Recipes POST HERE

Capirotada (Mexican Bread Pudding)

Mexican desserts are known to not be overly sweet, they are delicate and fragrant. This is probably the reason for why I don’t have much a of sweet tooth, though during Lent season I always have an exception for a dessert called: Capirotada.

Capirotada, also known as Mexican Bread Pudding, is a delicious combination of flavors such as cinnamon, cloves, piloncillo, and fried bread. This dessert is often eaten during the Lent season but it can be served during any holiday. Many regions of Mexico often include cheese but today I want to show you a vegan recipe for capirotada.

Most importantly, I have substituted the traditional use of lard for a healthy coconut oil. The flavors will not be comprised at all and every ingredient will be traditional. Furthermore, this recipe won’t be as mushy (for lack of a better word) as most bread puddings; it will still hold alittle crunch. When you bite into my capirotada you should taste the sweetness of the piloncillo; a slight hint of coconut; the fragrance of the Mexican cinnamon and cloves; a perfect touch of acidity from the orange; and the a perfect combination of crunchy and moist.

I hope you enjoy!

Yields approximately 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups water
3 Mexican cinnamon sticks
2 cloves
1 cup piloncillo
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
5 tablespoons coconut oil
2 bolillos or 1 French baguette
1 orange thinly sliced
1 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup raisins

- Bring 2 cups of water, cinnamon, and cloves to a boil. Lower heat and cover for 10 minutes.
- Now add the piloncillo and orange juice. Under medium/low heat cook for approximately 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, in a large pan bring the coconut oil to about 325 degrees.
- Cut your bread into 1/2 inch thick slices and place in the coconut oil. Fry in oil for approximately 30 seconds on each side or until golden brown. The bread will be firm when done.
- Using 4 ramekins (or a baking container of your choice) place a layer of fried bread, sprinkle almonds and raisins, top with slices of orange, and finally pour the piloncillo syrup on top (just enough to soak the bread. Repeat the layers depending on your container. Only adding the orange slices on the top layer, otherwise it’s too acidic.
- Bake in an oven at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes. Use the medium rack for best results.

I love to eat this dessert with a sprinkle of toasted coconut and a little bit of condensed milk (but that’s not vegan). Feel free to add other fruits or even fried plantains!  In addition, the traditional recipe calls for bolillo bread but brioche and many others can work quite well also.

Also, you can prepare everything a day before but don’t place in the oven until 30 minutes before serving.

Provecho!

Feel free to post your comments or questions.

All content © 2014 AdrianaGuillen.com All rights reserved. You may not take any images or content from this site without written permission.

Camote Pudding with Piloncillo Sweet Cream

I often feel like I grew up in another world. When I share stories of my childhood I realize that my bringing up was a unique one; compared to most of American’s my age.

School was something I dreamed of since I could make up full sentences. Often, I would make up stories to my dad about going to school and would instruct myself my own homework. What child does that?! When the time came to be enrolled I was the happiest girl in the world that I didn’t even mind the 1 mile walk through high grass land and hills to make it to school.

My school was composed of a 1 room classroom, about 20 students between 1st-6th grade, and almost all the children would arrive by riding a horse or donkey. As humble as my school was, the education was quite advanced and the strictness allowed in the classroom shaped me well. What also made a huge difference in my education was the fact that my mom rarely allowed us to leave to school without a meal in our stomach. One of my favorite things to eat before school was a warm plate of camote with milk.

Camotes are a widely used yam in Mexico, often used in breakfast as they are high in nutrients and fiber. My mom often made them in a purée with fresh milk from our cows and a dash of brown sugar. Off to school I went with an amazing dish in my small stomach.

As the memories of camote fill my life with happiness I needed to share this happiness with you. I’ve updated my moms pudding to a dessert and created a Camote Pudding with Piloncillo Sweet Cream.

Yields: approximately 6 small puddings

Ingredients
1 camote (can be substituted with a regular yam)
3 cloves
1 Mexican cinnamon stick
3 cups water
4 Tablespoons piloncillo
1 tablespoon coconut milk
4 graham crackers
1 tablespoon steel-cut oats
1 Tablespoon heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar

Piloncillo Sweet Cream:
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons of piloncillo
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- Bring 3 cups of water to a boil adding the camote (cut into large equal sized pieces), cloves, cinnamon (broken up into pieces), and 1 tablespoon of piloncillo. Boil for approximately 15 minutes, under low heat, until the camote is fully cooked.
- In the meantime, you can work on the crust. In a food processor, combine graham crackers, oats, 1 tablespoon of piloncillo, and a pinch of salt. Pulse until you reach a crumb like consistency. Now add about 1 tablespoon of heavy cream slowly feeding it as you pulse. You are looking for a moist crumb consistency but not wet.
- Scoop the crumbs into the bottom of cupcake liners creating a thin crust. Place in a preheated oven at 450 degrees for 7 minutes.
- Once cooked, remove the skins of the camote and place in a food processor. Add 1 tablespoon of coconut milk and 2 tablespoons of piloncillo. Process until you reach a smooth consistency but somewhat firm.
- Remove the crusts from the oven and add a spoonful of the camote pudding (it doesn’t have to fill all the way to the top of the liner). Turn the oven heat down to 350 degrees and bake the puddings for approximately 15 minutes.
- Add 1/2 cup of sugar to the cooking liquid of the camotes and under low/medium heat reduce until it thickens. Keep mixing and use low heat to avoid burning the glaze.
- Lastly, add 1 cup of heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of piloncillo, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract into a mixer and whip until you reach soft peaks.
- Allow the pudding to cool before plating.

I like to plate it by adding excessive amounts of piloncillo sweet cream, glaze, and shavings of piloncillo.

Provecho!

Arroz Con Leche

I may not have much of a sweet tooth but I can never say no to a delicious Arroz Con Leche.

Arroz Con Leche simply translates to: Rice With Milk.  However, this dessert is a lot more than just rice with milk!  It is a sweet, creamy, and fluffy treat that you can enjoy hot or cold.

Next time you have a Mexican Fiesta try this delicious pudding.

Yields: approximately 4 cups

Ingredients:
1 cup white rice
1 stick Mexican cinnamon
1 cup water
1 1/2 cup whole milk (organic preferably)
1/2 cup condensed milk
1/3 cup raisins (optional)

 

- In a medium pot add rice, water, and cinnamon stick. Breaking cinnamon stick into large pieces.
- Bring water to a boil then reduce heat to the lowest setting. Leave covered and don’t open the lid for about 10 minutes.
- Once all water has dissolved add milk, condensed milk, and raisins. Cook on extremely low heat to prevent milk from breaking.
- Cook for about 7-10 minutes until milk has reached a thick texture. You want a milky texture and for the rice will be plump.
- Do not allow the milk to dissolve completely or the pudding will harden when cold.
That’s it? How easy! If serving hot it is ready to eat. If serving cold you want to leave more liquid since it becomes thicker as it cools.

Provecho!

 

Feel free to post your comments or questions.

All content © 2013 AdrianaGuillen.com All rights reserved. You may not take any images or content from this site without written permission.

Paletas de Horchata

Summer is here and the hot weather calls for something cool. Therefore, here is the recipe for a delicious popsicle with no crazy chemicals or colors (as most commercial popsicles have). Also, this recipe is extremely easy!

Horchata is a very popular drink that you find all over Mexico and in Mexican restaurants all over the United States. So, why not make this drink into a paleta?

Yields: approximately 12 paletas

Ingredients:
1 cup white rice
1 stick Mexican cinnamon
6 cups water
1 cup raw brown sugar

- Using a blender or spice grinder, grind the rice and cinnamon stick as much as possible.
- Add 4 cups of water in the blender and blend the rice and cinnamon powder for about 30 seconds.
- Pour the entire mixture and the remaining 2 cups of water in a glass jar. Let the mixture sit for at least 12 hours in the refrigerator.
- Blend the mixture one more time this time adding the sugar.
- Now strain using a very fine strainer or cheese cloth.
- Pour the horchata into the popsicle molds and freeze for about 5 hour or until done.

The paletas are ready! If you have any left over horchata or if you would like to make less paletas you just have to add more water and an horchata drink is ready.

Provecho!

 

Feel free to post your comments or questions.

All content © 2013 AdrianaGuillen.com All rights reserved. You may not take any images or content from this site without written permission.