I used a 200 ml box) 1 can sweetened condensed milk 400 ml (1⅔ cup) Irish whiskey  (I used Jameson) 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup 2 teaspoon vanilla extra...

Christmas is in 14 days, and  life  around here has gotten crazy busy. Is it the  same for you at your home, are you making lists and checking them twice? There are so many lists, are there not? Shopping, cooking, gifts and my favorite one baking. Have you decided on what you are baking for your cookie trays this year, or perhaps even gift giving? Well let me introduce you to the Snickerdoodle,  with their cinnamon sugar coating and soft chewy middle  Made with simple pantry ingredients, these cookies come together easily! These are a great way to start off your holiday baking! Ingredients 1 cup butter, room temperature 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup light brown sugar 1 egg, plus 1 yolk 1 tablespoon vanilla 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 3/4 cup flour CINNAMON SUGAR MIXTURE 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon Instructions Preheat oven to 18...

These are the easiest biscuits you could ever make. No need  for a rolling pin or biscuit cutter, just some mixing, scooping, baking and you’re done!  Oh and let's not forget how great they taste! Light and fluffy,with a crisp outer crust and soft center. We love these biscuits, they can be added to any meal, I served them last night with Clam Chowder   . I really hope you give them a try! 2-1/2 cups self-rising flour 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 cup cold milk 8 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, ( I use salted) 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese For brushing on top 1/4 cup butter, melted 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp dried parsley/or fresh to taste Heat the oven to 230C degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, garlic powder, salt and cayenne until combined.  Pour the melted butter, and the cold milk...

So I have seen these two ingredient bagels all over the internet for quite sometime now. Greek yogurt and self raising flour and that's it...yes are you scratching your head like I did. Well it works, I made them today, and you know what, I will make them again, they are that good. Let´s get this straight, these are not a New York bagel, they are a cheat bagel, if you will. I loved how quickly they came together, and they taste pretty darn good too! They are quick and easy and taste amazing! Ingredients for 4 servings 1 1/4 cups  self-rising flour, plus more for dusting (220 g) + more for dusting 1 cup  greek yogurt  (well strained) ( I used  Fage) 1 egg, beaten topping to taste, poppy seeds or sesame seeds Preparation Preheat oven to 400°F(200°C). In a large bowl, mix the self-rising flour and greek yogurt until it comes together to form a ball. Transfer the dough ball to a lightly floured work surface and use your hands to begin flatteni...

This rich and creamy cheesecake is all sorts of decadent,all the flavors of pumpkin pie, in a cheesecake.The texture is absolutely perfect – creamy, thick, smooth and it slices beautifully. Don’t let the idea of making a cheesecake scare you, it is simple to make, just be sure to make it a day before you need it! A delicious sweet treat for just about any occasion, I hope you love it as much as we did! Ingredients Crust 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/4 cup to 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted ( 3/4 cup for a moist and dense crust) 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 1/2 tsp. salt, divided Pumpkin Cheesecake 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar 2 lb (four 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, softened (900 gr.) 1/4 cup sour cream/Greek yogurt, room temperature 1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin 6 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 tbsp. vanilla extract 2 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ground ginger 1/4 tsp. ground cloves Whipped cream Chopped pecans, optional Crust Preheat oven to...

 These delicious pinwheels  are super simple to make, the filling is a classic combo of spinach and feta! Oh and did I mention the other ingredients, puff pastry and cream cheese...just remember the spinach makes them  really healthy, wink..wink . With the holidays just around the corner,  served hot or cold these are the perfect party food. They are a huge hit every time I make them, I hope you give them a try! 300 g frozen spinach , thawed and drained (  I used canned spinach 380g) 200 g feta cheese 1 package cream cheese (200g)  olive oil 2 tablespoons (or more) 1 small bag of shredded mozzarella cheese (240g) 2 store – bought puff pastry ( 230 g) salt and pepper, to taste 1 egg Preheat oven to 220C/ 425F. Line two baking sheets with baking paper and set aside. Place the defrosted spinach into a sieve and strain out any remaining liquid. Use paper towel to remove any remaining moisture from the spinach. In the meantime put ...

We just changed our clocks back an hour, the days are now shorter, and the nights a little cooler, so around here we are now in comfort food mode.  Enter this really simple and delicious one-pot meat sauce, Beef Ragu.   The ragu cooks low and slow, all the flavours marry, and the beef ends up fork tender. Making it perfect  for being served with your favourite pasta( I made fresh pappardelle ), or over creamy polenta. I don't think it's something you would make after rushing back from a long day at  work, but instead make it for a lazy weekend at home, it just ticks off all the boxes for comfort food! Beef Ragu Approximately 3 pounds (1.35kg) Beef brisket, or similar cut of meat (slow cooking) 5 Tbsp olive oil 2 small onions, finely diced 5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 1 cup of celery, finely diced (4-5 stalks) 1 cup Carrot, finely diced (1-2 medium carrots) 2 cups (500ml) red wine, divided 3 cups (750ml) beef stock/broth 1 28oz (800g) can of ...