Pastel de Tres Leches

Pastel de Tres Leches by Chelsie Kenyon

"Pastel de Tres Leches" or "Tres Leches Cake" is named for the three milks in the soaking liquid (Leche means milk in Spanish.) The three milks in the soaking sauce for Tres Leches are sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream. The heavy cream is also whipped up to use as the topping. Due to the rich ingredients and that it is soaked in a creamy syrup, Tres Leches Cake is extremely dense and moist, almost like a custard. Tres Leches is sweet and delicious, but it is nothing like a traditional dry cake that is light and fluffy.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 large eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• Cream Syrup for Soaking (see recipe below)
• Whipped Topping (see recipe below)

Preparation:

Combine flour and baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the oil, sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add the eggs to the sugar mixture one at a time until well combined. Stir in the 1/2 cup of milk, then gently fold in the flour mixture a little at a time. Pour batter into a lightly greased cake pan or baking dish and bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until it feels firm and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Let the cake cool until it feels room temperature. Turn it over onto a platter with raised edges. Pierce cake with a fork 20-30 times. Let it cool in the refrigerator for an additional 30 minutes.
Cream Syrup

• 12 oz. evaporated milk
• 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon rum or brandy (optional)

Whisk together the three milks and the rum or brandy if you are using it. Slowly pour the liquid over the cooled cake. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Occasionally, spoon the milk runoff back onto the cake.
Whipped Topping

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon sugar

In a chilled mixing bowl add heavy cream, vanilla and sugar. Beat on high speed until peaks form. Spread a thin layer over the cake.
Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon or garnish with fresh berries.

Egg Nog Custard Pie

1 pie crust
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups egg nog
4 eggs
freshly grated nutmeg


Heat oven to 425 degrees Bake pie crust for 9 minutes of until golden.
Combine all ingredients and pour into the partially baked crust Bake for 35 - 40 minutes.You may need to cover your crusts to avoid over baking after 20 minutes. Cool completely  before storing in fridge. Use extra pastry and cut out Christmas Decor and brush lightly with butter, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Use the baked motifs to edge your pie.

7 Layer Bars

7 Layer Bars
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/3 cups shredded coconut

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. Place butter in 13 x 9 inch pan and melt in oven. Swirl to coat bottom and sides with butter.
3. Spread crumbs evenly over bottom of pan. Layer chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and nuts over crumbs. Pour condensed milk over nuts. Sprinkle coconut over condensed milk.
4. Bake until edges are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool.

Grans Italian Buttercream Frosting

Pass The Butter ... Cream

As I perused through one of my Grans recipe tins, which is an awesome little trinket on its own! I found a recipe that was titled Buttercream Frosting. OK simple enough, no, not really. It is outlandish how much butter goes into this amazing little frosting recipe. What are you thinking, maybe a half cup? Nu-uh! Read on.

Grans Buttercream
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
2 cups softened butter (I can see certain cupcake gurus eyes go huge. Natalie Slater comes to mind after watching her on you tube)
Grease a measure cup and set aside. 1or 2 cup size will do. Beat the yolks in a large bowl until very pale in colour *this is important and then set aside. Combine sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil (don't use a flimsy pot) Stir constantly. Pour the syrup into the greased measure cup. Ok ready. Beat the syrup into the egg yolks into a steady stream avoiding the moving beaters (you all know why) You are beating this until the mixture is cool.
Now one tablespoon at a time beat in the butter. This is totally worth it to watch how this evolves! Once all your butter is fluffed in use it right away or store tightly sealed in the refridgerator. You are gonna love the feel of this in your mouth!

I have beaten cotton candy extract into the buttercream, as well as melted 71% dark chocolate YUM! We also now have Neilsen Massey extracts in our online store. You know the ones Martha uses. Yes THAT Martha! So we are going to try the coffee and the lemon. I will update you as soon as I can. You can click our link for that. Cheers!

Christmas Onion Soup Warmer

The recipe:
4 tbsp butter
2 large white sweet onions thinly sliced
2 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup dry white wine
8 cups of broth (4 cups chicken & 4 cups beef) or
8 cups veggie broth
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf (2 small)
ground sea salt and ground pink pepper
8 slices thick sliced french bread (fresh)
1 3/4 cups shredded Emmental cheese

Make this soup in advance and refrigerate until ready to use. Fantastic to serve after sledding or caroling or just walking in the fresh fallen snow. =o)

Melt the butter in a large pot and add the onions and cook on low for 30 minutes. The onions will be very soft and lightly browned, now add sugar and cook for another 6 minutes on low heat. Add all wine and stir gently for an additional 5 minutes (don't skimp on time) Change to medium heat and bubble for 2 minutes then add broths, thyme and bay leafs. Reduce heat to medium cover and simmer for one hour. Season with salt and pepper. Store in fridge until ready to use.

In a wonderful soup tureen pour reheated hot soup after removing thyme and bay leafs. Top with 8 slices of fresh bakery french bread and cheese. Set tureen under a broiler for 4-6 minutes being careful not to char the cheese. Serve immediately.
You can also use 8 individual french onion soup bowls should you wish.
Enjoy

George Carlin One tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila Floor Pineapple Cake

George Carlin One tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila Floor Pineapple Cake

This is for you Dawn Trott-Keller xox
The pineapple: Day before, using a syringe pierce pineapple and infuse with 4 ounces of gold tequila.

The Cake:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soft cinnamon (grated)
6 tablespoons butter (soft but NOT melted)
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3 tbsp gold tequila
3/4 cup buttermilk (remove 1tbsp and reserve)
Whisk all dry ingredients together in a bowl.
In Mixer add butterand sugar and beat until light (at least 4 minutes) Add the eggs one at a time beating for 1 minute after each egg. Beat in the tequila in a steady stream on medium speed. Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Leave batter stand while preparing pinapple.

Core and cut the pineapple into small pieces for cupcakes or slightly larger for cake. (Cupcakes I cut into 1/4 inch cubes) For the Cake I cut rings that are just over 1/4" thick.
For the topping (bottoms up) 4 tbsps butter, 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, 1 tbsp gold tequila, Your prepared pineapple.

Cupcakes: place a small amount 1 1/2 tbsp pineapple topping in bottom of each liner (must be foil) you can fleck with maraschino cherries if you like
Cake: Lightly grease 2 sandwich pans and arrange your pineapple topping on bottom, you can fleck with maraschino cherries if you like
Cupcakes: using a server, drop in batter so that your cake liners are 2/3 full (you need size 70 or 75 for these) Top with brown sugar cake filling. Bake 23 minutes @ 350 degrees
Cake: Pour batter divided equally between both pans. You will layer these after cooled with brown sugar cake filling. Cake bakes for 45 minutes @ 350 degrees
Brown Sugar Cake Filling:
4 egg yolks, beaten
1 cup brown sugar
8-oz. sour cream + 1 tbsp reserved buttermilk
2 tablespoons flour
Pinch of salt
1 tsp tequila or vanilla
Directions:In a saucepan, mix together all the ingredients except the nuts and vanilla. Cook and stir the filling over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Add the vanilla, stir well.

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

Photo by Joy the Baker. I love to try recipes by Joy and this one was a top hitter because of 1. my love of Joy and 2. my love of Ovaltine. I did do one modification and I added 3 tablespoons of Nutella into the frosting. =o) Thank you Joy big LOVE!

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

makes 24 cupcakes

from Organic and Chic

Print this Recipe!

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out

2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together milk, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds.  Set aside.

In a stand mixer, fit with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  This may take 3 to 5 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is well incorporated.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition.  If the batter begins to looks a bit curdled, that’s alright.

with the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the vanilla milk mixture in three batches, starting and ending with the flour.  When the batter is almost combined, stop the mixer and finish mixing the batter with a spatula, making sure that any flour bits at the bottom of the bowl are well incorporated.

Divide into the lined cupcake pan and bake for 25 minutes or until golden and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely before frosting.

The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

makes enough to frost 24 cupcakes or one 8-inch layer cake

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tablespoons Nutella

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup Ovaltine

Cream together butter, cocoa powder and salt. Butter mixture will be very thick. Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add powdered sugar. Turn mixer on low and mix in powdered sugar while adding milk and vanilla extract. As the sugar incorporates, raise the speed of the mixer to beat the frosting. Beat until smooth. In a 1-cup measuring glass, stir together heavy cream and Ovaltine. Turn mixer speed to medium and pour cream mixture into frosting in a slow, steady stream, until you’ve reached your desired consistency.  You may not need the full amount of Ovaltine and cream.  Spread or pipe onto cupcakes.  Yuuuuuuuuum!!

Carrot Cake by My Mum

Temperature 350   55- 60 minutes 9X12 pan Fat Daddios

2 cups sugar
1 cup cooking oil
1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cups all purp flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrot
Heat oven to 350 Grease and flour pan Cream sugar and oil together for 5 minutes Sift all dry ingredients together and add to sugar - oil mixture. Add the eggs one at a time beating for 2 minutes after each egg. Then beat the carrots in slowly.
Bake


Top Secret Frosting
6  tbsp butter
3 oz cream cheese
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
2 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans for top
Cream together adding sugar slowly Beat on high for 6 minutes.

Gingerbread Men

Gingerbread Men
125g butter, at room temperature
100g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
125ml (1/2 cup) golden syrup
1 egg, separated
375g (2 1/2 cups) plain flour
1 tbs ground ginger 
1 tbsp cinnamon soft grated mexican
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush 2 baking trays with melted butter to lightly grease.
2. Use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the golden syrup and egg yolk and beat until combined. Stir in the flour, ginger, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Press dough into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
3. Place the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll out until about 4mm thick. Use a 9cm gingerbread man cutter to cut out shapes. Place on trays about 3cm apart. Repeat with any excess dough.
4. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until brown. Remove from oven. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Granny's Pumpkin Cake

This is a moist dense cake that Grannie made in Scotland Bakery
Beat well:
1 1/2 c sugar + 9 ounces of cooking oil
Add and beat very very well:  3 eggs
Add Dry:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp ginger (you can add finely diced candied ginger as well)
*Edna you would like the candied ginger addition for the spicy =o)
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp mace (very important)
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Lastly Add:
1  14 ounce can pure pumpkin
1 cup golden raisins

We use an 8" cake pan with 4 inch sides for this recipe. (I use Fat Daddios Pans) Bake @ 350 for 50- 55 minutes. This cake can be cut into multiple layers to make a torte or alternatively you can use it for sculpting. Extra cake can be mashed and stirred into cream cheese frosting with 1 cup cool whip to make a filling.