Tres Leches Cake

While talking to my mama recently, I was telling her that we had friends coming for dinner to celebrate Cinco De Mayo, not that I needed an excuse to have Mexican food, my f-a-v-o-r-i-t-e cuisine.   Our friends that joined us for our feast are Indian, so my mama say's "why are they celebrating Cinco De Mayo their not Mexican?"  Hmmm I then had to point out to my sweet mama,  neither am I.  😏

With our nationality taken care of it was time to focus on food, most importantly the dessert.  Tres Leches Cake or as some call it Three Milk Cake has been on my list to make for a long time.   This cake is soooo good!!!  Easy to make. Best made the day before, which is nice if you are having a dinner and you can make it and mark it off your list.  This dessert is perfect for summer or anytime.  

Spongy

Moist

Tres Leches Cake

Best Made The Day Before

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 whole large eggs, separated

1 cup granulated sugar, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup whole milk

1 can Evaporated Milk

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

Maraschino Cherries, optional.  Drain and rinse in cold water.  Dry really well on paper towels to keep from bleeding on your Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting.

Preparation:

1.  Preheat oven to 350'.  Spray a 9X13" pan with baking spray.

2.  Sift flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.  Separate eggs.

3.  Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup granulated sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow.  Stir in whole milk and vanilla.  Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.
4.  Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form.  With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.

5.  Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined.  Pour into pan that has been sprayed with baking spray and spread to even out the surface.

6.  Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter or leave in pan as I did and allow to cool.

7.  Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream in a small pitcher.  When cake is cool, pierce the surface of cake with a fork several times all over the top.  Slowly drizzle all but about 1 cup of the milk mixture, try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can.  Do this very slowly or the liquid will go straight to the bottom of the pan instead of soaking into the cake.

8.  Allow the cake to absorb the mixture for 30 minutes or so.  I actually covered it and put it in the refrigerator to get cold.   You want the cake to be cold before you put the frosting on.
9.  Make frosting using Stabilized Whipped Cream recipe below.  Frost cake.  Cover and Refrigerate!!!
Recipe adapted from: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/tres-leches-cake/

Stabilized Whipped Cream

Ingredients:
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 Tablespoon Jello Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix (dry)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar (or to taste)

Put all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, preferably one that has been chilled.
Mix on low speed until ingredients are combined.
Mix on high speed until soft peaks form, scraping sides of bowl often.
Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

These are always a big hit at dinner parties.

Serves 6-8

For the shrimp:

2 pounds (12-15 count) shrimp

1 Tablespoon good olive oil

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Old Bay Seasoning

For the Sauce:

1/2 cup chili sauce (recommended: Heinz)

1/2 cup ketchup

3 Tablespoons prepared horseradish

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)

Or

Thousand Island Dressing:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon minced capers
1 teaspoon minced gherkins
1 Tablespoon sweet pickles
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400'.

Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails on.  Place them on a sheet pan with the olive oil, salt, and pepper and a dusting of Old Bay Seasoning and  spread them in 1 layer.  Roast for 8-10 minutes, just until pink and firm and cooked through.  Set aside to cool.

For the sauce, combine the chili sauce, ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.  Serve as a dip with the shrimp.
For the dressing, place the mayonnaise, ketchup, caper, gherkins, sweet pickles, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl, and stir until blended.  Serve with roasted shrimp.

Recipe slightly adapted from:http://www.barefootcontessa.com

This can be prepared early in the day and refrigerated.

Orange Olive Oil Cake

Make a 9” round cake, I used a deep cake pan, this cake is to thick to use a regular size pan.

Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 ¾ cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 1/3 cup olive oil, you want to use a mild olive oil, I use  Colavita Olive Oil 100% pure, that I zest 3 oranges into the oil and warm (remember heat and olive oil to not go well together.)  Do not simmer, or boil, just barely heat and let set for 2 hours. Then strain and use in your cake.

1 ¼ cup whole milk

3 large eggs

1 ½ Tablespoon grated orange zest, I used zest from 2 oranges.

¼ cup fresh orange juice

¼ cup Grand Marnier

Heat the oven to 350’.  Oil, butter, or spray a 9” pan that is at least 2” deep and line the bottom with parchment paper.

In a bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and powder.  In another bowl, whisk the olive oil, milk, eggs, orange zest, orange juice and Grand Marnier.  Add the dry ingredients; whisk until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for up to 1 hour until the top is golden and a cake tester comes out clean.  Mine took under an hour so make  sure you watch it.    Transfer the cake to a rack and let cool for 30 minutes.  Run a knife around the edge of the pan, invert the cake onto the rack and let cool completely, 2 hours.

While Cake is cooling make Orange Curd:

6 egg yolks

½ cup sugar

½ cup fresh orange juice

4 ounces (8 Tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

zest of 2 oranges

Put egg yolks, sugar, orange juice in a medium saucepan over low heat, whisking constantly.

Continue whisking until the curd thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon: about 10 minutes. Be patient: it will happen!

Remove from heat and whisk the butter into the curd a few pieces at a time until they are melted and all of the butter is incorporated.  Whisk the zest in.  Let cool, measure out 1 cup and put in refrigerator to use in frosting.  Spread the remaining over cooled cake.

Frosting:

2 cups chilled whipping cream

1 (8 ounce) container mascarpone cheese

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 cup orange curd, that has been chilled

2 teaspoons orange zest

Whip the cream and mascarpone cheese together on medium peed until blended; gradually add the sugar and increase the speed to high and whip until firm peaks form.  Add orange curd and orange zest and mix until blended.  Frost cooled cake. Store cake in the refrigerator.

Candied Oranges:

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 orange

Bring water and sugar to a boil in a heavy large pan, stirring until the sugar dissolves.  Thinly slice oranges and add to pan, arranging the slices in a single layer.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and barely simmer until the white pith of the orange becomes translucent, turning the slices occasionally, about 40 minutes.

Remove the slices from the syrup and allow to cool on a wire rack; turning occasionally as they cool to keep them from sticking to the rack.

1 cut min in half with scissors while still barely warm and not yet firmed.

Once cooled place on cake.

To Assemble the cake:

Spread left over curd on cooled cake. Cover the entire cake or just the top with the frosting, and garnish with candied orange slices.  Keep cake in the refrigerator.

 I think it taste better made the day before.

Mashed Garlic Cauliflower

For years I never prepared cauliflower.  Why would I?  It has no taste, or so I thought.  Prior to trying this bowl of goodness I would make mashed potatoes as a side.  But, for the past couple of years, this is what I prepare.  Mash it so it's luscious, add a little cheese, butter and garlic and I could devour the entire bowl.  Oh wait, I have!

Ingredients:

1 medium head cauliflower

3 Tablespoons cream cheese, softened

1/4-1/2 cup grated Parmesan, you decide

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh or dry chives, for garnish

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

chicken broth (optional)

Directions:

Bring medium size pan of chicken broth or water to a boil.

Rinse and cut cauliflower in to small pieces.  Boil until done (tender).  Drain well, I place the cauliflower in a salad spinner and get as much water out as possible.  Do not let cool.  

In a blender or food processor, puree the cauliflower with the cream cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, pepper and butter until smooth.

Garnish with chives.

Tip: For a dinner party I will make this a day ahead and refrigerate it.  Time for dinner just pop it into the microwave, it heats up beautifully.

Individual Beef Wellingtons with Mushroom, Spinach & Blue Cheese Filling

This is the perfect make-ahead, company worthy meal.  I've made these several times.  There are various steps in the preparation, but come time for dinner, just pop them in the oven while your having cocktails and appetizers and by the time your ready to sit at the table they are ready and worth ever step you had to do to get them prepared.  They are delicious.  With the meat, filling and pastry you do not need to serve anything else with it, it is plenty on it's on.  I've done this many times, with a salad and side, way to much.  With a salad, to much.  With just the wellington, just the right amount.  Make it this weekend you will be glad you did.

Serves Six

Prepare the components of the Wellington the day before or the morning before you intend to assemble them.  Once assembled, freeze them for at least six to eight hours (ideally overnight) and up to a week.

For the pastry:
3 packages (1 pound each) frozen puff pastry (6 sheets total), such as Pepperidge Farm Brand
Flour for rolling

For the Mushrooms:
2 large portabella mushrooms, stems removed
6 Tablespoons olive oil; more for cooking
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, lightly chopped
1/2 teaspoon very roughly chopped fresh rosemary
Course salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the onions:
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3 medium onions (about 6 ounces each), thinly sliced
1/2 cup medium-dry sherry (i prefer Amontillado)
Course salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the spinach and cheese:
12 cups tightly packed spinach (about 14 ounces)
Pinch ground white pepper (optional)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
6 ounces Maytag blue cheese (or other good-quality blue, such as Roquefort)

For the filets:
6 portions beef tenderloin, 5-6 ounces (choose equal-size center-cut portions)
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
About 3/4 cup olive oil; more as needed

For assembly:
2 eggs, whited together lightly with 1 teaspoon water
Flour

To cook the Wellingtons:
2 eggs, whisked together lightly with 1 teaspoon water

Prepare the pastry and fillings:
Roll and cut the pastry-Roll out each of the six pastry sheets to about 3/16 " thick and, using a sharp knife, cut out a 10" round from each.  From the scraps, cut out your desired shapes to use as adornment.  Layer the pastry rounds (and the adornments) between pieces of waxed paper or parchment wrap the bundle well in plastic, and freeze again.

Cook the mushrooms-In a shallow bowl, toss the portabellas with the oil, garlic, thyme, and rosemary; cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.  Remove the portabellas from the marinade (they will have soaked up most of it) and season with salt and pepper.  Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add a thin film of oil, and sear the portabellas on both sides on both sides until they've softened and browned, about 5 minutes per side.  Transfer them to paper towels and turn them once to drain both sides.  When cool, cut them in half and cut the halves into strips about 1/2 inch thick.

Caramelize the onions-Melt the butter in a heavy sauté' pan over medium heat.  Add the onions, reduce the heat to medium low, and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until well browned, soft, and sweet, 30 to 40 minutes.  Add the sherry and cook until the pan is dry.  Season with salt and pepper.  Set aside to cool.  Put the cooled onions in a colander set in a bowl; cover and refrigerate.

Prepare the spinach and cheese-Wash the spinach well and remove any stems.  Prepare and ice-water bath.  Put half of the spinach in a large sauté' pan with a touch of water, 1 Tablespoon of the butter, a pinch of salt, and a little ground white pepper if you like.  Toss over medium heat, just until wilted and immediately put it in the water bath to shock the color and stop the cooking.  Scoop it from the ice water and put it in a colander to drain.  Squeeze the spinach, a small handful at a time, as much as you can and set it aside on paper towels to continue draining.  Repeat with the remaining spinach.  Cover with plastic and refrigerate.  Divide the blue cheese into six 1-oz. portions.  Try slicing the whole piece into six slices; if it crumbles, just evenly divide the cheese.  Cover and refrigerate.

Squeeze and squeeze again-until the spinach for your filling is as dry as it can be.

Sear the filets-Season each portion of meat very generously on both sides with salt and pepper.  Rub the seasoning into the meat to keep it in place.  Pour 1/8 " olive oil into a heavy sauté' pan and heat it until just smoking.  Sear the filets over high heat for 2 minutes on each side until brown and crisp on the outside.  Be sure your pan is very hot so that you just sear the meat and don't overcook it, and don't crowd the pan or the meat will steam rather than sear.  (Check the sides to be sure the filets are still red in the middle.)  Work in batches if necessary.  Refrigerate the meat until chilled or until ready to use, up to 24 hours.

Sear the beef filets for a nice crust but a still- red center-once wrapped in pastry and baked, they'll cook to medium rare.

Assemble the Wellingtons:
Arrange the mushrooms, onions, spinach, cheese, and filets on your counter.  Divide the portabella strips into six portions.  Make sure the caramelized onions are well drained (they tend to collect liquid as they sit) and divide them into six portions.  Squeeze the spinach again, divide it into six portions, and leave it on paper towels for any further draining.  Cover a large rimmed baking seer (that fits in your freezer) with kitchen parchment.  Have a ruler, a small sharp knife, a pastry brush, and the egg wash on hand.  Lightly flour one area of your counter (the cooler the area the better).

Pull a pastry round (and two decorative pieces) from the freezer and set it on the floured surface. Work quickly to maintain the integrity of the pastry.  Lightly score a 4x3" rectangle in the center of the round; don't cut through the pastry.  Extend the lines of the rectangle and cut out the corner of the round created by the line extensions, leaving a cross of pastry with a 4x3" center.

Cut a cross shape out of the pastry round.  Save the scraps to cut out decorations.

Give a spinach portion one last squeeze and spread half of it over the rectangle of pastry.  Follow with a  portion of blue cheese, a portion of onions, a filet, a portion of portabellas in one layer, and the rest of the spinach portion.  Spread each layer as evenly as possible.  Brush a light coating of the egg wash on each of the four panels of dough.

Layer spinach, blue cheese, onions, a filet, mushrooms, and more spinach the center of the pastry.

Check to be sure that the pastry is now pliable enough to fold without breaking (wait a minute or two if necessary).  Fold each side panel onto the top, stretching the dough a bit if necessary to make the ends meet, or slightly overlapping if necessary.  Follow suit with the tip and bottom panels.  Seal the panels together by pressing in the top panel where it meets the bottom panel and by pinching each of the four sides together where the panels meet.  Don't worry if the package doesn't look gorgeous; it's more important that it's well sealed so the juices don't leak out.

Fold up the longer sides first and then the ends.

Hold the package upright in your hands, securing all the seals and smoothen the rough spots to make the package into a neat, rounded block. Set it seam side down and gently press the top and sides to make them as even all the way around as possible.  Brush the top and all sides with egg wash.  Put the decorations on top and brush with egg wash.  (You'll be cutting the package in half, so separate the decorations.)  Set the Wellington on the parchment-lined baking sheet.  Put the pan in the freezer to set and chill the pastry.  Repeat with the 5 remaining Wellingtons, adding each to the pan in the freezer as you go.  After they chill for an hour, wrap them well in plastic individually and return them to the freezer.

Cook the Wellingtons:

Heat the oven to 400'.  Make another egg wash.  Remove the Wellingtons from the freezer (do not thaw) and brush them with a fresh coat of egg wash.  Put them on a lightly greased rimmed heavy baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes.  Reduce the heat to 350' and cook until the internal temperature is 110' (be sure the tip of the thermometer is inserted in the center of the package), another 35-40 minutes.  Set them aside to rest for no longer than 10 minutes.  The tightly enclosed beef will continue to cook out of the oven, so if you have to wait for more than 10 minutes, trim the sides of the pastry to let out some of the hot steam and reduce the internal temperature.  Cut each Wellington in half, arrange on warm plates, and serve immediately.
Recipe source:http://www.finecooking.com

Lemon Polenta Cake

This is one of my favored cakes, therefore I have made it several times.  It was introduce to me by a friend of mine, Jhumpa although I believe it is one of Nigella Lawson's recipes.

Cake:

1 3/4 sticks (14 Tablespoons) soft unsalted butter

1 cup superfine sugar

2 cups almond meal/flour

3/4 cup fine polenta (I use House Autry Yellow Plain Cornmeal, Old Fashioned Stone Ground)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3 large eggs

Zest of 2 lemons (save the juice for the syrup)

Syrup:

Juice of 2 lemons

Heaping 1 cup confectioners' sugar

Special equipment: 

1 (9") springform pan

Line the bottom of your cake pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.

Preheat oven to 350'.

With a mixer beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Mix together the almond meal, polenta and baking powder, and beat some of this into the butter-sugar mixture.  Alternate dry ingredients and eggs, beating all the while.

Beat in the lemon zest and spoon the mixture into your prepared pan and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes.  It may seem wobbly but, if the cake is cooked, a cake tester should come out cleanish and, the edges of the cake will have begun to shrink away from the sides of the pan.  Remove from the oven to a wire cooling rack but leave in its pan.  

For the syrup:

Boiling together the lemon juice and confectioners' sugar in a small saucepan.  Once the confectioners' sugar has dissolved into the juice, you're done.  Prick the top of the cake all over with a cake tester.  Pour the warm syrup over the cake, and leave to cool before taking it our of its pan.

Make Ahead Note:

The cake can be baked up to 3 days aged and stored in airtight container in a cool place.  Will keep for total of 5-6 days.

Freeze Note:

The cake can be frozen on its lining paper as soon as cooled, wrapped in double layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil, for up to 1 month.  Thaw for 3-4 hours at room temperature. 

Recipe source: http://www.nigella.com

My little addition to this recipe:  

Make an extra recipe of the syrup and when serving make a puddle on the plate the lay the cake on top.

Frost the top of the cake with Stabilized Whipped Cream, top with your choice of berries.  Store in the refrigerator.  

Stabilized Whipped Cream:

You can make  this whipped topping ahead of time and it won't separate or go runny!  The vanilla pudding adds an extra richness to the flavor without being enough to know that its instant pudding.  You could use any flavor of instant pudding to change up the usual whipped cream flavors.

Ingredients:

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1 Tablespoon Jello Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix (dry)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup confectioners' sugar (or to taste)

Put all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Mix on low speed until ingredients are combined.

Mix on high speed until soft peaks form, scraping sides of bowl often. 

Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.