Chocolate Bread - Pan de Chocolate

    Happy Halloween to everybody!  Every year, the month of October is very special to me.  Not only because I love celebrations, and Halloween is a big one for our family, but because fourteen years ago this 31st, my son was born, right in the middle of Trick or Treat.  I remember my numerous family being all around me, each and everyone of them, beautifully dressed in Halloween costumes.  All celebrating at the hospital, the day when my first born saw light for the very first time. A big smile draws on my face as I think about it.
     This post is not about Halloween, but about my son, Carlos Jr.  I want to, somehow, dedicate the month of October to him, and what better way to do it than by recounting one of my kitchen adventures with him.
     About two weeks ago, during one of those weekends at home, Carlos came up to me after watching one of his favorite Anime cartoons, and asked me if he could make bread.  I was astonished.  Never before he showed any interest in the culinary arts, but today he wanted to venture into the complicated world of bread making.  My experience in the kitchen is not too broad.  I am not a professional chef, but I am not afraid of embarking in new enterprises.  Although, he made me ask myself where this new acquired interest came from.
     Not wanting to formulate any other questions that would scare him away from the kitchen, I turned to my treasured cookbooks.  In fact, I have one on that topic.  It is a Spanish book that I accidentally found in a small shop in a little town in Tenerife, Canary Islands.  At the time, I did not know why I wanted it but, destiny made me buy it.  It is called "Pan recién hecho", which translated would be freshly made bread, from Parragon Books, United Kingdom.

    He looked through it until he found what he wanted to bake: Chocolate bread. We got all the ingredients ready.  Carlos was all set and ready to get his hands on the dough. 

    He knitted the dough, added water, flour, chocolate chips and anything that the recipe called for.  He followed instructions faithfully, and as it turned out, the chocolate bread came out perfect.

When he got the bread out of the oven, his face lit up like a kid at Christmas opening all the presents that Santa left for him under the tree.  He was really proud of himself.  And, so was I.  With his own hands and no machinery, he made the perfect chocolate bread.  Carlos, I am happy that you became part of my life fourteen years ago. Mommy wishes you Happy Birthday!

     The following is the recipe taken directly from the book "Pan recién hecho" from Parragon Books, U.K. and translated by me.
     Ingredients:

• 2 cups of flour, plus more to dust the pan
• 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder
• a dash of salt
• 1tablespoon of butter cut in little squares
• 1/2 teaspoons of clarified butter to spread over the bread
• 1 tablespoon of caster sugar
• 1 pack of active yeast
• 2/3 of a cup of warm water
• 1/3 cup of chocolate chips

1. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray to prevent the bread from sticking to the pan once it is all done.   Sift together the flour, salt and cocoa powder.  Add the butter cut in squares, the sugar and the active yeast.
2. Slowly pour into the mix the water, turning with a wooden spoon until the dough starts to form.  Work the dough with your hands and then transfer it to a working table covered with parchment paper, dust some flour and work it again for about 10 more minutes.
   

    3.  Add the chocolate chips, and transfer to a bowl.  Cover it with a wet cloth and let it sit in a warm place for 1 hour and a half.
    4.  Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C  (425 degrees F.)  Bake the bread for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 190º C (375º F) and keep baking it for 15 minutes.
    5.  Take the chocolate bread out of the oven and transfer it to a wire rack.  Brush it with the clarified butter and cover with a kitchen cloth to let it cool.

     This is Carlos' final product following the above recipe.  I can assure that it tasted delicious and it became our mid day snack.  It was gone in a matter of minutes.  Que aproveche! 

Masa Real-A Cuban Dessert

    I love guava, and so do Cubans.  Their heritage influences American cuisine all around Florida, and nowadays even around the country.  This is the reason why we can commonly find at any fashionable restaurant dishes made out of key Cuban ingredients like mango, guava or plantains.  Just take a good look at any popular restaurant around your town and chances are that you will find, included at their menu, entrees like fried yellowtail with mango salsa, or seared tuna in guava sauce.  And believe me... they taste amazingly delicious.  The sweet and salty pairing is a flavor that I have learned to love and enjoy greatly.  This is what I like to refer as the Cuban nouvelle cuisine. 
    More traditional uses of guava among Cubans include desserts like "masa real."  There is no literary translation to English, so if you decide to give it a chance, and have a piece, you better practice your Spanish.  To me, it is the perfect dessert to accompany a big and strong cup of coffee.  The texture is comparable to soft, juicy pound cake, and sandwiched in between lies the sweet and tangy guava.  It is easy to bake, and once you get the hang of it, it will forever become part of your culinary repertoire. 
    I have to thank my dearest mother in law, Elina, for the special recipe that I am about to share with you all.  She got it from her mother, and she passed it to me.  It is a family recipe, and as I always say, there is nothing like homemade food.  Que aproveche!

Ingredients:

• 1 Guava bar 
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks of butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons of sherry wine

     Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (190 grades centigrades.)
     Butter a rectangular baking pan (5x8.)   
     Slice the guava in thin slices.
     Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.  Set aside.
     Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Add the eggs, one at a time.  Lower the speed and start pouring the dry ingredients carefully.  Then, add the sherry wine.   The dough looks soft and sticky.  Divide the dough in two.  Take one half and spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan.  Carefully, place the guava on top of the batter without overlapping until the dough is covered.  Then, spoon the other half on top with a spatula evenly throughout the baking pan.  You will not be able to see the guava underneath.
     Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.  Check it with a cake tester to make sure it is done.
     Let it cool before cutting it in 2x2" little squares.

Ina Garten Blueberry Crumb Cake

     I love to watch the Food Network Channel.  Who would have thought?  It is like an addiction for me.  Any free time I have, when I am not writing in my blog, or when my kids are not watching television (which is rarely,) I go directly to the remote control to hit the magic channel: Food Network.  I even record my favorite shows to patiently watch them later and get some inspiration.  I think that I probably have about 20 unwatched shows waiting for my approval.  But, hey! it is summertime and my life just got busier.
    Out of all the famous chefs and cooking shows, there is one that really call my attention: Barefoot Contessa, featuring the great Ina Garten.  I watch it faithfully.  She is very classy and her cooking not only looks amazing but it tastes great.  Trust me, I have cooked it myself.
     Ina got in the world of cooking almost by accident.  In 1978, she used to work for the White House and it was around this time that her life took a huge turn and she dived into the food business.  She and her husband left their jobs, bought a specialty food store in Long Island and instantly became gourmet shop owners.  Life smiled at them and eighteen years of great learning experiences later, they were well known among the socialites in New York and beyond.  They later sold the store to two of their employees and Ina exclusively dedicated herself to writing cookbooks.  Once more, she was atop the world, her cookbooks sold quickly and were a tremendous hit.  Finally, in 2002 she was offered a job at the Food Network, and the rest is history.  She is one of my favorite, down to earth chefs.  Her recipes are original, yet classic, easy to follow and with an excellent final product.  You can check her blog at www.barefootcontessa.com.
     If you ask me which recipe I prefer best, I could not tell you.  But one of her recipes that really called my attention and the attention of my fellow tasters (my friends,) is the Blueberry crumb cake.  I made it myself, and I assure you that it came out amazingly delicious. You can even make it ahead of time.
    I recommend to be served at tea time.  In Spain, for example we have "merienda", which is a small, usually sweet snack at around 5 to 6 o'clock.  Remember that in Spain we eat dinner late, at around 9 to 10 o'clock.  Well, for me this and a cup of "cafe con leche" (espresso with milk) is the perfect pair for a "merienda." Que aproveche!

Blueberry Crumb Cake
Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons of soften butter
• 3/4 cups of sugar
• 1 and 1/4 cups of flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 teaspoon of lemon zest (half a lemon)
• 2/3 cup of sour cream
• 1 cup of fresh blueberries
• 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

     Ingredients for the streusel:

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinammon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 stick of unsalted butter (8 tablespoons)
• 1 and 1/3 of all purpose flour

      Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.   Butter a 9 inch round baking pan.

      Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream.
     In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the blueberries and stir with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.  Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly.  Set aside while you prepare the streusel.
     For the crumb, combine together the  granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well with a spatula.  With your fingers, crumble the topping evenly over the batter. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely and serve sprinkled with confectioners' sugar. 

One of My Favorite Cuban Desserts

     I am going to share with you today an easy recipe for Pie de Guayaba con Queso Crema, which translated would be Guava and Cream Cheese Crusty Pie.  This dessert is extremely popular among Cubans.  Guava is an essential ingredients in Cuban food, and if you ask for any Cuban dessert, chances are that it is made out of it.  When I think about Cuban and sweets, guava is the first thing that comes to mind.  It is very versatile since it can also be used as an ingredient for a main dish.  (I will give you more recipes in a different post) Anyway, my recipe is uncomplicated and the results are astonishing.  My mother in law taught me how to bake it, and today I am passing it along to all of you.
      Forget about making and rolling the dough because I have found the best shortcut for the most amazing Cuban Pie.

Crusty Guava and Cream Cheese Pie
Ingredients:

• 1 refrigerated pie crust ( Pillsbury works the best for me)
• 1 8oz.  package of Cream Cheese
• 1 package of Guava Paste 17.5 oz. (500 gr.)
• 1 egg 

     The pie crust comes with two dough circles.  Take one of the circles and roll them a bit with a rolling pin, just enough so the dough is about 1 inch larger than the pie pan. Put it on the pie pan and with your hands push it in until the dough takes the shape of the pan.  Do not worry if the dough spills over.  Leave the excess dough.  Do not cut it.
     Now, cut the guava and the cream cheese in thin slices and distribute them all around the dough.  Put guava first, then cream cheese, and repeat all around.
     Take the other pie circle and roll it just a bit.  Then, cover the cream cheese and guava with it.  Tuck the edges of the upper crust under the lower crust, and press together lightly.  Using the rim of the pie plate as a guide, create a fluted edge with your fingers.   Using a sharp knife, cut five vents from the center of the pie, or just make any decorative cuts that you like.  Brush the whole pie with an egg before baking to get a shiny, beautiful crust.
     Bake it at 375 degrees for about 30 to 35 minutes.
     Let it cool a bit before serving it.  Enjoy it! Qué aproveche!

My Niece's Birthday

     Last Tuesday, our family celebrated my niece's 17th birthday.  It was a special moment for all of us.  Looking back in time, I remember when I first met her.  She was just a little two years old girl with curly black hair, and with a beautiful smile (some things never change.)   I can picture her at my mother's in law pool, running behind her brother.  But that was then, and this is now.  She is all grown up.  Her hair, still black.  It's not curly anymore, miracles of today's technology, but she still is our Samantha.  Her enthusiasm keeps us alive, her smile melts worries away, and her liveliness is invigorating to all of us.  What else can you ask for?  Samantha is a blessing to have you as my niece.   Here she is with her brother and her cousins who also celebrated this special day with her.

  
      A few days ago, just before her birthday, she made me extremely happy.  When everybody wants to celebrate their parties with a fancy cake, Samantha asked me to turn her favorite dessert into a cake for her birthday.  She loves my tiramisú.  She would not eat it anywhere else.  And I, proudly made her  birthday cake a tiramisú cake.  Needless to say that it was all gone by the end of the meal.
     From my little corner, I would like to wish, my Samantha, a very, happy, unforgettable birthday.  After all, you only turn 17 once.

     Today, as a tribute to her, I am going to give all of you my recipe for tiramisú.

Tiramisu
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 packages of mascarpone cheese (750 grams, or 3 1/4 cups)
• 3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup of powder sugar
• 1 package of lady fingers
• 1/2 cup of liquor (I like Fangelico)
• 3/4 cup of espresso coffee 
• 1/2 cup of unsweetened powder chocolate 

      First of all, whip the heavy cream with the sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the mascarpone cheese and mix together.
       In a bowl, combine the liquor with the coffee.  This is used to dip the lady fingers in.
      Take a square pyrex, and start by spreading some of the mascarpone mixture.  Then dip the ladyfingers in the coffee-liquor on both sides, and arrange them, one after the other tightly.  Cover this with some of the mascarpone mixture again, and once more dip the lady fingers in the coffee and set them on top.  Cover again completely with the mascarpone.  And finally, pour the chocolate in a colander and sprinkle over the top to cover completely.
      Refrigerate for about 2 hours before serving it.  Qué aproveche!
 

Mother's Day

     Dear Moms, I did not forget your day.  I beg forgiveness for not congratulating all of you on time.  So now, from the bottom of my heart, I wish all of you a belated happy mother's day.  Moms are the greatest God's sent gift for any family.  Moms make the world turn, and they carry a great responsibility in bringing up wonderful children.  We should make each day special for them.  Not just mother's day.  So today, to all of you who have your mom close by, why don't you thank her?  Give her a big kiss, a tight hug and tell her how much she is appreciated.  As a mom myself, I can tell you it will make a great difference in her life.
     I know that sometimes, we, moms,  loose our minds.   Sometimes we carry on our shoulders more than we could, but at the end of the day, when our kids, kiss us goodnight, when after a hard working day, they come and tell us the magic words "I love you", then,  we forget everything that bothers us to rejoice in those kind,  innocent words, and all of a sudden, our job has a new meaning.  WE ARE MOMS!

    On this day mother's day, I spent it cooking for all my happy family, including my in laws.  We were many at the table, and I, could not be any more satisfied than to have all my dearest people close to me at such a special moment.
     My menu was simple.  I served different types of brusquettas as appetizers.  We also had prosciutto and arugula salad (featured in my salad recipes), and mozzarella rolls with basil, tomato and prosciutto.  Needless to say that all was gone by the time I served the main dish.
     For my main course, I made one of my specialties, lasagna.  I will give you my lasagna recipe soon.  Although, I have to advice you that it is a lot of work since I make everything, even the sauce, from scratch.
     To top it all off, I chose my apple cream cheese tart as a dessert.  This is a deliciously easy dessert to make.  It is sweet and tangy from the green apples that it is made of.  The truth is, that I could not have chosen a better dessert for this occasion.  And today, this is the recipe that I will share with you all.
    
Happy Mother's Day all year round!
Apple Cream Cheese Tart

Ingredients:

• 1 Frozen Puff Pastry Sheet (At the grocery's frozen section)
• 2 Green apples 
• 8 oz. Cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons of butter (cut in little squares)
• 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup of peach syrup

Defrost the pastry for about 20 minutes.  Sprinkle some flour around a flat surface to make it easier for the pastry to unfold.  Set it flat and cut in three equal rectangular pieces.  Let the cream cheese come to room temperature.
Slice all the apples thinly.
Arrange the pastry rectangles in a non stick baking tray, separated by an inch to an inch and a half.  Divide the cream cheese in three equal parts and spread it through the center of each pastry piece.  It doesn't need to be perfect because it will be covered by the apples.  Set up the apple slices one right next to the other (observe the picture on top.)  Scatter the butter all over the apples, and sprinkle with a mix of the sugar and the cinnamon.  And finally, brush the dessert with the syrup.  When I do not have syrup, I like to brush it with some type of sweet liquor.
Bake it for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until the edges of the pastry puff out and they have a light golden color.

Serve it with a scoop of ice cream and decorate it with a mint leave.  Que aproveche!

A Healthy yet Elegant Dessert

Strawberry Mascarpone Parfait
     My sister in law was recently released from the hospital.  I hadn't seen her since so...  what could be better than visiting her with a bag full of groceries and my desire to cook a great welcome home meal for her?  The menu was working itself inside my head.  After a quick visit to the supermarket with my 3 kids and 1 more ( my daughter's friend), I left the store in a rush before my bill increased up to $100 in candy, and other sweets that I didn't need.  Supermarket and hungry kids do not go together.  Well, I got to my sister's in law house and I already decided on the dessert.  It was going to be made out of strawberry, in season now, blueberries and my favorite dessert cheese of all, mascarpone cheese.  A very healthy dessert to cure the ailing.  Here it is how my strawberry mascarpone parfait came about.
Ingredients:

• 1 pack of fresh strawberries (large)
• 1 pack of fresh blueberries (large)
• Half a cup of sugar
• 1/4 of a cup of orange liquor or any other sweet liquor 
• 1 package of mascarpone cheese refrigerator
• half a cup of heavy whipping cream.

     Clean the strawberries and blueberries and pat dry.  In a pan, introduce about 5 large strawberries, already cut in smaller pieces, the sugar and 1/3 of a cup of water.  Cook on medium-low heat until the strawberries fall apart, then add the liquor and simmer for a few more minutes.  Take it out of the heat and strain it to leave the seeds out. It will look like a strawberry sauce.  Put it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve the dessert, since it should be assembled just before you eat it.
     Beat the cream and sugar together until the cream thickens.  Add the mascarpone and mix well.  You can do this step ahead, and let it sit in refrigerator for later.
    To assemble the parfait, get a large wine glass.  First, pour about 2 tablespoons of the strawberry sauce,  then add the mascarpone.  On top, layer the strawberries and blueberries, and again more mascarpone.  For the final touch,  add another tablespoon of the strawberry sauce to top it all off.
    This is a fairly easy dessert to make.  It is delicious, healthy and it looks good.  Be careful because it is extremely important that you assemble it just before you eat it.  It takes just a few minutes and your guests can finish up that last drop in the wine bottle while you get dessert ready.  I am pretty sure that all their patience will pay off with this healthy yet elegant dessert.  This will serve approximately 4 people. Que aproveche!  And do not forget to write with your comments.

Refreshing and Digestive Drink

LEMON SORBET
       The wonderful thing about this typical Spanish drink is that it is very refreshing, and it also helps to digest food easily.  Although, it is a drink, restaurants in Spain serve them as dessert.  The "sorbete de limon" is as easy as 1-2-3 and it will leave a lasting impression in your guests.
Ingredients:

• 1 quart of lemon sorbet (you will find this in the ice cream section)
• 1 cup of champagne or Spanish cava (it is cheaper than the French Champagne)
• 1 tsp of Ron Miel liquor ( a Canarian sweet liquor that will be soon available in Miami), or any dark colored rum

     For this dessert, you will need a blender.  Fill it in with the lemon sorbet and the champagne.  Mix it until the sorbet have blended completely with the champagne.  Serve it in tall champagne glasses and top it off with the liquor.  Add then a straw to it and...Buen Provecho!
This will serve approximately 4 people.

The Secret To My Perfect Flan

MY FLAN RECIPE


Ingredients:

• 1 can of condensed milk
• 4 eggs
• milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 
• a bit of lemon peel
• 1 cup and a half of caramel syrup

In a rectangular pyrex, or an aluminum pan ( approx. 4" by 9") introduce all the caramel and save.
In a food processor combine the can of condensed milk, the same amount of milk ( for this use the can as a measuring cup), the 4 eggs, the cinnamon and the vanilla extract.  Mix well.
Then, carefully pour the mix over the pyrex with the caramel and add the lemon peel.
Fill with water a bigger pyrex, about half way, and introduce the rectangular pyrex with the flan mix already prepared in it, in spanish, this is called bano maria, and put it in the oven uncovered at 375 degrees for about 1hour and a half.  The flan will be ready when you introduce a toothpick and it comes out clean.  Be on the lookout after an hour of cooking because cooking times depends on the ovens.
Buen aprovecho!