Tres Leches Cake Liquer Brownies

Like cookies & milk...it happened by mistake....

but I now realize that is how good brownies, tres leches y un poco (a little)  de tres leches liquer go together ...just like cookies and milk. .

And with cinco de mayo...literally right around the corner...my brain child couldn't have had any better timing!

If you are lucky enough to have your local liquor store sell this tres leches liquer in little shooters...Perfecto!..

If not these brownies are well worth the extra dinero required to go all in and buy the big bottle...

Because seriously...how can anyone be disappointed  by anything, especially liquor. that is inspired by the oh so delicioso

Latin American cake!

 Vamos a la cocina!

Ingredients

1/2 cup Tres Leches Liquer for brownie batter 1/4 cup to pour over brownies

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

2 sticks unsalted butter

3/4 cup of all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, divided

 

 

Directions

 

 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving a 2" overhang.

 

2. Stir 12 oz. chocolate and 1 cup butter in a medium metal or glass bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth.

 

3. Whisk sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in chocolate mixture, then 1/2 cup of the tres leches liquer . Fold in flour and 1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt.

Pour batter into prepared pan.

 

4. Bake brownies until surface begins to crack and a toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 35–40 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool for at least 20 minutes.

 

5. Loosen and lift brownies from pan using the foil overhang; cut into squares. Using a toothpick poke 4-5 tiny holes on top of brownies. Take your tres leches liquer (you can warm liquer in a saucepan for a minute or two if desired) over brownies.

Dulce de Leche Chocolate Chip Brownies

Dulce de Leche!....

mmmm how many wonderful things can I say about it?!

 For me it's the king of dessert toppings it reigns supreme for my bocita (little mouth).

It's like the "latin lover" of caramel... smooth, rich, creamy and when I eat it seems to talk to me......

saying all the right things en español  of course!.... like Ay que rico or yes I'm so delicoso!

 Kinda like dinero you can never have too much dulce de leche....por lo menos ( at least) in my opinion you can't!

So since my mouth was in a mood for a lot of lovin

I decided to give it what it wants....

chocolatey brownies christened with copious amounts of chocolate chips and slathered with sweet creamy latin love!

 A Cielo!  (To Heaven) you go!


A la cocina!


Ingredients

1 cup. all-purpose flour

1 3/4. cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 1/2. cups of sugar

1 1/3. cups (2 sticks + 6 tbsp) butter

4 eggs.

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2tsp. salt

1/2tsp. espresso powder

1 tsp.  good quality vanilla

1/2 cup. milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 jar of dulce de leche

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper set aside.

 

2. In a large double boiler, melt butter then add espresso powder, mixing to dissolve. Add sugar and cook until the mixture becomes smooth and glossy. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool for 20 minutes. 

 

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cooled (it can be luke warm) butter mixture and vanilla. With mixing speed on low add one egg at a time, mixing just until incorporated. 

 

4. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. With mixing speed on low, gradually add dry ingredients. Mix until batter is smooth and flour is well included. Remove bowl from stand and fold in your milk & semi-sweet chocolate chips (leaving a few chips for the top of your batter). 

 

5. Spread the brownie batter evenly into your baking pan. You may want to warm you dulce de leche un poquito (just a little) if it's a little stiff. With a spatula or spoon drop in 6-9 spoonfuls of dulce de leche (I like to make rows of 3) gently swirl the ducle de leche through the batter with a knife.  Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top of your brownie batter.

 

6.Place in oven and bake for 20- 25minutes or until the brownies are set. Remove from oven and let cool for about 35 minutes before cutting. Ahora...Enjoy!

Latin Elvis S'mores

I have to admit it's pretty random but....I have become super intrigued with Elvis Presley.

I'm honestly not really sure why, but I think it has a little to do with a Elvis Presley cookbook that I scored at a local flea market for $1.00! 

Obviously there is nothing new about Elvis, I mean I've heard plenty stories about 1,000's of lovely muchachas standing outside of Graceland just to get a peek at him,

I've heard the song "Blue Suede Shoes" more times than I really want to admit to......

and who can forget the millions of videos showing him in his white bell buttoms, freshly appointed side burns and his girating hips!

Up until that one dia  (day) when I scored the deal for his cookbook all of that just gave me a vague idea of who he was.....but now,

Now I realize that Elvis Presley is SUPER GUAPO and has an awesome taste for food!

 I mean as a certified junk food junkie, who could deny a man who loved: crispy fried chicken, ham bone dumplings, bbq bologna and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with fried bacon in between ( Fools Gold Loaf Sandwich) as it's really called!

So I'd like to think that these Latin Elvis S'mores would be something El Rey (The King) would crave...

C'mon anything stuffed with fluffy marshmallows, layers of chocolate, a creamy lake of Latin caramel stuffed between two crisp Graham Crackers in my eyes are definitely the type of ooey gooey cookie goodness fit for a "King"!

Vamos a la cocina!

Ingredients

6  whole graham crackers
1 bag of mini marshmallows
2 ripe bananas
1 bottle of squeezable dulce de leche  I used Lechera
3 Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bars
1 jar of your favorite Peanut Butter ( I adore Skippy!)

Directions

I'm not big into using fire to warm and melt my S'mores so I just take a cookie sheet and do the following:

1.Split graham crackers into 2 halves, slice your bananas and set them aside.

2. On top of graham cracker spread on a layer of peanut butter and place on the mini-marshmallows and banana slices.

3. Place bottom half of your S'mores under broiler for a few seconds until toasty. Remove and place 1/2 of a Hershey bar on top of marshmallow and drizzle with the dulce de leche ( if you want the dulce de leche to be warm, you can drizzle it on before it is put into the oven.

4.The heat from the marshmallow will melt the chocolate bar. (If you would like it a little more melty you can always place it back into the broiler for a few extra seconds.

5. Now place other 1/2 of graham cracker on top of all your goodness. Press lightly to flatten marshmallows.

Now sit back...take a bite, and Bienvenidos (Welcome) to S'mores Heaven!

{Latin Elvis} - Peanut Butter, Banana & Dulce de Leche Waffles

It's kind of ironic that I absolutely adore making breakfast foods, but if there ever was a day that I would skip a meal breakfast would most likely be the one I'd miss. 

It's not that I haven't paid attention in health class or watched one of the many info/brainwash "mercials" that declares breakfast the most vital and important meal of the day!

Yes, I do get it......but it seems that so many things are jam- packed into my mornings, that by the time I have a chance to stop it's 11:30 already and the window of breakfast opportunity has passed me by. 

But on those easy breezy mornings when I am finally on relaxed mode, I like to do my breakfast right! 

And when I do make breakfast it's usually go big or go home, maybe because I am subconsciously making up for all my unredeemed syrup soaked breakfast food possibilities.

But these precious days almost always involve lots of butter syrup, a thick rich bread of some sort and of course crisp crunchy pieces of bacon heaven. 

 This particular breakfast is a little bit of an ode to the " King of Rock & Roll" Elvis Presley,  I've always been fascinated with his innovative food choices especially his ever popular romance with peanut butter and banana sandwiches. 

 Here I give my take on the peanut butter and banana sandwich........ except I'm trading the white bread for a thick banana &bacon infused Belgian waffle.

Swept with creamy peanut butter than swirled with dulce de leche, dulce de leche is a creamy milk based confection prepared by slowly heating sweetened condensed milk. 

 It's the Latin equivalent to American peanut butter and in my eyes it's dessert royalty! I'm pretty sure that if Elvis was born in Spain he'd be eating dulce  de leche and peanut butter sandwiches......

 But since he wasn't I figured I could just kick  he's version of the sandwich up a notch and give it a Latin flair!

             Ingredients

 

2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 tablespoons white sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups milk 2 eggs 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 ripe bananas 6 strips of crispy bacon ( you can cook extra strips to place on top of waffles if desired) peanut butter- just enough to spread on each waffle, I used about 1/2 cup for 3 large waffles dulce de leche- about 1/2 cup    Optional ( you can make homemade banana maple syrup, by simply cutting a few slices and sticking them in a jar of maple syrup overnight. It gives the syrup a discreet banana taste that adds a little something extra to each bite).                                                   Directions       1. Preheat your waffle iron, cook your desired amounts of crispy bacon and set aside.   2.Mash two of your ripe bananas and set aside, you can also chop the other two bananas that will act as toppings for your waffles and set those aside as well.   3.In large bowl mix together flour, baking soda, sugar and salt. Add milk, eggs and oil mix well;   4. Now add in your mashed bananas and 6 slices of bacon crumbled into small bits. Mix until both ingredients are well incorporated.   5. Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter onto hot waffle iron cook until golden brown.   6. Once all waffles are cooked stick your peanut butter and dulce de leche in the microwave for about 45 seconds each, until they are easier spread.   7. Spread each waffle with alternating layers of dulce de leche and peanut butter. You can put as much or as little as you like.   8. Layer each waffle with strips of crisp bacon and use your last banana and cut it into slices.  ( I sautéed a few slices of my bananas in butter, but later decided I preferred them as they were)   9. Finally if you are a real " hound dog" for the sweets you can swirl on a little homemade banana maple syrup.     And there you go breakfast fit for a " Latin King" !

 

My Borrachito Rico- Rum Tres Leches Cake Milkshake

So even though it's been a little while since I had a chance to blog, it doesn't mean that blogging wasn't on my mind.......It kind of was like always on my mind, especially since my relentless desire to bake and create never seems to disappear.

Now that I blog there is just one more step added to my routine which is sharing the process. When I was unable to do it, I kind of missed it...a poquito bit!  Especially since I was experening a little slice of milkshake heaven, in a Dia de Los Muertos glass! 

Since I had a few slices of that super rico  El Boracho Rum Tres Leches Cake I decided to dunk  some in a blender filled with milk and very vanilla ice cream give it a whirl and see what pops up!

One sip was a sweet swirl of a creamy rich vanilla ice cream stuffed with chunks of Tres Leches Cakey goodness with a rico Rum finish!

Ingredients

 

 

1 to 2 slices of Tres Leches Cake

 

2 to 3 grande scoops of vanilla ice cream

 

1 to 2 cups of milk ( the amount is based on how thick or thin you prefer your shake)

1/2 tsp of Rum or Rum extract

 

 

Directions

 Put either one or two slices of cake (depending on your preference) into a blender and add a few scoops of ice cream. Add about a cup to two cups of milk (less or more depending on preference) 1/2 tsp of Rum and blend.  Swirl with whipped cream, sprinkles and a plump red cherry!



Makes 1-2 servings.

 





El Borracho- Rum Soaked Tres Leches Cake

Some things in la vida ( life) are so good, it would be a shame if they were missed.  That's exactly how I feel about Tres Leches Cake, it is a sweet, moist sponge cake soaked to the gills in three milks. Hence the name Tres Leches, which is Spanish for just that - three milks.

If the saying goes " American as Apple Pie, then the saying for our vecinos ( neighbors) below the border would be Latin as " Tres Leches Cake".

That is where this yummy cake originated.  The actual birthplace of this Latin dessert is disputable between tres paises diferentes ( three different countries). Nicaragua, Guatemala and Mexico. All three lay claim for this Queen of Pastel ( cakes) being native to their countries. 

The jury may still be out on who invented this cake, but I give mil gracias ( a million thanks) to my amigo Chulo who introduced this pastel delicoso to me!  Although I'd like to believe that I already knew a lot about Latin culture before him, me being a " Gringa-Latina" ( American girl with an amor for everything Latin). 

Chulo really opened my eyes to so many more awesome traditions, arts and culture within America Latina.  There is nothing like spending time with someone who grew up within a culture , to help give you a taste of what it's really like and bring you closer to yummy, dulce, out of this mundo (world) cakey goodness like Tres Leches Cake!

 

adapted from : Marcela Valladolid, Mexican Made Easy

My version of this cake has a little rum, a traditional tres leches cake does not contain alcohol. In many Latin American countries the addition of alcohol to the cake changes the name to a

" Pastel Borracho" meaning drunken cake.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray, for the cake pan

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the cake pan

1 tablespoon baking powder

4 large eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup whole milk

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

2 cups heavy cream, divided

3 tablespoons Bacardi Gold Rum

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

 

optional:

maraschino cherries

strawberry jam

 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray and flour a 10-inch cake pan with 2-inch high sides and then line with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper.

Mix the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until frothy. With the mixer running, gradually add the sugar and beat to stiff peaks. Beat in the yolks, 1 at a time, blending well after each addition. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the whole milk in 2 additions.


Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool the cake slightly, about 10 minutes, then invert onto a platter with 1-inch high sides.


Pierce the top of the cake all over with a thick skewer. Mix the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, 1 cup heavy cream and  the Bacardi rum in a medium bowl. Pour the mixture over the cake while warm. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours or overnight.

Combine the remaining 1 cup heavy cream and powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream until soft peaks form. Spread the whipped cream onto top of the cake and garnish with maraschino cherries, strawberries or even peaches.

 

Optional: I wanted a little filling in my cake, so I made a little extra whipped cream mixed with strawberry jam to create an extra sweet center to the cake. You can use any flavor jam that sounds yummy : passion fruit, guava or mango sound pretty delicioso to me as well!