Mexican Desserts
If you're like me, when someone says Mexican food, your mind goes to the main part of the meal. But desserts? No way.
But there are plenty of Mexican Desserts out there that are worth making, as these six desserts prove. Check out the Cannoli Quesadilla with Strawberry Sauce, the Dulce De Leche Banana Pie, or any of the other Mexican Desserts in today's post. Enjoy!
MEXICAN DESSERT TRIFLES
This is from Stephanie in her really wonderful food sited, Worth Whisking. If you've never visited the site, I seriously suggest checking it out. Go ahead, I'll wait…
Okay, Stephanie starts the recipe off this way: "I've been brainstorming this recipe for about a month on and off. Just every now and then when my mind wasn’t totally preoccupied by school, and I could think a bit creatively. My husband and I had dinner at a local Mexican restaurant about a month back, and as is super common for any restaurant I visit, my eyes wandered to the dessert section of the menu first. (Actually, this is almost a given!)
"It’s pretty rare for me to get dessert at a Mexican restaurant. Rare, as in almost never. Mostly because I fill up on free tortilla chips pretty much every time! (Those things are evil! How can I resist large, warm, crispy tortilla chips? Impossible, I say!) So, this particular day was no different. Definitely no dessert for me, but it all sounded so good!! Xango – creamy cheesecake wrapped in a fried cinnamon/sugar dusted pastry tortilla. Sopapilla – fried flour tortilla with honey, butter, and cinnamon. Fried ice cream – ice cream rolled in corn flakes and cinnamon, served with honey. Does anything there sound repulsive in any way? No? Didn’t think so."
She then goes on to describe the process of coming up with this absolute yumminess. I really (really) suggest you check it out!
Prep Time: 30 mins; Cook Time: 27 mins; Total Time: 57 mins; Servings: 6 mini trifles
Check this out at https://www.worthwhisking.com/mexican-dessert-trifles/.
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Layer
8 ounces cream cheese softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 8- ounce package Cool Whip thawed
Crust Layer
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 refrigerated pie crusts
3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Cinnamon Crunch Layer
2-1/2 cups corn flake cereal
1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Honey
Directions
Cream Cheese Layer
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. About 2 minutes.
Fold the Cool Whip into the cream cheese mixture with a spatula until completely combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Crust
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
Bring pie crusts to room temperature per package instructions. Brush one side of one crust with butter. Sprinkle with approximately 1/4 of the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Flip crust over and repeat. Repeat with second pie crust.
Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut each pie crust into squares approximately 1/2” x 1/2”. Spread the squares evenly across prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, stirring the crust pieces every 3-4 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on baking sheets.
Cinnamon Crunch Layer
While the crust pieces are baking, place cereal in a food processor and process until finely crushed. (Or, place cereal in a sealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.) Place crushed cereal in a medium sized mixing bowl and mix in butter. Stir in sugar and cinnamon until well blended.
Spread the cereal mixture in a thin layer on a rimmed baking sheet. When the crusts are finished baking, bake the cereal mixture at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 3-5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on baking sheet.
Assembly
Place several pie crust pieces in the bottom of each small parfait or trifle glass. Pipe or spoon a layer of the cream cheese mixture over the crust pieces. Sprinkle the cinnamon crunch over the cream cheese to cover. Repeat with another layer of pie crust pieces and cream cheese mixture. Drizzle honey over the top cream cheese layer and then sprinkle with cinnamon crunch to cover.
MEXICAN CRULLERS (CHURROS)
This is from Daisy Martinez on the Cooking Channel. Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 50 minutes; Yield: 12 to 15 minutes; Level: Intermediate
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 cup water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 to 5 eggs
Canola oil, for frying
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
To make the crullers: In a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup water, the butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt over medium-high heat until the edges of the liquid start to bubble. Add the flour all at once and stir briskly with a wooden spoon until well mixed and no lumps of flour remain.
Remove from the heat. Add 4 of the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each. The dough should look soft and glossy and keep a "hook" shape when the spoon is pulled from the dough. If not, beat in the last egg.
Scrape the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pour enough canola oil into a deep heavy skillet (cast iron is ideal) to fill 1-inch. Heat over medium heat until the tip of the handle of a wooden spoon gives off a slow steady stream of tiny bubbles. Carefully pipe the dough into the oil, forming 6-inch crullers. Pipe only as many crullers into the oil as fit comfortably. Overcrowding the pan will result in soggy crullers. Fry, turning once, until golden brown on each side. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Put the sugar and the cinnamon in a paper bag. Crimp the top and shake well to mix. Drop a few crullers at a time into the bag and shake until coated. Best served as soon as possible.
CANNOLI QUESADILLA WITH STRAWBERRY SAUCE
This was in an old Weight Watchers email (we're talking more than 10 years ago). The plan has changed several times since then.
This recipe begins, “Whip up this Italian-inspired specialty in honor of Mother’s Day. Topped with a simple strawberry sauce or just sliced strawberries, it’s a sweet treat every mom will love.”
POINTS® Value: 3 (value from when this recipe was emailed); Servings: 4; Preparation Time: 10 min; Cooking Time: 1 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
8 oz fat-free ricotta cheese
3 Tbsp McNeil Nutritionals SPLENDA No Calorie Sweetener, or similar product, or to taste
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
4 medium whole wheat tortilla
5 oz sweetened frozen whole strawberries, partially thawed and pureed (1/2 a 10 oz package), or whole sliced strawberries if you prefer
Directions
Mix together ricotta cheese, Splenda and almond extract by hand in a large bowl until well-combined and smooth; gently fold in chocolate chips. Chill for at least 2 hours (and up to overnight); drain off any liquid.
To soften tortillas, wrap them in layers of paper towels and then microwave them on high for 30 seconds.
Place about 1/4 cup of cheese mixture down the center of each cooled tortilla; fold tortilla over in half (or roll up burrito-style). Drizzle each serving with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of strawberry sauce or top with fresh strawberry slices; serve immediately. Yields 1 cannoli per serving.
Notes: Add more Splenda if you prefer your desserts very sweet. And feel free to top the quesadillas with freshly sliced strawberries when they’re in season. Or you can use a combination of pureed and sliced strawberries.
Note: Okay, this is me talking. I personally would refrain from the Splenda, simply because I'm not a big fan of non-sugar (read not-quite-sure-it's-not-synthetic) sweeteners. But that's my preference. I would use sugar or no sweetener at all. It's your call here.
DULCE DE LECHE BANANA PIE
This yummy recipe, from Old El Paso, begins, “A flaky homemade pie crust complements a caramel and banana cream filling.”
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes; Prep Time: 20 minutes; 8 Servings; 10 Ingredients
To view this yumminess, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/dulce-de-leche-banana-pie.
Ingredients
Crust
1 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
Filling
1 can (13.4 oz) dulce de leche
3 ripe medium bananas
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Instructions
Heat oven to 450°F. In medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and dough almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
On lightly floured surface, shape dough into a ball. Flatten ball to 1/2-inch thickness, rounding and smoothing edges. With floured rolling pin, roll dough into 11-inch round, rolling from center to edge. Fold dough in half; place in 9-inch glass pie plate. Unfold; gently press in bottom and up side of plate, being careful not to stretch dough.
Fold and roll edge of dough under, even with plate; flute edge. Prick bottom and side of dough generously with fork. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Spoon contents of can of dulce de leche into center of cooled crust; gently spread to edge. Thinly slice bananas; arrange over dulce de leche.
In medium bowl, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spread over bananas.
In small resealable freezer plastic bag, place chocolate chips and oil; seal bag. Microwave on High 30 seconds; knead bag to mix melted chips and unmelted chips. Microwave 15 to 30 seconds longer or until all chips are melted and smooth. Snip off tiny corner of bag. Pipe melted chocolate mixture over whipped cream. Store pie in refrigerator.
Expert Tips
Dulce de leche is a traditional Spanish confection made from milk. It's a popular culinary reference to rich caramel flavors. Look for canned dulce de leche in the Hispanic section of the supermarket.
MINI CHURRO DOUGHNUT HOLES
This yummy recipe is from Old El Paso, and begins, “This DIY version of fair food goes bite-size and gets an added flavor boost from caramel.”
By Pillsbury Kitchens
Total Time: 15 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Servings: 8
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Canola oil for deep-frying
1/2 cup cinnamon-sugar
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury™ Grands!™ Flaky Layers refrigerated Original biscuits
Caramel sauce, if desired
Instructions
Fill 3-quart saucepan one-third full with oil. Heat over medium heat to about 350°F. Line plate with paper towels; set aside.
In small bowl, stir together cinnamon-sugar and powdered sugar; set aside.
Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Split each biscuit into 2 rounds; place on cutting board. Using very small doughnut-hole cutter or mouth of an empty bottle, cut out mini-sized doughnut holes.
When oil is hot, carefully drop a few of the doughnut holes into oil at a time. (See Tip.) Using slotted metal spoon or kitchen spider, continuously turn holes over and over until golden brown. Remove from oil; place on paper towel-lined plate to drain. Immediately place holes in sugar mixture; coat completely. Serve doughnut holes immediately drizzled with caramel sauce.
Expert Tips
The safest way to fry is to bring your hand close to the oil and gently drop in the dough versus quickly dropping and splashing the oil.
To prep ahead by a few hours, you can cut the dough and store it in a zipper-topped plastic bag in the fridge.
STUFFED PINATA CAKE
This is from The Food Network, and begins, “Your guests will certainly be delighted by the sight of this bright cake. But make sure they don't put their cameras away too soon: once you cut into it, a candy surprise comes spilling out!”
Total: 3 hours 15 minutes; Active: 1 hour 5 minutes; Yield: 8 to 10; Level: Intermediate
To view this online, go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/stuffed-pinata-cake.
Ingredients
Frosting:
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch fine salt
6 large egg whites
4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, cut into 1-1/2-inch chunks, at room temperature
5 cups sweetened shredded coconut
Filling and Decoration:
Blue, orange, yellow, purple and pink food coloring
2 cups of your favorite small and soft candies (none in wrappers), such as gummies or candy-covered chocolates
Cake:
12 tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups sugar
Directions
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with butter and line the bottom of each with parchment.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the milk, vanilla, eggs and egg yolk together in another medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium high until light and fluffy. Add about a third of the flour mixture and beat on medium low until incorporated. Now add a third of the egg-milk mixture and continue to beat on medium low until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Repeat with the remaining flour and egg-milk mixtures, finishing with the flour.
Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake until the cake bounces back when pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely in the cake pans on a rack.
For the frosting: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a heatproof stand mixer's bowl above the water.
Add the sugar, lemon juice, salt and egg whites to the mixer bowl and whisk together by hand. Set the bowl above the boiling water and whisk until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar completely dissolves. Transfer to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until cool and the whites hold stiff peaks, 10 to 15 minutes.
Toss in a couple of chunks of butter at a time, making sure the pieces are incorporated before adding more. After all the butter is added, continue beating on medium-high speed. The mixture will deflate and appear curdled. Continue beating until the frosting comes back together to a smooth and spreadable consistency. (If the frosting is very soft or begins to break, refrigerate until set but still spreadable, then beat until light before using.)
For the filling and decoration: Dye the coconut: Have ready 5 resealable plastic bags or plastic containers. Put 1-1/2 cups of the coconut in one container with 6 to 8 drops of blue food coloring. Put 1 cup of coconut in the second container with 5 to 6 drops of orange food coloring, 1 cup of coconut in the third with 5 to 6 drops yellow food coloring and 1 cup of coconut in the fourth with 6 to 8 drops purple food coloring. Put the remaining 1/2 cup coconut in the fifth container with 4 to 5 drops pink food coloring. Seal each container and shake vigorously until the coconut is evenly dyed. Add more food coloring 1 drop at a time as needed to get bright, vibrant colors.
Assemble the cake: Cut a 4-inch circle out of the center of each cake (reserve the small cut-out cake rounds). Put one of the cake rings on a cake stand or serving platter and frost with about 1 cup of frosting. Put the other cake ring on top and push down slightly. Fill the hole with candy. Cut one of the reserved cake rounds in half horizontally to make 2 thinner rounds. Use one to fill the hole on top of the cake. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
Cut a strip of parchment about 30 inches long and 3 inches wide. Wrap this parchment around the cake like a collar, leaving 1 inch of frosting exposed around the bottom perimeter of the cake. Pack some of the blue coconut onto the exposed frosting to make your first strip of color. Lift the collar up another 1 inch and do the same with the orange coconut. Remove the collar and fill the remaining inch of frosting with the yellow coconut. For the top, make 1-inch-wide rings, starting on the outside and working your way in, with the purple, pink, blue and orange coconut until the top is completely covered. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving.
But there are plenty of Mexican Desserts out there that are worth making, as these six desserts prove. Check out the Cannoli Quesadilla with Strawberry Sauce, the Dulce De Leche Banana Pie, or any of the other Mexican Desserts in today's post. Enjoy!
MEXICAN DESSERT TRIFLES
This is from Stephanie in her really wonderful food sited, Worth Whisking. If you've never visited the site, I seriously suggest checking it out. Go ahead, I'll wait…
Okay, Stephanie starts the recipe off this way: "I've been brainstorming this recipe for about a month on and off. Just every now and then when my mind wasn’t totally preoccupied by school, and I could think a bit creatively. My husband and I had dinner at a local Mexican restaurant about a month back, and as is super common for any restaurant I visit, my eyes wandered to the dessert section of the menu first. (Actually, this is almost a given!)
"It’s pretty rare for me to get dessert at a Mexican restaurant. Rare, as in almost never. Mostly because I fill up on free tortilla chips pretty much every time! (Those things are evil! How can I resist large, warm, crispy tortilla chips? Impossible, I say!) So, this particular day was no different. Definitely no dessert for me, but it all sounded so good!! Xango – creamy cheesecake wrapped in a fried cinnamon/sugar dusted pastry tortilla. Sopapilla – fried flour tortilla with honey, butter, and cinnamon. Fried ice cream – ice cream rolled in corn flakes and cinnamon, served with honey. Does anything there sound repulsive in any way? No? Didn’t think so."
She then goes on to describe the process of coming up with this absolute yumminess. I really (really) suggest you check it out!
Prep Time: 30 mins; Cook Time: 27 mins; Total Time: 57 mins; Servings: 6 mini trifles
Check this out at https://www.worthwhisking.com/mexican-dessert-trifles/.
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Layer
8 ounces cream cheese softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 8- ounce package Cool Whip thawed
Crust Layer
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 refrigerated pie crusts
3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Cinnamon Crunch Layer
2-1/2 cups corn flake cereal
1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Honey
Directions
Cream Cheese Layer
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. About 2 minutes.
Fold the Cool Whip into the cream cheese mixture with a spatula until completely combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Crust
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
Bring pie crusts to room temperature per package instructions. Brush one side of one crust with butter. Sprinkle with approximately 1/4 of the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Flip crust over and repeat. Repeat with second pie crust.
Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut each pie crust into squares approximately 1/2” x 1/2”. Spread the squares evenly across prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, stirring the crust pieces every 3-4 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on baking sheets.
Cinnamon Crunch Layer
While the crust pieces are baking, place cereal in a food processor and process until finely crushed. (Or, place cereal in a sealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.) Place crushed cereal in a medium sized mixing bowl and mix in butter. Stir in sugar and cinnamon until well blended.
Spread the cereal mixture in a thin layer on a rimmed baking sheet. When the crusts are finished baking, bake the cereal mixture at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 3-5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on baking sheet.
Assembly
Place several pie crust pieces in the bottom of each small parfait or trifle glass. Pipe or spoon a layer of the cream cheese mixture over the crust pieces. Sprinkle the cinnamon crunch over the cream cheese to cover. Repeat with another layer of pie crust pieces and cream cheese mixture. Drizzle honey over the top cream cheese layer and then sprinkle with cinnamon crunch to cover.
MEXICAN CRULLERS (CHURROS)
This is from Daisy Martinez on the Cooking Channel. Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 50 minutes; Yield: 12 to 15 minutes; Level: Intermediate
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 cup water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 to 5 eggs
Canola oil, for frying
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
To make the crullers: In a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup water, the butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt over medium-high heat until the edges of the liquid start to bubble. Add the flour all at once and stir briskly with a wooden spoon until well mixed and no lumps of flour remain.
Remove from the heat. Add 4 of the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each. The dough should look soft and glossy and keep a "hook" shape when the spoon is pulled from the dough. If not, beat in the last egg.
Scrape the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pour enough canola oil into a deep heavy skillet (cast iron is ideal) to fill 1-inch. Heat over medium heat until the tip of the handle of a wooden spoon gives off a slow steady stream of tiny bubbles. Carefully pipe the dough into the oil, forming 6-inch crullers. Pipe only as many crullers into the oil as fit comfortably. Overcrowding the pan will result in soggy crullers. Fry, turning once, until golden brown on each side. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Put the sugar and the cinnamon in a paper bag. Crimp the top and shake well to mix. Drop a few crullers at a time into the bag and shake until coated. Best served as soon as possible.
CANNOLI QUESADILLA WITH STRAWBERRY SAUCE
This was in an old Weight Watchers email (we're talking more than 10 years ago). The plan has changed several times since then.
This recipe begins, “Whip up this Italian-inspired specialty in honor of Mother’s Day. Topped with a simple strawberry sauce or just sliced strawberries, it’s a sweet treat every mom will love.”
POINTS® Value: 3 (value from when this recipe was emailed); Servings: 4; Preparation Time: 10 min; Cooking Time: 1 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
8 oz fat-free ricotta cheese
3 Tbsp McNeil Nutritionals SPLENDA No Calorie Sweetener, or similar product, or to taste
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
4 medium whole wheat tortilla
5 oz sweetened frozen whole strawberries, partially thawed and pureed (1/2 a 10 oz package), or whole sliced strawberries if you prefer
Directions
Mix together ricotta cheese, Splenda and almond extract by hand in a large bowl until well-combined and smooth; gently fold in chocolate chips. Chill for at least 2 hours (and up to overnight); drain off any liquid.
To soften tortillas, wrap them in layers of paper towels and then microwave them on high for 30 seconds.
Place about 1/4 cup of cheese mixture down the center of each cooled tortilla; fold tortilla over in half (or roll up burrito-style). Drizzle each serving with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of strawberry sauce or top with fresh strawberry slices; serve immediately. Yields 1 cannoli per serving.
Notes: Add more Splenda if you prefer your desserts very sweet. And feel free to top the quesadillas with freshly sliced strawberries when they’re in season. Or you can use a combination of pureed and sliced strawberries.
Note: Okay, this is me talking. I personally would refrain from the Splenda, simply because I'm not a big fan of non-sugar (read not-quite-sure-it's-not-synthetic) sweeteners. But that's my preference. I would use sugar or no sweetener at all. It's your call here.
DULCE DE LECHE BANANA PIE
This yummy recipe, from Old El Paso, begins, “A flaky homemade pie crust complements a caramel and banana cream filling.”
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes; Prep Time: 20 minutes; 8 Servings; 10 Ingredients
To view this yumminess, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/dulce-de-leche-banana-pie.
Ingredients
Crust
1 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
Filling
1 can (13.4 oz) dulce de leche
3 ripe medium bananas
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Instructions
Heat oven to 450°F. In medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and dough almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
On lightly floured surface, shape dough into a ball. Flatten ball to 1/2-inch thickness, rounding and smoothing edges. With floured rolling pin, roll dough into 11-inch round, rolling from center to edge. Fold dough in half; place in 9-inch glass pie plate. Unfold; gently press in bottom and up side of plate, being careful not to stretch dough.
Fold and roll edge of dough under, even with plate; flute edge. Prick bottom and side of dough generously with fork. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Spoon contents of can of dulce de leche into center of cooled crust; gently spread to edge. Thinly slice bananas; arrange over dulce de leche.
In medium bowl, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spread over bananas.
In small resealable freezer plastic bag, place chocolate chips and oil; seal bag. Microwave on High 30 seconds; knead bag to mix melted chips and unmelted chips. Microwave 15 to 30 seconds longer or until all chips are melted and smooth. Snip off tiny corner of bag. Pipe melted chocolate mixture over whipped cream. Store pie in refrigerator.
Expert Tips
Dulce de leche is a traditional Spanish confection made from milk. It's a popular culinary reference to rich caramel flavors. Look for canned dulce de leche in the Hispanic section of the supermarket.
MINI CHURRO DOUGHNUT HOLES
This yummy recipe is from Old El Paso, and begins, “This DIY version of fair food goes bite-size and gets an added flavor boost from caramel.”
By Pillsbury Kitchens
Total Time: 15 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Servings: 8
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Canola oil for deep-frying
1/2 cup cinnamon-sugar
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury™ Grands!™ Flaky Layers refrigerated Original biscuits
Caramel sauce, if desired
Instructions
Fill 3-quart saucepan one-third full with oil. Heat over medium heat to about 350°F. Line plate with paper towels; set aside.
In small bowl, stir together cinnamon-sugar and powdered sugar; set aside.
Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Split each biscuit into 2 rounds; place on cutting board. Using very small doughnut-hole cutter or mouth of an empty bottle, cut out mini-sized doughnut holes.
When oil is hot, carefully drop a few of the doughnut holes into oil at a time. (See Tip.) Using slotted metal spoon or kitchen spider, continuously turn holes over and over until golden brown. Remove from oil; place on paper towel-lined plate to drain. Immediately place holes in sugar mixture; coat completely. Serve doughnut holes immediately drizzled with caramel sauce.
Expert Tips
The safest way to fry is to bring your hand close to the oil and gently drop in the dough versus quickly dropping and splashing the oil.
To prep ahead by a few hours, you can cut the dough and store it in a zipper-topped plastic bag in the fridge.
STUFFED PINATA CAKE
This is from The Food Network, and begins, “Your guests will certainly be delighted by the sight of this bright cake. But make sure they don't put their cameras away too soon: once you cut into it, a candy surprise comes spilling out!”
Total: 3 hours 15 minutes; Active: 1 hour 5 minutes; Yield: 8 to 10; Level: Intermediate
To view this online, go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/stuffed-pinata-cake.
Ingredients
Frosting:
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch fine salt
6 large egg whites
4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, cut into 1-1/2-inch chunks, at room temperature
5 cups sweetened shredded coconut
Filling and Decoration:
Blue, orange, yellow, purple and pink food coloring
2 cups of your favorite small and soft candies (none in wrappers), such as gummies or candy-covered chocolates
Cake:
12 tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups sugar
Directions
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with butter and line the bottom of each with parchment.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the milk, vanilla, eggs and egg yolk together in another medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium high until light and fluffy. Add about a third of the flour mixture and beat on medium low until incorporated. Now add a third of the egg-milk mixture and continue to beat on medium low until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Repeat with the remaining flour and egg-milk mixtures, finishing with the flour.
Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake until the cake bounces back when pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely in the cake pans on a rack.
For the frosting: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a heatproof stand mixer's bowl above the water.
Add the sugar, lemon juice, salt and egg whites to the mixer bowl and whisk together by hand. Set the bowl above the boiling water and whisk until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar completely dissolves. Transfer to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until cool and the whites hold stiff peaks, 10 to 15 minutes.
Toss in a couple of chunks of butter at a time, making sure the pieces are incorporated before adding more. After all the butter is added, continue beating on medium-high speed. The mixture will deflate and appear curdled. Continue beating until the frosting comes back together to a smooth and spreadable consistency. (If the frosting is very soft or begins to break, refrigerate until set but still spreadable, then beat until light before using.)
For the filling and decoration: Dye the coconut: Have ready 5 resealable plastic bags or plastic containers. Put 1-1/2 cups of the coconut in one container with 6 to 8 drops of blue food coloring. Put 1 cup of coconut in the second container with 5 to 6 drops of orange food coloring, 1 cup of coconut in the third with 5 to 6 drops yellow food coloring and 1 cup of coconut in the fourth with 6 to 8 drops purple food coloring. Put the remaining 1/2 cup coconut in the fifth container with 4 to 5 drops pink food coloring. Seal each container and shake vigorously until the coconut is evenly dyed. Add more food coloring 1 drop at a time as needed to get bright, vibrant colors.
Assemble the cake: Cut a 4-inch circle out of the center of each cake (reserve the small cut-out cake rounds). Put one of the cake rings on a cake stand or serving platter and frost with about 1 cup of frosting. Put the other cake ring on top and push down slightly. Fill the hole with candy. Cut one of the reserved cake rounds in half horizontally to make 2 thinner rounds. Use one to fill the hole on top of the cake. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
Cut a strip of parchment about 30 inches long and 3 inches wide. Wrap this parchment around the cake like a collar, leaving 1 inch of frosting exposed around the bottom perimeter of the cake. Pack some of the blue coconut onto the exposed frosting to make your first strip of color. Lift the collar up another 1 inch and do the same with the orange coconut. Remove the collar and fill the remaining inch of frosting with the yellow coconut. For the top, make 1-inch-wide rings, starting on the outside and working your way in, with the purple, pink, blue and orange coconut until the top is completely covered. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving.
Comments
Post a Comment