Cinnamon Role Cake

Ingredients:

Cake-

1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup buttermilk (scant 3/4 cup of milk + 1 tbsp of white vinegar)

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup canola oil

Filling -

1/4 cup butter melted

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tsp all purpose flour

2 tsp of ground cinnamon

Glaze -

3 oz cream cheese softened

1/2 powdered sugar, sifted into

1 tsp vanilla

2 TBSP milk

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 9" pie pan (I used coconut oil cooking spray). 

Combine all dry ingredients in large bowl. In another bowl, whisk all the wet ingredients together. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until smooth (whisk vigorously 10-15 seconds). Pour batter in prepared pie pan.

For the filling, whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Then using a small spoon, drizzle the filling slowly over the batter in a circular motion till you get to the center. Make sure to leave about half of the filling for later.

Bake the cake about 25 mins or until toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wooden cutting board. Drizzle the remaining filling over the filling crevices that were created during baking. Let the cake cool while you make the glaze.

In a medium bowl whisk the cream cheese, milk and vanilla, then add the sift in the powdered sugar until you reach a "thick yet drizzling" consistency. Using the back of a spoon or spatula, spread the glaze over the warm cake in a circular motion.

Let cake cool to room temperature, then enjoy!! :)

Credit for original recipe:

http://www.crunchycreamysweet.com/2015/02/14/better-cinnamon-roll-cake/

Carne Mechada Recipe done in France :)

Ingredients:
about 1/2 kg flank/skirt steak (bavette)
Olive Oil
Adobo
3/4 Large (white/yellow) Onion chopped into small pieces
1/2 Red Bell Pepper chopped into small pieces
1 large garlic clove (or one small one) chopped small
al mojo Worcestershire Sauce
a bit of Cayenne Pepper
al ojo Tomato Sauce


In pressure cooker drizzle bottom with coating of olive oil, then add flank steak seasoned with adobo. Cover the steak about half way up the pressure cooker with water (perhaps just a little bit less). Close the pressure cooker and put it to cook on high heat. When the whistle starts to sound, lower the heat to medium and let it cook for about 35 - 40 mins. Then take it off the heat and let the pressure escape until there is none left. Then open the pressure cooker and remove the meat from the pressure cooker while reserving the caldo in the olla for later.

Let the meat sit and rest for about 6 mins before then se desmecha (shredding) la carne with a fork and your fingers into small strands. Take out and remove any fat you find.

In a pot, place olive oil to heat over medium heat. Add in the onion chopped into small pieces, then add the red bell pepper and finally the chopped garlic. Let them cook together another 5 mins or so, making sure to move frequently. Now add the meat. When the meat has been well incorporated, add the  tomato sauce (about 2-3 TBSP) and add left over juice/water from pot of pressure cooker (about 1/2 cup or so), and then about (2-3 TBSP) of Worcestershire sauce (about same amount as tomato sauce), go al ojo porciento.

Let cook on low for about 30-40 mins, if possible longer.

Add a tiny bit of cayenne pepper and a bit more adobo if needed.

:)

Enjoy!!!

Kenny's Best Brownie Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 salted butter (melted)

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp of vanilla 

1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp of baking powder

*Optional: chocolate chips

Directions:

Grease and flour 8x8 in square pan (light colored pan), then preheat oven to 350 F.

Melt butter in microwave for 30 seconds. Stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Then gently mix in unsweetened cocoa powder, flour and baking powder.

For an extra chocolate in each bite of your brownie, throw in some chocolate chips, and mix into the batter.

Pour batter in pan and bake for 25 mins. Let cool in pan, then cut and serve.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Birthday Cake

You know a cake is a winner when you get a phone call from your aunt less than an hour after dropping off the cake at your grandmother's house because your grandma tried the cake, loved it, and already called your aunt to rave about it.

You know a cake is a winner when your dad asks for seconds and your brother who doesn't like cake eats his entire piece.

Or when a friend texts you later still with lingering thoughts about the cake saying "That cake was g*d damn delicious...."


Yes. That's when you know it's a winner!

This cake is Pumpkin Butterscotch Birthday Cake, and really it's just a pumpkin butterscotch cake, but since I made it for my birthday, it's now turned into a birthday cake.

It may sound like an odd combination, but trust me it's delicious and really easy to whip up.

So try it, and enjoy! :)


Also thank you to Random Sweetness, I found the original recipe here!

Ingredients 

3/4 cup butterscotch chips
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup of light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of apple pie spice
1 can of pumpkin puree
1/2 cup of salted butter (melted)
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Streusel:
1/2 brown sugar packed
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon of apple pie spice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F, and grease a 8x3in round pan. Melt 3/4 cup of butterscotch chips in a glass dish in the microwave. Try at about 30 seconds and do more as needed. The butterscotch chips might not fully melt but will at least meld together and become more pliable. Set aside. Melt the butter in the microwave as well and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugars, baking powder, cinnamon, and apple pie spice. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and melted butterscotch chips. Gradually add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture until well combined.

For the streusel, in a small bowl combine the brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, and apple pie spice.

Pour half of the cake batter into the pan, then cover in streusel and finally pour the rest of the cake batter over top. Pop it into the oven at 350 F for about 60 mins. Check at 50 mins.

Remove from the oven and let rest about 10 mins in the pan before flipping over to finish cooling.

When cake is completely cool, sprinkle it with powdered sugar and enjoy!

España Style Hot Chocolate

There is nothing that compares to a hot chocolate in Spain. Churros con chocolate after wandering around a beautiful city. Perhaps Barcelona, Madrid or Sevilla? Regardless of where you go in Spain, if you go in the winter time, you will try their churros and you will try their hot chocolate! You will most likely fall in love with both. :)

They do hot chocolate very differently from how we do in the United States, or from how I've tasted in Venezuela. It is a much more decadent affair. The chocolate is thicker, a bit darker and amazing in taste. Also, because of the richness of this version, a small cup is the perfect amount!

As usual, I am always on the look out for recipes to recreate culinary experiences I have tasted over seas. This recipe hits the mark perfectly! A big thank you to May I Have That Recipe for providing the basis.

Enjoy.

Ingredients:

5 Tbsp of high quality cocoa powder (I use Trader Joe's brand or Ghiradelli)

3 Tbsp of sugar

1/2 Tbsp of cornstarch 

1 tsp of vanilla

1 cup of water

Recipe:

Combine cocoa powder, sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Pour cold water, vanilla and cocoa mixture into a small pot and start cooking over medium low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk. Continue cooking and whisking until chocolate thickens. Then turn off heat and serve immediately in two cups.

** A note on using milk:

I tried this recipe once with milk and it did not come out as good! Use water, trust me on this one. It seems counterintuitive, but if you use milk, it comes out much more like a pudding. You'll enjoy a much more authentic and delicious experience sticking with water. 

Perfectly Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 pepper

*any other spices you may like
Possible extras:
honey and cinnamon to bring out sweetness
or
garlic powder, cayenne pepper, thyme


Instructions:

Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes, then pat dry. Cut each sweet potato in half, then each half in 4 and each 1/4 into little cubes. Place all other ingredients (olive oil, salt, pepper, and any extras) in a plastic bag, mix it up. Then place sweet potato cubes in bag and mix around to make sure each cubes is fully coated.

Prepare baking dish with parchment paper, then dump sweet potato cubes in baking dish, drizzling any left over mix on top.

Place in oven at 375 F for 25-30 mins until crispy, flipping half-way through to get both sides golden.

Pan Dulce (Sweet Bread Recipe)

In Venezuela, we call this sweet bread -- Pan Dulce. It's typically eaten in the morning or mid afternoon with a cafecito. Or, with a glass of milk.

Ever since I was a little girl, this was one of my favorite treats to get in Caracas when I visited my family in Venezuela. They sell them freshly made in all of the bakeries around the city, called panaderias. 

For years, I had tried to find a recipe that might replicate the delicious soft, sweet and delicate nature of this bread, but I had never found one, until now. I will forever be grateful to the blog Living in Alabama because she gave me a recipe that I was able to use here in the United States, and the results were perfect!

Here I leave you the recipe in English.

Enjoy!! :)

Ingredients

1 cup of cold buttermilk (mix one Tbsp of white vinegar in a cup of milk and let sit for 5 mins)

4 tbsp of butter (room temperature) - I used Kerry Gold

1 egg (room temp)

3 1/4 cups of Bread Flour (If you only have All Purpose, this is fine too!)

1/3 cup of sugar

1 tsp of salt

1/4 tsp of baking powder

1 packet of ActiveDry Yeast

Directions

I'll be using a bread machine to make the dough, but if you don't have one can always kneed by hand!

If you have a bread maker machine...

Pour each of the ingredients into the bread maker in the same order that they appear in the list of ingredients. Then choose the "sweet" bread option on the bread machine.

Once the dough has come together and made a ball, turn off the machine and let the dough rest for about an hour. Let the dough double in size.

Now, we remove the dough from the bread maker, and with melted butter or a butter spray, we put some butter on our hands and begin pulling pieces of the dough apart forming balls about double the size of a ping pong ball. Place the balls in a glass pyrex (13x9 or so), leaving some room in between the dough and the edges of the pyrex. About 15 balls should form.

Cover the pyrex with a damp towel and let the dough rest for about another hour, letting the dough grow again. You will know the dough is ready when you can lightly press into the dough and it does not make an intent with your finger.

If this happens, the dough is ready to go into the oven! Place the pyrex in the preheated oven at 375 F, for 12 mins. 

At 12 mins remove the pyrex and check the sides and bottom of the glass to see how the golden color is forming. If you like it darker place it back in the oven for 3 more mins. If not, paint the bread with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar on top. Then pop in the oven for 1 more min.

Then its done!! Remove from the oven and enjoy! :)

Of course you might want to wait a couple mins to cool down, but I think its still best enjoyed warm.

Let me know in the comments or on my Instagram if you have any questions. Or if you tried it out for yourself send me a picture! :) I'd love to see how it came out.

xo