Macaron Smorgasbord!!!!!!!

Be ready people... I have attempted Macaron before and now I am on a mission to perfect them!  Let the baking begin... Stay tuned for my adventures (disasters!) in baking!

TRES LECHES

OMG!!!! 

That is how I have to start this blog.  I had supper club last night with some of my closest girl friends and they had never had Tres Leches (GASP!) so I ordered one and it was evaporated.. needless to say we promptly ordered a second.  I was in awe that these dessert loving ladies had never tried this so I wonder how many people are missing out. If you've never had Tres Leches then you have not lived.  Run to your car and quickly drive to your local Hispanic restaurant and devour one.  You will quickly understand why I am (actually I will be BOLD and say EVERYONE) obsessed with this cake.  Its the perfect combination of everything that is magical. Part moist, sweet, fluffy, light, and just amazing....  

Now to the hard part.  Making it.  Be weary as it is hard to get the desired effects of Tres Leches due to the soaking of the cake yet keeping it fluffy. Oxymoron much?!  I have not mastered it but my cake came out delicious enough to get devoured.  

TRES LECHES CAKE with ITALIAN MERINGUE 

From My Sweet Mexico by Fany Gerson, to be released fall 2010 by Ten Speed Press

FOR THE CAKE:

2 cups sifted flour

1 1/3 cups sugar, divided use

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

8 eggs, separated

1/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

FOR TRES LECHES:

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup dark rum (optional)

Pinch of salt

 

Italian Meringue

1 cup sugar

½  cup water

5 egg whites, at room temperature

1/2     teaspoon  cream  of  tartar

 Pinch  of  salt

FOR THE CAKE:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two (8-inch) cake pans. Put a circle of parchment paper on bottom of each pan.

Mix flour, half of sugar, baking powder and salt in bowl with a whisk until thoroughly combined. Using a whisk, beat vegetable oil, yolks, water and vanilla.

Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites to soft peaks, add cream of tartar and continue beating until you reach stiff peaks but whites aren’t dry. Gradually beat remaining sugar into the egg whites and cream of tartar. Add 1/4 of the beaten whites to the yolk mixture and fold gently. Add 1⁄3 of the dry mixture and fold gently. Repeat, alternating, finishing with egg whites.

Pour into lined pans and bake in middle rack until top springs to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 25-35 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and unmold. Remove parchment paper and return to pans.

FOR TRES LECHES:

Mix evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, cream, vanilla, and salt in medium bowl.  Take a fork and poke little "drinking holes" evenly all over your cake so that it soaks up the mixture. Pour all of mixture over the cake. Allow to soak in refrigerator.

FOR ITALIAN MERINGUE: 

Combine the sugar and water in a small pan and cover and cook over low-medium heat. Once you can hear it boiling, remove the lid (the steam will help avoid crystallization). Continue cooking, without stir-ring until you reach the soft-ball stage (you tube as I cannot properly describe it...).  Meanwhile, in a large heatproof bowl, whip together the egg whites,cream of tartar, and salt to medium peaks. Add the syrup in a stream and continue to whip until the bowl feels cool to the touch.  When finished pull the cake out of the refrigerator and CAREFULLY and SOFTLY put on meringue.   

 ENJOY!!! and i hope you aren't lactose.....

New Year New Beginnings

So I've had this blog for several months now claiming that I was going to start posting.  Well consider me a liar.  So New Year New Beginnings and I will blog, hopefully, on a consistent basis.

So a little bit of a back story.  I once in my lifetime scoffed at people that liked to cook and bake.. really I seriously claimed I would never be that "domesticated" type.  Well again I lie.  I love to bake now... and I love it only a little more than I love to obsessively clean my house.  I have become that "girl" I thought I never would and I love it.  So I'm embracing my inner domesticated goddess and sharing all of my voyages in the kitchen and out.  

One of the most important advances in my baking skills is my brand new, state-of-the-art.. drum roll please.... 

 My new baby.  Isn't she beautiful.  Since this beauty came from a very special man he got to chose my first baked item of the year - Classic Bran Muffins.

Classic Bran Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups wheat bran ( can be substituted with Oats)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
2. Mix together wheat bran and buttermilk; let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Beat together oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and add to buttermilk/bran mixture. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into buttermilk mixture, until just blended. Fold in raisins and spoon batter into prepared muffin tins.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool and enjoy!

 

Now wheat bran is not an everyday sort of thing you find in your local grocery store anymore so you can substitute it with rolled oats or a 5 grain mix.  Still turns out super delicious and only 167 calories per muffin.

ENJOY!