It's Officially National Pi Day!

Four & Twenty Blackbirds

3/14, 3.14: The Celebration of ratio of the circumference of a circle or Hold that Pie Chart....what better reason to celebrate the Glorious Pie? Really, do we need a reason?? Apparently the House of Representatives made it officially Pi Day & they never make mistakes do they? Check out the Wikipedia Pi Day link! Why did the photo of the Pi guy make me smile?


What about that blackbird pie poem from childhood?  Pie has been national past time for literally centuries, there are volumes written, childhood poems glorifying them but the end result is still the same. One of my daughters likes to call the fruit pies: "hot mushy fruit". Whether you enjoy a creamy custard or hearty apple pie it can be a satisfying experience paired with a cup of coffee & lingering conversation.  It may not sound exciting but no dessert brings back memories for me like a family pie recipe. Having said that I thought I'd share a quick Fresh Blueberry Pie which had even the least likely of pie fans at our home eating this pie & wanting seconds.Our blueberries have been so delicious here. I've been buying those pints of berries & eating them over yogurt & cereal more often than not however they are perfect for sauces & desserts. Hope you enjoyed your Pi Day!

Fresh Texas Blueberries

Fresh Blueberry Pie
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2/3 cup water
4 cups fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Con Olio Lemon Balsamic Vinegar
1 teaspoon melted butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons equal parts sugar & cinnamon
17.3 oz box of Puff Pastry, thawed, 2 sheets
In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch, stir in water. Bring to a boil; stirring constantly, boil for 1 minute. Add blueberries, lemon juice & vinegar. Line a lightly buttered deep dish (9 inch) pie pan with 1 puff pastry sheet. Pour blueberry mixture into the crust then layer the top of the fruit with the second layer of puff pastry, loosely fold both crust at the edge to loosely seal the edges. Lightly crimp drizzle melted butter & sprinkle with sugar & cinnamon. Bake at 425° for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Enjoy!

Need more diversity in your pie?

Sing a song of sixpence a pocket full of rye,
Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened the birds began to sing,
Oh wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the king?
The king was in his counting house counting out his money,
The queen was in the parlor eating bread and honey
The maid was in the garden hanging out the clothes,
When down came a blackbird and pecked off her nose!

(**eeks! Not certain why this poem make it into the bedtime repertoire of so many children.)

The "un-birthday cake"

A very merry unbirthday to you



Our youngest daughter has always been the "un-birthday" cake girl! When she was little she would stick her fingers in the frosting & pose for those cutesy photos parents have of their toddlers. You know the pics with the fingers dripping with sugary sweetness. In truth though when she was able to express her opinion at birthday events she never wanted a birthday cake. She was that kid at a birthday party who didn't want a sugary piece of birthday cake loaded with frosting. The "un-birthday cake" girl ate Cookie cakes for years. Now that she is older she actually has a little more variety in her dessert repertoire but still manage to keep it simple. When she had a birthday this week I stumbled upon a great idea for a small gathering birthday celebration. Why not make a loaf pan sized birthday cake? Our family tends to have a birthday every 4 weeks in the summer & fall. We get overloaded on cake to be honest. The smaller sized cake seems like the perfect way to celebrate & have our cake too! Why did it take me so long to come up with this "small un-birthday cake" idea?










Lemon Pound Cake
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons salted butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon Paula's Texas Lemon Liqueur
Juice from two medium lemons (approx 1/3 cup)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease & flour a 9x5 loaf pan well. (I used a Nordic Ware loaf pan with many nooks & tiny spots) make sure to get the entire pan greased & floured so the cake will have nice clear definition.

In a medium bowl sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder.

In mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream butter. Add sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon extract, lemon juice and oil until mixed well.

Gradually add dry ingredient mixture to your mixer and blend until smooth.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until wooden skewer comes out clean. Edges should be golden brown & will continue crisp upon cooling.

Let cake cool before spreading the icing over the cake.


Ingredients for Lemon Liqueur Icing
1 cup plus 1 teaspoon powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon Paula's Texas Lemon Liqueur
For icing blend powdered sugar, milk, and lemon extract & Lemon Liqueur until creamy. Ice the top of your cake and let the icing drip down the sides of your pound cake. Let icing set on the pound cake before slicing.


When making a flavored Pound Cake try using a local liqueur. Austin Texas has many local flavors but this one really caught our interest & has so many possibilities. Paula's Texas Lemon Liqueur also has a delicious Orange Liqueur.

Cold Weather Pressure Cooking

Pressure cooking or cooking under pressure? Could she keep the kitchen ceiling free of her Yankee Pot roast?


















My first memory of a pressure cooker harkens back to childhood when our family lived in Alaska. My Mom expanded the culinary horizons for our family cranking out jams, jellies, pickles, canned veggies. She even canned what seemed to be oceans of salmon. I seriously do not remember too much about the experience except for the hiss of the Pressure cooker steam & the caution we used when it was in operation. It was a large affair which held several quart jars & a pressure gauge on the top which led me to believe I would surely never have need for something so complicated when I was an adult.

I was well into married life when I found out that pressure cookers could save time & had many more uses beyond home canning. When my husband bought me a pressure cooker I was excited & more than a little cautious. I heard tales from my husband's Grandmother & Aunt of exploding pressure cookers & was told of kitchen disasters that made the women of the family fall silent. I seriously wondered if they were challenging me or guessing I would become too overwhelmed to use my new cooker. I wondered what if anything I could make with such a frightening kitchen instrument? I had visions of food exploding from the steam vent or an entire roast blown to bits on my kitchen ceiling. I discussed pressure cooking with my mother & soon realized I could certainly handle the challenge. After all the first commercial pressure cooker in the U.S. made a debut at the New York World's Fair in 1939, it was made by National Presto Industries. I had a Presto Pressure cooker, how difficult could it be? I eventually found the meats I prepared were more tender while the time I could spend cooking was reduced. I ultimately became a fan of cooking "under pressure". While I still use my pressure cooker for steaming the perfect artichokes or the yearly Corned Beef Roast on Saint Patricks Day, truth be told it does sit collecting dust much of the time. I felt challenged this week to make an entire meal with my pressure cooker. I craved French Onion Soup when the latest Mid Winter storm blew across the United States. I also thought I could get my husband to try a new rice pudding recipe as well (he is not a big fan of rice pudding). I found a recipe by Giada de Laurentis for Chocolate Rice Pudding. While Giada's is a stove top version & mine uses different Chocolate, it was a great starting point from which I could come up with the Pressure Cooked Mexican Chocolate Rice Pudding.


















Pressure Cooked Mexican Chocolate Rice Pudding
2 cups whole milk + 1/4 cup reserved for later
1 cup water
1 cup Arborio rice
2/3 cup raw sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest (from 1 tangerine)
1 teaspoon vanilla, Mexican La Vincedora vanilla
1/2 of 1 3.1 oz round Mexican Chocolate, either Ibarra or Abuelita brand**
1/2 - 4 oz Special Dark Hershey's Baking Bar, melted
1 egg, beaten

Melt butter in cooker and pour rice in and stir rice to cover totally with butter.
Add the sugar, 2 cups of milk, water & ground Mexican chocolate which has been finely ground. (see below) Put cover onto the pressure cooker, keep at medium heat.
Pressure cook for 8 minutes at 15 p.s.i. Don't begin timing the 8 minutes until the cooker is fully up to pressure and constantly emitting a gentle stream of steam. Please check Pressure cooker directions & or refer to Pressure Cooker Safety

In a small bowl mix 1 egg with 1/4 cup whole milk and 1 t vanilla.
Temper egg mixture by adding a bit of the hot rice mixture and stirring. Repeat several times at least. Then mix the egg mixture into the pot and cook (uncovered) until it just begins to bubble a bit.
Stir the orange zest into the mixture. Add the melted Hershey's baking chocolate and stir until well blended. Allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Spoon the rice pudding into serving bowls. This is delicious served warm or cover and refrigerate for 2 1/2 to 3 hours and up to 1 day ahead. Maybe garnished with whipped cream or fresh orange zest.

I actually use a coffee grinder to grind my Mexican chocolate into a fine powder for this Rice Pudding.

















**Break 1/2 of the hard round Mexican chocolate & break apart with a large knife, then put into food processor/grinder & blend the chocolate into a fine powder. This type of Mexican Chocolate is found in a octagonal or round cardboard box in Latin grocery stores. It is hard & comes in individual round cakes.



















Surely everyone has a favorite restaurant they order French Onion at or a much loved recipe but even this soup can be improved upon in the Pressure Cooker. This French Onion soup has Fresh Ginger & Herbes de Provence, Pressure cooking cuts work & time down to less than 30 minutes for a bowl of one of our family favorite soups.

Pressure Cooked French Onion Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups thinly sliced Spanish Onions
2 cloves garlic, sliced very thin
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon fresh grated Ginger
1/2 cup dry sherry
5 cups beef stock or broth
sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese
Sliced Baguette rounds toasted, 2 per bowl

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes. Add herbes de provence, ginger, dry sherry, and 2 cups of stock.

Cover and bring to high pressure over high heat. Lower the heat to stabilize the pressure. Cook for 6 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let the pressure release or drop by using the quick release method. Make certain you review Pressure Cooker Safety methods before cooking with a pressure cooker
Unlock and remove the pressure cooker cover.
Add the remaining 3 cups of stock and bring to a simmer. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
Ladle the soup into heatproof bowls. Float 2 baguette rounds on top of soup and sprinkle with the grated cheese.
6 servings

For anyone new or newly returning to Pressure Cooking I recommend Gina Steer's "The Pressure Cooker Cookbook", very good selection of recipes & techniques.

Smoking Chipotle Brownies heat up my Valentine~

Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit. ~Peter Ustinov

Year after year I give the same Valentine gift to Mr. Texas2Mexico... this year I was determined to make something a different. Smoking, smoldering & some sizzle make this a Brownie with a South of the Border kick!

When I first arrived in Mexico I remember calling a friend in Texas for her brownie recipe & trying to locate Hershey's Cocoa in the town we were living in then. She told me that with as much history has Mexico had going for it with Cocoa I should be able to find some great alternatives. The Mexican Cocoa we use for making Mexican Hot Cocoa isn't normally used for brownies however I found this addition made a good Brownie recipe even better. The Chipotle Peppers in this recipe make a crisp new flavor added to this old standard. I'm still using the Hershey's cocoa but the new flavors certainly kick the savory Brownies up a notch or two.

The Chipotle Peppers packed in Adobo Sauce I use are ground into a paste which makes adding into the batter easy. 2 things to remember. Before adding to the recipe taste the Chipotle, some of it can be likened to drinking straight from Hell's firehose! The Chipotle Peppers I used were almost mild in flavor so I was able to use the entire 4 inch long pepper. The very small cans of Chipotle peppers found in the states are small cans & they tend to be of the hotter than hot variety. If this is the case measure out no more than 2 tsp. into the Brownie mix. Don't worry about the seeds. What would any dish with chili peppers be without the seeds?

The Chipotles date back to region that is now northern Mexico City, prior to the Aztec civilization. It is conjectured that the Aztecs smoked the chilies because the thick, fleshy, jalapeno was difficult to dry and prone to rot. The Aztecs used the same "smoke drying" process for the chilies as they used for drying meats.**

The Fischer & Wieser Raspberry Chipotle Sauce I use in the Brownie frosting is a Texas original & is now sold in many fine grocery stores throughout the US, we can even find it in Northern Mexico. If you cannot locate it, go to the Website: www.jelly.com



CREAMY CHIPOTLE BROWNIES

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla
2 eggs
1 Chipotle Pepper in adobo, blend or process until it becomes a paste.
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1, 2 oz. Round IBARRA or ABUELITA Mexican Chocolate, broken into pieces
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
RASPBERRY BROWNIE FROSTING(recipe follows)
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan.

2. In food processor or blender grind the 2 oz. broken Mexican chocolate pieces with 1/2 sugar & then add to total cocoa & sugar mixture then proceed with rest of recipe. (Do not use more than 1 cup of Sugar total.) For Chipotle Pepper; drain, remove stem & process into a paste in the blender, adding water if needed to attain consistency of a paste. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon. Add Chipotle Chili pepper, mix well distributing the pepper paste well through the mixture.. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in nuts, if desired. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.

3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.Do not over bake, these are best when moist. Prepare RASPBERRY BROWNIE FROSTING; spread over brownies. Cut into squares. About 12-16 brownies.

RASPBERRY BROWNIE FROSTING

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
3 tablespoons HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 tablespoon Fischer & Wieser Raspberry Chipotle Sauce or Raspberry Jam
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
Pecan halves for garnish

Beat butter, cocoa, Raspberry Chipotle Sauce (or Raspberry Jam) and vanilla in small bowl until blended. Add powdered sugar and milk; beat to spreading consistency. About 1 cup frosting. Frost Brownies when cooled & garnish with Pecans.

**Online info for Chipotle Pepper info. http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/chipotle.htm

Inauguration Menu Remix & Ex Pats throwing a party!

No A-list celebrities here in Mexico but the Ex Patriot community partied & celebrated as the United States had the 44th President sworn into office. Anytime, in any country there is a peaceful transition of power it should be cause for celebration & joy. Politics & cultural differences aside there were 5 nations represented at the fun event hosted at Tresa Arami's home. The food, beverages & company was truly outstanding. I took a Lemon Dried Cherry Cake as well as some Star Sugar Cookies decorated with blue royal frosting & blue sugar crystals. **late night cookie decorating is horrible on Mexican tiled floors, those sugar crystals seem to have multiplied!

The official Inaugural menu was published this week & the 2009 Presidential Inauguration Luncheon Menu included a recipe for Herb Roasted Pheasant with Wild Rice Stuffing. To see the menu, china & related items go here~http://inaugural.senate.gov/While most of us don't have Pheasant close at hand chicken breast is a suitable substitute. Not wanting to stuff the breast with the pulverized tenderloin mixture (on the official menu)I made an adjustment in that area. The size of a Pheasant breast would warrant a modest addition of protein but chicken breast is much more substantial & held very well with the rice mixture minus the extra tenderloin. I'll admit my version is more of an "average Joe" recipe. I've also included the cake recipe I baked in the "American Star" Bundt cake pan. Buen Provecho!

I leave you with these words from Inauguration Day poet, Elizabeth Alexander. "I need to see what's on the other side; I know there's something better down the road."
Tomorrow morning in Washington D.C. the real work begins~




















Herb Roasted Chicken with Wild Rice Stuffing (*No pheasant here)
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients
5 Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cut small pocket in side of breast for stuffing
½ cup Olive oil with chopped rosemary, thyme and sage *1 round Tbsp each herb
1 cup Wild rice, long grain mixture
2 cups Chicken stock or canned chicken broth
2 Carrots, diced
½ Onion, diced
½ cup Dried apricot, small diced
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 Tablespoon Salt and pepper mix
2 Tablespoons Garlic, roasted
Directions
1. Boil the rice with the chicken stock, cook until soft and most of the liquid is gone.
2. Add the onion, carrot, garlic and apricot. Cook until the vegetables are soft and all liquid has been absorbed. Refrigerate rice mixture until cool.
3. When rice is cool, add bread crumbs & 1 egg to the rice until well mixed. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and return to refrigerator until ready to stuff.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
5. Make 5 small football shaped patties of the rice mix, stuff inside the chicken breast, being careful not to over stuff. Rub herb/oil mixture on top & season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a roasting pan and then in a preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes. (test chicken to make certain juices run clear & chicken is done) Remove from oven and cover with lid or foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Lemon Dried Cherry Cake
3 sticks butter, softened
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice*
3/4 cup chopped, dried cherries

heat oven 325* Grease & flour bundt cake pan, set aside. In lg. bowl beat eggs & sugar until light & fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. In medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder & salt. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning & ending with flour mixture. Stir in vanilla & lemon juice, fold in cherries. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 325* for 1 hour 10 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in pan. Remove from pan & cool, glaze or sprinkle with powdered sugar. *In Mexico real lemon juice is hard to locate so I used lime juice. This was still very nice. This recipe came with the Nordic Ware American Star Bundt Pan.

She loved Sinatra...

My grandmother left this world this past week a few weeks shy of her 88th birthday. She was a remarkable woman who left an enduring legacy of love, joy, beauty & style. Simple words cannot describe her life or the impact she had upon her family but she left the world around her richer & a seemingly better place to be in. I will continue to use her as the measure of how to live & treat others. Never will I hear a Frank Sinatra tune or the hundreds of other joys I know she had & not think of her. Kindness was her virtue & soft were her words.
Margaret Ann Harrington, 1920~2008















Rare is a childhood memory complete which doesn't include Nana. Sister & I rang in the New Year in 1965 with our Nana & Grandaddy (& Raggedy Ann of course~)

Nana was a beautiful woman lucky enough to marry a man who cooked for her but she had a few favorites which make me think of her. Both she & my Great Grandmother enjoyed making this simple cake with Apricot or Strawberry Nectar. Easy & elegant we made it for the 2009 New Years Eve at our house.
APRICOT NECTAR CAKE
1 yellow cake mix
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted and cooled
1 tbsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. apricot nectar
Place caked mix in a large bowl and add the sugar, butter, eggs, apricot nectar and vanilla. Beat with a mixer for 8 minutes. Pour into a well greased and floured tube pan (A Bundt pan works nicely). Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 55 minutes. Turn off oven and let cake set inside oven for additional 10 minutes. Cool partially and then remove cake from pan. I wait till the pan is cool enough to handle with bare hands & then turn out the cake onto a wire rack. Glaze cake while still warm.
GLAZE: Confectioners sugar and some additional apricot nectar mixed to desired consistency. Sprinkle with light dusting of powdered sugar.
*The Apricot cake can also be a strawberry cake using strawberry nectar instead.

Cinnamon Rolls-Scents from heaven~~~~

My mother has always been my kitchen inspiration, I recently asked her for a recipe she used to make when our family lived in Alaska. In my memories there will never be a more sensual & wonderful experience than the rich spicy cinnamon scents drifting from Mom's kitchen. Whether it was the warm home cure of cinnamon stick tea or her cinnamon rolls the scents will always be heavenly. As the days here in Mexico grow shorter & the heat seems to lessen I am more nostalgic about baking & things "Fall-like" even when the temperatures still seem tropical. Mom used a batter bread recipe for her rolls which makes up fast & delivers great cinnamon bread or cinnamon rolls. My variation uses dried cranberries & raw mascobado sugar. With the wide variety of dried fruit & nuts available truly any flavor or variation would be nice. Experiment, enjoy & share!




















Cinnamon Rolls

* 1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
* 1 1/3 cups warm water
* 3 1/4 cups flour
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1 teaspoons salt
* 1 tablespoons shortening, softened
* Cinnamon, 2 Tbsp (more if needed)
* 1/2 Brown Sugar or Mascobado (raw) Sugar
* 1/2 Pecans, chopped
* 1/4 Dried Cranberries

Directions
Dissolve yeast in water, in a large bowl.
Add half the flour, and the sugar, salt,and shortening.
Blend at low speed, then beat 2 minutes at med speed.
Mix in remaining flour by hand.
Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Stir the batter hard for 30 seconds.
Spread onto floured board into a rectangle(batter will be sticky). Use enough flour to work into smooth dough. On the center of the rectangle dot with dried cranberries, chopped pecans, sprinkle with cinnamon & brown or mascobado sugar & 2 Tbsp. melted butter. Roll lengthwise into long log shape. Cut into 2 to 2/1/2 inch cinnamon rolls. Place upright, exposing sliced end upward into a prepared baking dish (9X13)*Prepare the pan by spraying with baking spray, sprinkle with 3 Tbsp. pecans, 1/4 c. brown or mascobado sugar. Lay the cinnamon rolls inside the pan. Bake at 350* for 30 min. or till the cinnamon rolls are golden brown & brown sugar is bubbling around the edge of the pan. Turn the cinnamon rolls out onto platter after the pan is cool enough to touch but still warm. Rearrange any of the "topping" so the glaze is evenly distributed onto the cinnamon rolls. Serve warm.

New twist on a Southern Favorite!

Sometimes Change is Good, it just has to be the right change!!!


















The whole lack of finding good lemons here in Mexico forced me to get creative when I wanted to bake this favorite dessert. I've blogged a Lemon bar recipe previously, after all Lady Bird Johnson loved these sweet concoctions. However, if Lady Bird had ever been cooking South of the Border even she would have met resistance trying to locate lemons in Mexico!! The Rosemary herb & Orange flavors meld nicely into a subtle sweet concoction. Getting creative sometimes yields a surprisingly nice change. Buen Provencho!


Orange Rosemary Bars
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter
Mix the flour, sugar and butter as for a pie crust. Pat evenly into a 9x18-inch (or equivalent) jelly roll pan. Bake in preheated 350°F degree oven until very light brown, about 15 minutes.
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 beaten eggs
6 Tablespoons orange juice and 1 tablespoon finely grated zest of orange
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
confectioners' sugar
Mix ingredients, except for the confectioners' sugar, in the order given and pour over the baked crust. Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven & immediately sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

Cool dessert for warm nights!

Living in Mexico when I find a new recipe, I always have a couple of questions I ask myself. Can I buy, beg, borrow or steal the ingredients! While we have many things we can buy; there are still so many key ingredients to a recipe one can search endlessly for, never quite achieving the intended results. It's truly like an old fashioned game of hide & seek. I bring back copious amounts of key spices, flavorings, etc. from the States but some recipes; however creative I get, seem to fall short of the mark. Currently, I Can find all of the ingredients for this recipe~"Yay!!!" (often the recipes are filed away for another day, another search or a trip to the border!) This recipe however hits the spot, is a Light recipe & gives a satisfying "ice cream brain freeze" to boot! Mr. Texas to Mexico even had 2 portions of this as I served it last evening for the first time! This might be nice next time with a chocolate graham crust too~ Buen Provencho!


















Frozen Cherries Jubilee Pie
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons brandy
1 (12-ounce) package frozen pitted dark sweet cherries
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 9 cookie sheets)
4 cups vanilla low-fat ice cream, softened
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°. Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Cool completely. Combine butter and honey in a medium bowl. Add graham cracker crumbs, stirring to blend. Press mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 375° for 8 minutes. Cool completely. Place 1/2 cup cooled cherry mixture in a food processor; process until smooth. Place the remaining cherry mixture in an airtight container; cover and chill. Place softened ice cream in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add pureed cherry mixture, and gently fold in to achieve a swirl pattern. Spoon mixture into the cooled crust. Cover and freeze 4 hours or until firm. Top with reserved cherry sauce just before serving.

Taken from Cooking Light online magazine

Baking for the Spring Breakers, "Easter Cakelets"

Buttery Pound Cake~Cakelets
1 pound butter, softened
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup milk

*Glaze with simple syrup of 1/2 H2O & 1/2 c. Sugar bring to a boil & add 1 tsp. Amaretto. Sift powdered sugar over the top & cool.


Preparation
Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until the yellow disappears after each addition. Add extracts, beating just until blended. Gradually add flour, beating at low speed until combined. Add milk, beating until smooth. Pour batter into a greased and floured 12-cup **Bundt pan.
Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack. Serve with desired toppings.

Yield
Makes 10 to 12 servings
**I actually cut this recipe in half for the small amount of "Cakelets" I wanted to make for Spring Break. This recipe cut in half makes one pan of the Nordic ware Cakelets.

Roses as Double Chocolate Cakes here South of the Border

Valentine's Day baking requires a trip to the exclusive "Aladino's" import store featuring items which make baking a little easier! The up-charge at Aladino's is ridiculously high but well worth it if I want to bake a sweet item with the taste of home for my Valentine~~¡Feliz Día de San Valentín!




















Double Chocolate Cakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup egg substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup 1% low-fat buttermilk
1 1/4 ounces dark (70 percent cocoa) chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons powdered sugar


Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir with a whisk.

Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well combined (about 3 minutes). Add egg substitute and vanilla, beating well. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to granulated sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in chocolate. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups lined or greased & floured baking pan. Bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan; cool completely on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.

{Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2007}

Join me in the tap, Tapioca?

Tapioca? Yes, this old time standard apparently never went away South of the Border. It is often on dessert menus in Mexico & is mucho popular all throughout Latin America. It could have much to do with the origin of Tapioca which is made from root of the cassava plant (aka: Manioc). In the 19th Century this was used as a medicinal product. This pudding either has people liking it or hating it. There seems to be no gray areas on Tapioca preference. *I can hear my sister & my daughter gagging about now...In a time when more people are paying attention to food allergies this is a Gluten-Free product. If you haven't tried it in a while don't go buy those little prepacked cups of the stuff, try making it. Buen Provencho!

Classic Tapioca Pudding~like your mother used to make!
1/3 c. lg. size pearl tapioca (not instant)
2 1/4 c. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
Soak tapioca in water for 4 to 12 hours. Add milk and salt. Heat and stir until barely boiling. Simmer at low heat, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sugar gradually. Beat eggs. Mix with some of hot tapioca. Return slowly to rest of mixture. Bring to boil, stirring constantly for 3 minutes to achieve pudding consistency. Cook 15 minutes. Add vanilla.

If I knew you were coming, I'd have baked a cake.

Let's see, I do know she is arriving soon~so I'm baking a cake!! I don't want to toil away in the Cocina while she is visiting so I'm getting ready! What would be great for a South of the Border Patti visit? I believe good old fashioned Chocolate!!!























CHOCOLATE MAYONNAISE CAKE

2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
4 tbsp. cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. water
1 c. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. Mexican vanilla
Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add the water and beat 1 minute. Add the mayonnaise and beat 1 minute. Add the vanilla and beat 1 minute.
Pour into a greased and floured pan, 13 x 9 inch square for a very high cake. *Sprinkle with chopped nuts and chocolate bits as frosting, or frost later. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

When life gives you Bananas~

Banana Bread

3 ripe bananas, mushed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven 350. Grease & flour large loaf pan.
Mix all wet ingredients adding 2 eggs last (1 at a time). Mix well. Sift all dry ingredients (except pecans)together, then mix in wet ingredients. Mix well. If adding nuts blend in then pour batter into lg. loaf pan or 2 small pans. Bake till top is firm or toothpick comes out clean after inserted. For one large loaf bake time is 1 hr.

This recipe is from St. Paul's United Methodist Church Cookbook~their Jubilee Cookbook. Some of the best recipes come from church cookbooks.

Mexican Flan with a dark side.

Dia y Noche, is the name given this dessert since there are two distictive layers within this Mexican Flan. This cake is sold in many of the local pastery shops.

Chocolate Flan Cake

3 eggs
1 can of sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
1 can of evaporated milk (12 fl oz)
1 bar of cream cheese (8 oz)
1 tsp vanilla
1 box devil's food chocolate cake


Combine eggs, condensed milk, evaporated milk, cream cheese, and vanilla in a blender and mix well. (this is the Flan for the top)

*Prepare devil’s food chocolate cake mix according to box directions.

Butter a Bundt pan (or other large, deep pan). The pan should be buttered very well; place the chocolate cake mix in the pan and carefully spoon the flan mixture from the blender on top of the cake mix.
Cover pan with aluminum foil and place in a water bath. The water should cover the pan about half way. Bake for approximately 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes at 375 F. Check the cake with a knife until it comes clean to make sure is cooked. The chocolate cake will be cooked, but the flan may take longer.

Remove cake from the oven let cool for 30 - 60 minutes and then flip onto serving plate. Refrigerate overnight for the flan to completely set.
Top with butterscotch, caramel, chocolate syrup, or any other sweet topping just before serving.

Snack Attack, Puppy Chow Style!

In honor of our newest little friend here I thought this was a perfect recipe to post!!! Even if it does combine Chocolate with Peanut butter~not one of my favorites!

PUPPY CHOW SNACK MIX
1 pkg. chocolate chips (12 oz.)
1 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. butter
1 box Corn or Rice Chex
1 c. mixed nuts
1-2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. salt, mixed into powdered sugar(omit if nuts are salted)
Melt over medium heat in double boiler butter, chocolate chips and peanut butter once melted. Pour over top of cereal and nuts mixture. Mix carefully until all coated.
In (*grocery sized) paper bag pour in 1 cup powdered sugar and coated cereal and nut mixture. Shake until all pieces are coated. This is cute served in "doggie" dishes.
*This works best so the ingredients all are coated & don't stick to the bag.