This post is sponsored by Nestlé Nido. Product for review and recipe development have been received as well as compensation for my time. As always, all opinions are my own.

Carlos doesn’t cook much at all, but the thing he feels most comfortable making is his Batido de Leche con Guineo. Over the years he has made banana smoothies for himself and our boys many times, so much so that when the boys want one, they ask him instead of me. While he makes them year round, he tends to make the batidos during the summer as a refreshing treat. Our family depends on simple everyday things like that because most years we can’t afford to travel or vacation like we want to. Summer memories for my sons are things like lying in the hammock and watching puffy, white clouds sail by; running barefoot through cool grass in our yard to catch lightening bugs, and sipping batidos de guineo that their father made for them.

So, when given the opportunity to develop a recipe with the Nestlé Nido Kinder 1+ (a vitamin-fortified powdered milk), I knew immediately I’d be using Carlos’s smoothie recipe and changing it up a little. What I love about Nestlé Nido is that it adds over a dozen vitamins and minerals, but it also adds a really good flavor.

(Even our dog Chico wants a sip.)

(On a hilarious side note, Carlos eats the powder straight. He says one of his cousins in El Salvador used to have a powder like this in their kitchen growing up and he used to steal spoonfuls of it as a kid and eat it. I tasted it straight to see if he was being crazy and strangely enough, it really is good like that.)

Anyhow, when the boys saw me experimenting with the Nestlé Nido in the kitchen they were reluctant to try what I was making because it’s “baby formula for babies” according to them, but they ended up loving it and begging me to make more. Smoothies made with Nestlé Nido are perfect for back-to-school, either for breakfast when your child claims they “aren’t that hungry” or for an after school snack before they get down to doing homework.

Try the recipe below and then enter the giveaway to win your own Nestlé Nido products plus a $50 gift card!

Batido de Leche con Guineo (Banana Smoothie)

You need:
8 oz. cold water
4 scoops Nestlé Nido Kinder 1+
1 ripe banana
1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract
4 ice cubes

Directions: Place all ingredients in the blender. Blend for 30 seconds to one minute. Pour into glasses and serve. Serves about 2. (Optional: You can add sugar, which is what Carlos does, but the boys and I prefer it without added sugar.)

========GIVEAWAY CLOSED=======

Congratulations, Cerrie!

=============================

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Prize description: One lucky winner will receive 4 trial size cans of Nestlé Nido Kinder 1+ and a $50 gift card.

How to enter: Just leave a comment below telling me the flavor of your favorite smoothie/batido. (Please read official rules below before entering.)

Official Rules: No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years of age or older to enter. You must be able to provide a U.S. address for prize shipment. Your name and address will only be shared with the PR agency responsible for prize fulfillment for that purpose. Please no P.O. Boxes. One entry per household. Make sure that you enter a valid email address in the email address field so you can be contacted if you win. Winner will be selected at random. Winner has 24 hours to respond. If winner does not respond within 24 hours, a new winner will be selected at random. Giveaway entries are being accepted between August 26th, 2014 through August 31st, 2014. Entries received after August 31st, 2014 at 11:59 pm EST, will not be considered. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. If you win, by accepting the prize, you are agreeing that Latinaish.com assumes no liability for damages of any kind. By entering your name below you are agreeing to these Official Rules. Void where prohibited by law.

Buena suerte / Good luck!

Quite a few years ago I went to Miami and had my first Cuban Sandwich which I fell in love with. Upon arriving home eventually a craving hit but Cuban Sandwiches are hard to come by this far north. I researched recipes and while doing so, I stumbled upon a different kind of Cuban sandwich called the “Elena Ruz” and an interesting story about how it came to be.

According to Wikipedia, Elena Ruz was a young society debutante in 1930’s Cuba who would stop at a popular Havana restaurant called El Carmelo. Each time Elena visited the restaurant she requested they make her something that they didn’t have on the menu – a sandwich to her specifications prepared on medianoche bread with cream cheese, strawberry jam, and thin slices of turkey breast. Eventually El Carmelo put the sandwich on the menu, calling it, por supuesto, the Elena Ruz.

For some reason the odd combination seemed appealing to me, so I tried the sandwich, using King’s Hawaiian Rolls as a substitute for medianoche bread, (which I’ve never seen sold around here.) This Cuban sandwich also became a favorite of mine. If you want to give it a try, here’s how I make it.

Elena Ruz Sandwich

You need:

sliced turkey
cream cheese
strawberry jelly
King’s Hawaiian Rolls
butter

Directions:

1. Slice Hawaiian rolls open. Spread cream cheese on the bottom half and strawberry jelly on the top half.
2. Put a few slices of turkey on top of the cream cheese and close the sandwich.
3. Grease a non-stick skillet or griddle with a little butter over medium heat. Toast the sandwich on one side, applying gentle pressure with a spatula. Flip and do the same to the other side.
4. Serve warm!

The other night, right before bedtime, Carlos got a craving for something sweet. After opening and closing the kitchen cabinets multiple times, he finally came to me with desperation in his eyes, “Isn’t there anything you can make me?”

I ended up making him a banana bread mug cake recipe I found on the internet. I personally love mug cakes but Carlos wasn’t impressed. When I served it to him he complained that it was more like a banana tamal than banana bread because of the texture. Inspiration struck and I vowed that I would see if I could make a tamal de elote in the microwave using this popular “mug cake” method.

This morning I finally had a chance to experiment. I nervously put the batter into the coffee mug, set the microwave to 3 minutes on high, crossed my fingers and hit “START.” After the microwave beeped, I pulled the mug out, inverted it onto a little plate and was super excited to see the texture was what I had hoped for. But how would it taste? I took a tentative bite and celebrated. Tamal de elote! From a microwave!

I let my older son try it and he declared it “really good.” When I made a second one just to double check my recipe, he ended up eating that one too. If you’re not familiar with tamles de elote (corn tamales), this “mug cake” tastes exactly like Chi-Chi’s sweet corn cake to me. Give it a try and tell me what you think!

5 Minute Microwave Tamal de Elote “Mug Cake”

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons Maseca instant corn masa flour
2 tablespoons sugar
a pinch of salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup canned cream style sweet corn (I used Green Giant brand)
1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
1 tablespoon 1% milk
cooking spray

Directions:

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a small bowl with a fork. Make sure the measurements are exact and not rounded.

2. Mix the corn and melted butter. Add the milk and stir to combine.

3. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Mix until combined.

4. Spray the inside of a regular sized micowave safe coffee mug with cooking spray. (You don’t need a tall coffee mug like you do for some “mug cake” recipes as the tamal doesn’t rise very much.)

5. Pour the batter into the mug. Micowave on high for 3 minutes. (Micowave time may vary depending on the type of microwave you have.)

6. Carefully remove the mug from the microwave and put a small plate on top. Flip upside down to invert the “tamal” (or corn cake) onto the plate. Serve and enjoy!

Serving suggestions: While great as is for a treat or dessert, you can serve with a little Salvadoran crema at breakfast or alongside a dinner as a side dish.

“Budín” or “bread pudding” in English, is a dessert that makes use of stale bread, although fresh bread works just as well. Variations of the dish can be found around the world.

When my suegra lived with us she often made “budín de guineo” or “banana bread pudding.” I decided to try my hand at making a traditional Salvadoran budín today, but instead of bananas, I made use of 2 ripe plantains I had on hand in a “budín de plátano.”

As usual, I consulted several authentic recipes before developing my own version and Carlos loves it. I hope you give it a try!

Budín de Plátano

Ingredients:

2 large ripe plantains
2 eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
(plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter for greasing the Pyrex)
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup 1% milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 pieces of white sandwich bread cut into cubes

ground cinnamon

Optional: a handful of raisins

Note: Although I haven’t tried it yet, I imagine 3-4 large bananas can be substituted for the plantains without any problem.

Directions:

1. Cut the ends off each plantain and then cut into the peel lengthwise to remove the peel. Place the peeled plantains in an ungreased Pyrex at 350 F for 25 to 30 minutes until you can squish them with a fork. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.

2. In a food processor set to “mince”, process the plantains. Next add the eggs and process until combined.

3. Combine the following ingredients one-by-one, into the food processor. Each time you add a new ingredient, process until combined for a few seconds: 2 tablespoons melted butter, flour, milk, salt, sugar, vanilla extract. [If using raisins, you can now stir them in with a spoon.]

4. In a greased 7×11 Pyrex, place the cubes of bread in an even layer. Pour the plantain mixture evenly over top of the bread cubes. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. The budín is finished when it’s firm, sides are lightly browned, and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

5. Allow to cool. You can cut and serve from the pan as is or try the alternate method below.

Optional alternate method: To make the budín especially pretty, use a third cooked plantain or banana cut into circles. Lay the circles on the bottom of the greased Pyrex before adding the bread cubes and batter. When the budín is done baking and has cooled, you can invert it (flip it over) into a larger 9×13 Pyrex. The plantain or banana circles will make for a very pretty presentation.

A couple weeks ago we made a visit to the international market to stock up on a few things that aren’t available at the regular grocery store. Somehow a packet of guava paste made it into the cart, (okay, I put it there), and it’s been sitting on my kitchen counter ever since. I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to make with it but I decided to get creative and see what happened when I combined American pie and Salvadoran semita with Cuban pastelitos de guayaba y queso. Hilariously, I ended up using my Ecuadorian friend, Laylita’s recipe for sweet empanada dough for the crust, so this recipe is authentically Ecua-Cuba-Ameri-doran… or something like that.

If the photos haven’t already tempted you to give it a try, let me tell you, it’s everything I hoped it would be. The look of a traditional American pie with the criss-cross technique I use on Salvadoran semita, a crust that is crisp on top but crumbly and tender inside, and a filling that is sweet, rich, and full of close-your-eyes-when-you-take-a-bite-Cuban-goodness.

Before I give you the recipe down below, I just want to say that I’m not fond of the word “pay” in Spanish. Maybe because it reminds me of “payasos” (which scare me), or because it looks like how I would have spelled “pie” in Kindergarten. Anyway, I’ve spelled it “pay” because the rest of the recipe name is in Spanish. Also, if I spelled it “pie” in English then some of the native Spanish speakers might think about feet, which is just ever so slightly unappetizing. So, call it whichever you want – “Pay de Guayaba y Queso” or “Guava and Cheese Pie” … it will taste the same either way.

Pay de Guayaba y Queso

You need:

1 batch of Laylita’s Sweet Empanada Dough

8 ounces real cream cheese (not cream cheese “spread”)

14 ounces guava paste (not jelly!)

1 egg whisked (for brushing on top of the pie)

1 small handful white sugar (to sprinkle on top of the pie)

Directions:

1. Follow Laylita’s direction to create the dough first. I followed the directions exactly, using 4 tablespoons of water where it says “2 to 4″ and 1/4 cup of sugar where it says “1/4 to 1/2.” Separate the dough into 2 balls, flatten into large discs and refrigerate for 30 minutes as instructed.

2. On a lightly floured surface (lightly floured parchment paper works best for me), roll out one of the balls to fit in and up the sides of a 9 inch pie plate. Leave the other ball of dough refrigerated while you work.

3. Pick up the parchment paper and gently turn it over onto the pie plate. Press the dough against the sides and trim off any excess.

4. Cut the guava paste into slices about as thick as a pencil and layer them on top of the dough, overlapping when it becomes necessary.

5. Spread the cream cheese on top of the guava in an even layer.

6. Roll out the other dough ball the same as the first one and gently put it on top. Trim off the excess.

7. Use a pastry brush (or a clean, dry paper towel balled up if you don’t have a pastry brush), to gently brush the whisked egg onto the crust.

8. Take the dough scraps and form a ball. Roll the ball out and use a pizza cutter to cut strips to decorate the top in a crisscross pattern or however you like.

9. Gently brush egg on the crust again, being careful not to disturb the crisscross design.

10. Sprinkle a small handful of sugar evenly onto the crust.

11. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 375 F until golden brown. (Mine took about 35 minutes.)

12. Remove from oven and allow to cool before slicing and serving.

Sometimes I cook from scratch, trying to make the most authentic version of a recipe that I can, and sometimes I try to find every shortcut possible to use the least amount of time and the fewest number of ingredients – This pozole recipe is one of those times I decided to sacrifice authenticity for a fast, easy meal.

It all came together kind of on accident. I had planned to make the pozole recipe over on Sweet Life, but it’s a slow cooker recipe and it was already fast approaching dinnertime as I walked around the grocery store. So then I decided I would follow her recipe but make it in a pot on the stove, but then I couldn’t find tomatillos (neither fresh nor canned.) Now what?

I stared at the shelves in the “Hispanic Food” section until I came up with an idea. Why not just buy the salsa verde already prepared? … And so I hatched my plan to create my own recipe for the fastest pozole ever.

The “secret” ingredient. Shhh! Don’t tell your abuela.

With just 4 ingredients, I was able to make a delicious pozole in less than 30 minutes once we got home.

Carlos and I both loved it, but we’re definitely not pozole experts. I needed someone more experienced to tell me what they thought before I shared the recipe here. Carlos texted a Mexican friend/co-worker and asked if he’d like some pozole. His friend enthusiastically texted back that he would, and that he wouldn’t be bringing a lunch tomorrow because he planned to eat it right then and there. The pressure was on! What if he didn’t like it? The guy would starve all day thanks to me!

Last night I nervously packed a big container full of the pozole along with some tortillas and baggies of lime wedges, diced onion and cilantro. Then today I waited all day until just about an hour ago for the lunch break verdict. Gracias a Dios he said it was “riquísimo” and he ate all of it! (Whew!)

So, if you have the time and want to go the authentic route, check out the posole recipe on Sweet Life – I’m keeping it bookmarked and want to try it one of these days because Vianney’s recipes are always amazing, plus I love to use my slow cooker when I actually plan ahead.

However, if you’re having a crazy day and need to throw together a warm, comforting dinner on a chilly evening in less than 30 minutes, this quick pozole does the trick!

Not Your Abuela’s Pozole Verde

You need:

1 can white hominy/Maiz Estilo Mexicano (29 oz.), drained
4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders (the thinner the cut, the faster it cooks)
4 cups (32 oz.) chicken broth
3/4 of a 16 oz. jar HERDEZ Salsa Verde (between 5 – 6 oz.)

Optional (for topping individual servings):
chopped cilantro
radish slices
avocado slices
lime wedges
diced onion

Method:

1. Combine the hominy, chicken breast tenders, chicken broth and salsa verde in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir and allow to come to a boil.

2. When the liquid comes to a boil, reduce heat and cover, simmering until chicken is cooked completely through. Remove from heat.

3. Remove chicken to a plate using a slotted spoon. Allow to cool slightly so you can shred with your fingers. Put chicken back in the pot.

4. Serve with whichever toppings you like. Carlos ate his with some cilantro but I didn’t feel it needed anything at all. Serves 4.

Tip: Need a meatless Monday meal? You can make this totally vegetarian by omitting the chicken and subbing vegetable broth for the chicken broth. The hominy is really delicious and filling on its own.

Carne Guisada (stewed beef) is the ultimate comfort food for chilly weather. Versions of this dish can be found in countries throughout Latin America, but if you really think about it, most countries throughout the world will have a similar dish. There’s just something about tender pieces of meat and large chunks of vegetables in a brown sauce that has wide appeal. Served with salad and beans, plus rice and tortillas to soak up every last bite, this meal will leave everyone at the table completely satisfied.

Carne Guisada – Salvadoran-style

You need:

2 lbs. beef (chuck roast)
salt
pepper
2 tablespoons Canola oil
¼ cup red cooking wine
¾ cup water, plus water to cover
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon achiote

1 cup canned tomato sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
¼ cup diced onion
1 teaspoon basil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

6 large carrots, cut in large chunks
1 to 1.5 lbs. potatoes (or yucca), cut in large chunks

Optional: a few tablespoons of flour

Method:

1. Pat the chuck roast with a clean, dry paper towel to remove any excess moisture. In a stainless steel pan, heat 2 tablespoons Canola oil over high heat. Season the chuck roast with salt and pepper. When the oil is very hot and begins to smoke a little, carefully place the chuck roast in the pot. Do not move or attempt to lift the chuck roast while it’s searing. Shake the pan a little once in awhile to see if it’ll come loose on its own. When it easily comes loose on its own, that means it’s finished searing, (about 1 to 2 minutes.) There should be a nice crust on the meat. Carefully flip it over and sear the other side.

2. Remove the chuck roast to a plate while you deglaze the pan. How to deglaze the pan: Add ¾ cup water and ¼ cup red cooking wine to the pan immediately after you remove the meat. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to remove any bits that are stuck to it. Stir boiling 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. This “base” liquid will add a lot of flavor and we’re going to add it to the pot where we cook the meat the rest of the way.

3. Cut the meat into large chunks and put into a large pot with the “base” liquid. Add enough water to cover (for me it was 4 cups.) Add the bay leaves and achiote. Bring to a slow simmer and cover. Cook slowly on low heat for tender meat. If you cook it faster on higher heat the dish won’t be completely ruined or anything, but the meat will be much less tender, so avoid boiling. If the liquid comes to a boil, lower the heat. I cooked mine for about 2 hours and the burner was around the “2″ setting on my stove. After 30 minutes to an hour, you may see that the meat is already cooked through but if you try to pull it apart with a fork, you won’t be able to – This means the meat has not cooked long enough. Trust me, cook it to around 2 hours and you will see how tender it becomes.

4. In a blender, combine tomato sauce, garlic, onion, basil, and Worcestershire sauce. Blend until combined. Add to the pot. (Don’t do this until the meat is done cooking or nearly done cooking.) Also add the carrots and potatoes to the pot. Simmer covered until vegetables are fork tender. Remove from heat. Do not cook too long after adding the vegetables as you don’t want them to get mushy. Add salt to taste.

Optional: If you prefer to thicken the sauce (I do), you can remove one cup of the liquid and whisk in a few tablespoons of flour, then add the thickened liquid back to the pot. Tip: Do not add flour directly to the pot. It must be whisked to combine properly and you can’t do that with the meat and vegetables in the way.

5. Serve with rice, beans, salad and tortillas. Serves 4.

Image credit: Martin Kang Photography

Disclosure: I received Nestlé Abuelita products and compensation for this post, but as always, all opinions are my own.

In October I was invited to a Día de los Muertos (#AbuelitaDDLM) event with celebrity chef Richard Sandoval in California, but unfortunately wasn’t able to attend since I’m in the DC area. Luckily the good people who invited me were nice enough to send some Nestlé Abuelita products and recipes to check out so I’m predicting plenty of chocolate-flavored recipes in my family’s future!

As for the chef – Richard Sandoval – he’s the owner and chef of 37 Latin-themed restaurants around the world, but that isn’t what impresses me most. What impresses me most about Chef Sandoval is his commitment to the importance of passing down traditions to the next generation in the kitchen. In today’s world it’s so easy for many families to forget, or become too busy, to show their children the recipes which were taught to them by their mother or grandmother, which means many of those special recipes will be lost. Don’t let that happen! Make a list of the recipes you know and show them to your kids – write them down if you can. Some people make recipes from memory but you won’t always be around, so next time you make a special family dish for which there’s no written recipe, take the time to write it down as you go along. Likewise, if there’s a family recipe you still haven’t learned from a mother or grandmother, ask them to teach you the next time you’re together!

And just as important as sharing traditional recipes, as Chef Sandoval points out in the video below, is creating new ones – like these Creamy Chocolate Guava Pockets! I can’t wait to try them, (you already know how much I love the combination of cream cheese and guayaba!)

For the written recipe shown in the video and many other recipes using Nestlé Abuelita and other Nestlé products in both English and Spanish, visit El Mejor Nido!

Which recipe do you most want to teach your children? Which recipes have you created together?

Today is Spanish Friday so this post is in Spanish. If you participated in Spanish Friday on your own blog, leave your link in comments. Scroll down for English translation!

Parece que cada año salen más videoblogueras de El Salvador en YouTube, enseñando como hacer las ricas recetas salvadoreñas y asegurandose que la cultura salvadoreña no se pierda, incluso para los salvadoreños en el extranjero. Hoy quiero dar un “shout out” a las mejores videoblogueras salvadoreñas.

#1. FranciscaBo

#2. LaCocina deLupita

#3. Cocinando Con Ingrid

#4. Carmen Orellana

[ENGLISH TRANSLATION]

It seems that each year there are more Salvadoran video bloggers on YouTube showing how to make delicious Salvadoran recipes and ensuring the Salvadoran culture isn’t lost, even for the Salvadorans living abroad. Today I want to give a “shout out” to the best Salvadoran video bloggers.

For those of you who are unable to find Salvadoran relajo to make salsa Criolla to go with Panes con Pavo, pollo, or tamales, here is a “recipe” I came up with so you can make your own if necessary. I read the ingredients on several different brands of authentic Salvadoran relajo and most of them have these spices, (although a few don’t include cloves, peppercorns and/or cumin seeds – so including or excluding those is up to you.) Feel free to tweak it to your family’s preferences, but this should be a good place to start!

I’m never sure whether to call Salvadoran Marquesote a “cake” or a “bread” – It’s not quite either, but it’s kind of both. My best description of it which will give you an idea of what to expect is “very dense, less sweet, angel food cake.” It’s definitely something you want to eat along with a cup of milk or coffee or else you’ll get hiccups!

I actually posted this recipe several years ago but the recipe received recent new comments from people who were having difficulty with it. I decided to bake the marquesote again to make sure my recipe works, and it does perfectly – but I’ve added some tips this time to help ensure it turns out.

First of all, there was concern that the baking temperature of 450 F is too high and people wanted to know if you can bake the marquesote at 350 F.

While 450 F is indeed the right temperature, I decided to try the recipe at 350 F to see what happens. Here is the result:

Upon first glance it seems that both marquesotes turned out great, but if you were to touch and taste the marquesote baked at 350 F, I think you’d agree with me that it’s not as good. The texture and color of the marquesote baked at 350 F for 30 minutes is not right, in my opinion.

I prefer a crisp, brown crust like you find on angel food cake. Baking for 30 minutes at 350 F gives a lighter-colored crust which is moist – that is not what we’re going for. If you bake it longer than 30 minutes it’s possible that it might improve, but I didn’t test that, so you can try it at your own risk.

So, back to the question – can you bake the marquesote at 350 F? The answer is yes, but I don’t recommend it.

While I’ve never been to cooking school, I can provide plenty of tips and resources which will hopefully help you in future baking attempts. If your marquesote didn’t turn out at 450 F there can be several reasons for this – here are the most common:

• Your oven is running hot. If your oven is running hot, then your marquesote can burn. Here’s one way to check to see if your oven temperature is accurate. Use an oven thermometer if necessary.

• You walked away from the kitchen toward the end of bake time. As ovens vary, it’s important to keep an eye on whatever you’re baking and check for doneness through visual cues such as the color of whatever you’re baking – this is especially important when trying a recipe for the first time. The recommended bake time in a recipe is not necessarily an exact time. In the case of this marquesote, when it’s a nice medium brown, (not yellowish brown and not dark brown or black), on top, and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean, it’s done.

• You baked it too high or too low. Unless otherwise instructed, you should always bake things on the middle rack of your oven.

• You didn’t beat the egg whites correctly. Egg whites should be beaten until stiff for this recipe – no more and no less. This is a really important step. If you aren’t sure if you’re doing it correctly or if you’re having trouble, read this great article: Beating Egg Whites Tips and Hints.

• You beat the batter too much after flour was added. Once you add the flour, it’s important not to overbeat the batter or your cake/bread will be a tough texture.

• Your yeast was dead. It’s really important to have fresh yeast. When you poured the batter into the greased Pyrex, did you see little bubbles start popping up? If you did, the yeast was good — If not, that could have contributed to the problem you experienced. Next time buy fresh yeast if yours has been sitting around a long time, or you can proof some of it to see if it’s still good. (Need to know how to proof yeast? Click here.)

• You used regular flour instead of cake flour. The recipe specifically calls for cake flour because it makes for a more tender cake/bread. I do not recommend substituting other types of flour in this recipe.

• Your measuring cups or measuring technique are not accurate. Some recipes are more forgiving than others, but for some it’s very important to be sure your measuring cups and spoons are accurate and that you are measuring correctly. (Here’s a good article on the topic.)

Okay, now that we got all of that out of the way, let’s bake a marquesote!

Salvadoran Marquesote

Ingredients:

8 eggs
2 cups of cake flour
1 cup of sugar (rounded if you like it a little sweeter as I do)
2 teaspoons of quick rise yeast
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Optional: A few dashes of cinnamon

Method:

1. Mix together the yeast and cake flour in a medium bowl. (Add the cinnamon if using.)

2. Separate the eggs into two different bowls. (The whites should be in a large mixing bowl. Yolks in a small bowl.)

Tip: To separate the eggs, crack an egg in half and pour the yolk back and forth between the shells over the bowl until all the white has dropped into the bowl below. You will be left with just the yolk after a few passes back and forth. The yolk can then be dropped into a separate bowl. Make sure you don’t have any yolk in the whites.

3. Grease a 9×13 glass Pyrex, (I use Canola oil cooking spray.) Preheat the oven to 450 F.

4. With an electric mixer on high, beat the egg whites until stiff.

Tip: Not sure if the egg whites are stiff yet? Tilt the bowl – if it moves or there is any liquid, you’re not done.

5. Add the sugar little by little while continuing to use the electric mixer.

6. Add the yolks little by little while continuing to use the electric mixer. Repeat with the flour/yeast mixture. Add vanilla extract. Mix until all ingredients are combined but be careful not to overbeat the batter at this point.

7. Pour the batter into the greased Pyrex and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a medium brown color. The marquesote is finished when this color is achieved and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Serve with milk or coffee.

Rajas con Crema is a traditional Mexican dish consisting of strips of roasted Poblano peppers and onion simmered in Mexican cream. The rajas are then usually eaten in corn tortillas as tacos or atop rice. It’s one of the few vegetarian dishes that leaves me totally satisfied. Here’s my version of the dish made into a casserole; it’s perfect for potlucks or for when you want a meal you can prep in the morning then pop into the oven at dinnertime.

Rajas con Crema Taco Casserole

You need:

6 – 8 chiles poblanos
16 oz. crema Mexicana (I used Lala brand)
2 cups shredded mozzarella or shredded queso chihuahua
half of one medium red onion, (about 1/2 cup when later cut into strips)
12 corn tortillas, lightly toasted on a dry comal and cut in 1 inch strips
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
salt
cooking spray for greasing the pan

Note: A pizza cutter works great to cut the tortillas into strips

Method:

1. Roast the whole chiles until the skin is blackend, either over fire if you have gas stove, or on a dry comal (griddle.)

At this time you will also cut the onion half in quarters and place on the comal, moving as needed to slightly roast all flat sides. Remove the onion to cool for a moment before slicing in tiny, thin strips. Measure out ½ cup onion for this recipe.

2. Wrap the chiles in a paper towel and seal inside a large paper or plastic bag for at least 5 minutes. (This process is called “sweating” the chiles.)

3. Remove the chiles from the bag and the paper towel. Use your fingers, a knife or spoon to scrape most of the blackened skin off the chiles. It’s okay to leave some behind. Do not wash the chiles in water.

4. Use a knife to cut off the stem and slice the chiles open. Cut off and discard the seeds and membrane, then slice the chiles into ½ inch to 1 inch strips. It’s okay if a few seeds remain, just be aware that the more you use, the spicier the dish will be.

5. In a greased 9×13 glass or metal pan, put down a layer of tortilla strips, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with a little salt. Next add a layer of chili strips and a layer of onion, using all your chili and onion.

6. Drop crema by the spoonful on top of the chiles and onion, spreading in an even layer with the back of the spoon.

7. Top with another layer of tortilla strips, sprinkle with salt, and then add the cheese. Drizzle the melted butter over the top.

8. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes uncovered, then broil high for 1 minute to get some nice, toasty brown spots on the cheese. Cut and serve. Serves 4 to 6.

Tip: Cooking for a crowd? Double the ingredients and layers! (This may require a slightly longer bake time.)

I decided to surprise Carlos by making a batch of leche poleada today but I tweaked my usual recipe and it came out even better, so of course I want to share the new version with all of you!

Leche Poleada (Salvadoran Vanilla Custard)

Ingredients:

5 rounded tablespoons cornstarch
4 cups 1% milk
3 egg yolks
1 cinnamon stick
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

ground cinnamon (for sprinkling on top)

Directions:

1. In a blender add milk, sugar, egg yolks and cornstarch. Blend for 15 to 30 seconds until well combined.

2. Pour the mixture into a pot over low heat. Add the cinnamon stick and vanilla extract.

3. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens. (Don’t be too quick to remove it from the stove. You want it to be the texture of thick pudding.)

4. Remove from heat. Remove the cinnamon stick.

5. To serve warm, serve immediately. To serve cold pour into individual ramekins, bowls or even disposable plastic cups, and allow to chill in the refrigerator for a couple hours. Right before serving sprinkle ground cinnamon on top.

This recipe makes about 6 servings.

Today is Spanish Friday so this post is in Spanish. If you participated in Spanish Friday on your own blog, leave your link in comments. Scroll down for English translation!

Ayer no tuve tiempo por escribir para Spanish Friday porque estaba haciendo tamales para una reunion que voy a tener con mi familia. Este año hice tamales de pollo en salsa roja y también tamales de rajas con queso. Yo estaba un poco nerviosa porque cambié muchas cosas este año. Para los vegetarianos en la familia en vez de usar manteca en la masa, usé aceite. Y en vez de caldo de pollo usé caldo de verduras. Déjame darte un consejo que aprendí: Cuando utilizas el aceite en tu masa, cocinar el aceite primero en una olla. Traer el aceite a hervir por un minuto y luego dejar que se enfríe. En este video, la señora dice que da un mejor sabor.

Este año también usé MASECA para tamales porque mi tienda no tenía MASECA normal (y en mi opinión, la textura fue mejor – es un poco más gruesa.)

Las proporciones aproximadas que utilicé para mi masa vegetariana (porque alguien pidió que la compartiera) fueron:

1 2/3 tazas de aceite de canola (“pre-cocinado”)
32 oz de caldo de verduras (marca Swanson)
4 a 6 tazas de MASECA Tamal (Lo que dice “para hacer deliciosos TAMALES”)
1 a 2 cucharaditas de polvo para hornear de doble acción
1 a 2 cucharaditas de sal
1/4 a 1/2 taza de salsa roja (mi receta está aquí)

(¡Lo siento que estos son sólo aproximaciones, ya que no escribo esto mientras yo cocinaba!)

Primero mezclé la MASECA y polvo para hornear con la mano. Añadir sal al gusto. (Cuando puse una pizca de la masa seca en mi lengua, sabía sólo un poco salada.) Añadir el aceite y mezclar con la mano. Añadir la salsa y luego poco a poco el caldo de verduras. Mezclar con la mano hasta que la masa esté bien combinada. Dejé la masa a temperatura ambiente cubierta con plástico por una hora, no sé si eso hace diferencia o no. Esta cantidad de masa fue suficiente para hacer alrededor de 36 tamales de tamaño mediano.

Finalmente, usé el consejo que aprendí en el blog La Mija Chronicles de Lesley Tellez. Ella dice que en México hay una creencia de que si quieres que salgan bien tus tamales, tienes que tratar bien a tu olla. Algunas personas atan tiras de hoja de maíz a los mangos de la olla, cuenten chisme a la olla o cantan a ella. Según Lesley esto evita “mala onda”. Qué interesante, ¿verdad?

¿Cuāles consejos, secretos o creencias sobre como hacer tamales tienes tú?

[ENGLISH TRANSLATION]

Yesterday I didn’t have time to write for Spanish Friday because I was making tamales for a family get together. This year I made tamales de pollo en salsa roja and also tamales de rajas con queso. I was a little nervous because I changed a lot of things this year. For the vegetarians in the family I used oil instead of lard. And instead of chicken broth I used vegetable broth. Let me give you a tip I learned: When you use oil in your masa, “cook” the oil first in a pot. Bring the oil to a boil for a minute and then let it cool. In this video, the woman says it gives the oil a better flavor.

This year I also used MASECA for tamales because my store was out of the regular MASECA (and in my opinion the texture was better – it’s a little coarser.)

The approximate proportions I used for my vegetarian masa (because someone asked me to share) were:

1 2/3 cups “pre-cooked” canola oil
32 ounces vegetable broth (Swanson brand)
4 to 6 cups MASECA Tamal (the one that says “para hacer deliciosos TAMALES”)
1 to 2 teaspoons double acting baking powder
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup salsa roja (my recipe is here)

First mix the MASECA and baking powder by hand. Add salt to taste. (When I tasted a pinch on my tongue, it tasted just slightly salty.) Add the oil and mix in by hand. Add the salsa and then the vegetable broth little by little. Mix by hand until everything is well combined. I let the masa sit at room temperature covered in plastic wrap for an hour, I don’t know if that makes a difference or not. This amount of masa made about 36 medium-sized tamales.

Finally, I used the advice I learned on the blog La Mija Chronicles by Lesley Tellez. She says in Mexico there’s a belief that if you want the tamales to come out well, you have to treat the pot well. Some people tie strips of corn husk to the handles of the pot, tell the pot gossip, or sing to it. According to Lesley this helps avoid any “mala onda.” Interesting, right?

What advice, secrets or beliefs do you have about tamales?

On occasion I’ve been known to make hot dog and scrambled egg tacos for breakfast. I was actually introduced to the use of hot dogs like this by my suegra. To be honest, for many years I thought it was just one of her weird inventions but when we went to El Salvador there were hot dog slices on pizza and finely diced hot dog pieces in Chinese fried rice, so I began to get the idea that this unconventional use of hot dogs wasn’t just a suegra thing.

If you want to give it a try, here’s my recipe for hot dog and egg tacos. Feel free to experiment and give it your own spin!

Hot Dog & Egg Tacos

You need:

2 eggs per person
1 hot dog per person
diced Poblano or Anaheim pepper (about 1 pepper)
finely diced vidalia onion (a small handful)

salt to taste
white corn tortillas, warmed and lightly toasted
Cholula (optional) or Salsa Verde (optional)

Directions:

1. Crack eggs into a large bowl and lightly whisk. Set aside.

2. Cut hot dogs in circles or dice – whichever you like. (Diced is safer for little kids.) Add to a non-stick pan with the onion and Poblano pepper over medium heat, stirring for a couple minutes until hot dog is lightly toasted and the onion and pepper have become slightly tender but not soft.

3. Add the eggs to the pan. Use a spatula or flat ended wooden spoon to gently move the eggs around as they cook. Try not to brown the eggs. Remove from heat.

4. Salt to taste if desired. Serve inside warmed and lightly toasted tortillas with a little Cholula hot sauce or salsa verde.

Optional: If you happen to have frijoles molidos on hand, you can spread those on the tortilla before putting the egg and hot dog mixture into it!

Yesterday I got a sweet craving, and re-discovered a jar of dulce de leche in the refrigerator. Instead of eating it with a spoon like a heathen (not that I haven’t done exactly that before), I decided to make a batch of simple sugar cookies since I was all out of galletas Marias. Naturally since Valentine’s Day is coming up, I grabbed a heart-shaped cookie cutter from the drawer, and thus Dulce de Leche Valentine’s Day Cookies were born. When dusted with powdered sugar, they’re kind of like alfajores! … Make a batch for your corazón de melon, your niños, or even yourself.

Dulce de Leche Valentine’s Day Cookies

You Need:

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
a little less than a 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 jar or can of your favorite dulce de leche
powdered sugar for sprinkling

Method:

1. Beat the softened butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract.

2. Add flour, baking powder, and salt – sprinkling the baking powder and salt so it’s evenly distributed on the flour. (This is a short cut to avoid having to combine dry ingredients separately in another bowl!) Use a rubber spatula to mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.

3. Form the dough into a large ball and cover tightly with plastic wrap inside the bowl. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill for 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. While the oven heats, work with small amounts of dough, (leaving the rest covered in the refrigerator), to cut out the cookies. You can use a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface, but it isn’t necessary. You can simply flatten a small amount with your palm right on the parchment paper covered baking sheet, then use a heart-shaped cookie cutter on the flattened dough. Remove the excess dough from the edges of the heart shape and re-use for the next cookie you cut out.

5. Bake cookies about 1 to 2 inches apart, (if the dough has been properly chilled and your pan is not hot before going into the oven, it shouldn’t spread and will maintain its shape.)

6. Bake about 10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. (Bake time may be slightly less or more, depending on the size and thickness of your cookies. My heart-shaped cookies were about palm-sized and no more than a 1/4 inch thick.)

7. Remove cookies to cool on clean, dry paper towels, (or on wire racks if you’re fancy. I personally don’t own any of those.)

8. For the first few hours these cookies will be mostly soft and chewy, but if you make them in the evening and wait until the next morning (which is what I prefer), the texture becomes chewy on the inside but more crisp on the outside.

9. Use a butter knife to spread your favorite dulce de leche either on top of the cookies, or on the bottom of one to sandwich it between two cookies.

10. Dust with powdered sugar. (I recommend doing this by putting a small amount of powdered sugar in a fine mesh sieve and gently tapping it over the cookies to avoid large clumps of powdered sugar.)

11. Give to your valentine before you eat them all yourself.

Torrejas are kind of like French Toast and in El Salvador as well as in other parts of Latin America, they’re eaten during Semana Santa (holy week, Lent, and Easter), with a special homemade syrup. One of the things that make Torrejas more amazing than your average homemade American French Toast is that after it’s fried to a golden brown, it’s cooked a second time in the syrup. The type of bread used is also important, as your common white sandwich bread will not do! Salvadorans use thick slices of a bread called “torta de yema” but it’s difficult to find in the United States. Good substitutes for torta de yema include Challah or “pan de leche” (milk bread.) Challah can be found at some grocery stores and the “pan de leche” I used for this recipe was from a Latina bakery.

Another ingredient I want to explain a little is the “dulce de panela.” Panela is an unrefined brown sugar and it looks like this:

(Wrapped in plastic)

(Wrapped in dried corn husks)

(Salvadoran “panela”)

If you’re unable to find Salvadoran “panela” at your local Mercado Latino or International Market, then you can substitute about two 8 ounce Mexican piloncillos or about 2 cups of dark brown sugar.

Ready for the most amazing French Toast experience of your life? Then you’re ready to make Salvadoran Torrejas en Miel!

Torrejas Salvadoreñas en Miel

First, How to make the “miel” (syrup):

You need:

1/2 of a 28 oz. panela (So, about 14 ounces. For substitutions see post above.)
3 cups water
10 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. (The panela will melt and break up on its own. No need to force it.)

2. Boil for a few minutes, stirring when necessary to keep it from boiling over.

3. Lower heat and simmer for a few more minutes until the liquid thickens slightly. (Dip a spoon in and watch the way it coats the spoon and drips off it. This will give you an idea of whether it has thickened a little. Note that the liquid is a thinner consistency than American-style syrup or honey – that’s okay!)

4. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. (The liquid will thicken a little bit more upon cooling.)

5. Now this is ready for the Torrejas! Set aside and continue below.

How to make the Torrejas:

You need:

2 tortas de yema (or 2 loaves of Challah, or milk bread/pan de leche)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 cups 1% milk
8 eggs

Canola oil for frying
a batch of “miel” (the recipe above)

1. Slice the bread into thick slices, (about 1 inch thick or a little more.)

2. In a large shallow dish, beat the eggs, milk, salt and sugar until well combined. (You can use an electric mixer for about 1 minute.)

3. Dip the bread slices into the egg/milk mixture one-by-one, allowing them a few seconds on each side to soak up the liquid. Fry in oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan, being careful not to crowd the slices in the pan. (My pan only fit two pieces at a time.) Flip when golden brown and cook the other side the same.

4. When each slice is golden brown on both sides, remove to a large rectangular baking dish or Pyrex lined with paper towels to absorb some of the oil.

5. Preheat oven to 350 F.

6. When the entire batch has been fried, carefully remove the paper towels from beneath the torrejas.

7. Some people cook the torrejas in a frying pan with the miel, but I find baking them works great and is much easier. Pour 1 cup of the miel onto the torrejas in the Pyrex, making sure that all get some of the “miel” on them. (Avoid including any of the cloves.)

8. Bake at 350 F for 5 to 10 minutes.

9. Serve with additional miel to drizzle on top.

Note: You will probably have leftover miel. This can be put into a jar and refrigerated. Use it in other recipes such as Jocotes en Miel or Nuegados!

The other day I tried to make a Salvadoran “Torta de Yema” and it was a complete failure. The good news is that I had a bunch of egg whites left over and I used them to make espumillas, which are like the Latin American version of meringues. As you can see, I simply dropped mine by the spoonful onto the baking sheet, but if you want to be super fancy, use a pastry bag, (or even a ziploc bag with one corner cut off), to give them a prettier shape.

Espumillas

You need:

4 egg whites (cold)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
food coloring (optional)

sprinkles and/or ground cinnamon

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 225 F.

2. Beat whites to stiff peaks.

3. Mix in sugar little by little.

4. Add vanilla extract and food coloring. (If you want to make several different colors, separate the mixture into a few bowls before adding the colors.)

5. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, drop spoonfuls of the mixture. You can put them close together because they won’t spread but make them no larger than about an inch and a half in diameter. If your espumilla is too large, it won’t properly bake/dry in the middle.

6. Sprinkle with sprinkles or ground cinnamon. (I find the sprinkles prettier but the cinnamon ones, not pictured, were tastier.)

7. Bake for 1 hour. Do not open the oven door. After one hour, turn the oven off. Leave the espumillas in the oven while it cools down for at least two hours.

8. Break one open. Espumillas should be shiny outside, dry in the middle with a crunchy texture, and sweet candy-like flavor. Enjoy!

Disclosure: Latinaish.com has partnered with Nestlé to bring you recipes using Nestlé products. As always, all opinions are my own.

Known as “buñuelos” in much of Latin America, El Salvador calls these traditional Easter fritters “nuégados” and they’re almost always accompanied by a toasted corn drink called “chilate.” There are many different varieties of nuégados with the most popular one being nuégados de yuca, but a Salvadoran acquaintance recently introduced me to nuégados de guieno (banana nuégados), which are much easier to make. The banana imparts a very delicate taste to the fried donuts which makes them delicious on their own, but they’re even more amazing with homemade Salvadoran “miel” (syrup) drizzled over top.

Here’s my recipe, and then down below, enter for your chance to win a $50 gift card from Nestlé!

For additional recipes, visit ElMejorNido.com.

Salvadoran Banana Fritters / Nuégados Salvadoreños en Miel

Ingredients:
2 cups canola oil, for frying
1 cup flour
2 large ripe bananas, peeled
1/4 cup NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Directions:

COMBINE flour and bananas in a medium bowl. Use a fork or hands to mash the bananas well and mix them thoroughly into the flour.

ADD the evaporated milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Stir to combine.

DROP spoonfuls of the dough into a large pot of medium-hot oil. Use metal tongs to carefully and continuously splash oil on top of each fritter, and to turn each fritter when it becomes golden brown. Cook only a few at a time so you don’t overcrowd them.

REMOVE each fritter to drain on a paper towel-lined plate when golden brown on both sides.

SERVE warm and with syrup drizzled on top, if desired. (Makes about 1 dozen.)

Salvadoran Syrup (“Miel”)

Ingredients:

14 ounces of panela or piloncillo*
3 cups water
10 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

*If you’re unable to find panela, or piloncillo, you can substitute 2 cups of dark brown sugar.

Directions:

COMBINE all ingredients in a medium pot over medium-high heat.

BRING to a boil, stirring occasionally. The panela will melt and break up on its own. No need to force it.

BOIL for a few minutes, stirring when necessary to keep it from boiling over.

LOWER heat and simmer for a few more minutes until the liquid thickens slightly. Dip a spoon in and watch the way it coats the spoon and drips off it. This will give you an idea of whether it has thickened a little.

REMOVE from heat and allow to cool slightly. The syrup will thicken a little bit more upon cooling.

SERVE drizzled over Salvadoran Banana Fritters. Keep any unused portion refrigerated in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Giveaway Details

Prize description: One lucky winner will receive a $50 gift card.

How to enter: Just leave a comment below telling me your favorite Easter food. (Please read official rules below before entering.)

Official Rules: No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years of age or older to enter. You must be able to provide a U.S. address for prize shipment. Your name and address will only be shared with the PR agency responsible for prize fulfillment for that purpose. Please no P.O. Boxes. One entry per household. Make sure that you enter a valid email address in the email address field so you can be contacted if you win. Winner will be selected at random. Winner has 24 hours to respond. If winner does not respond within 24 hours, a new winner will be selected at random. Giveaway entries are being accepted between March 30, 2015 through April 3rd, 2015. Entries received after April 3rd, 2015 at 11:59 pm EST, will not be considered. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. If you win, by accepting the prize, you are agreeing that Latinaish.com assumes no liability for damages of any kind. By entering your name below you are agreeing to these Official Rules. Void where prohibited by law.

Buena suerte / Good luck!

Disclosure: Latinaish.com has partnered with Nestlé to bring you recipes using Nestlé products. As always, all opinions are my own.

The “Carajillo Quemado” is a classic Spanish mixed coffee drink and the inspiration for these cupcakes. Some of you may be more familiar with the Carajillos made in Mexico, which are simply a mix of espresso and Licor 43, which is often served iced, but in Spain the drink is made differently with a few variations.

There’s plenty of interesting folklore about this drink. It’s said that the word “Carajillo” derived from the Spanish word for courage (coraje), because when Spanish troops occupied Cuba, that’s exactly what they needed for combat. Still others say the name originated from the boat carriers at the French station in Barcelona. They would ask for a mixed glass of coffee and liquor instead of two separate drinks, presumably because they were in a hurry, or “que ara quillo” (“now I’m leaving in a hurry” in Catalan.) This phrase, when rushed, would sound like “caraquillo”, which is where we’d eventually got “Carajillo.”

Interesting, no?

In Spain, the simplest version of this drink is just brandy, cognac, anisette, or rum, mixed into strong black coffee – sugar optional. The “Carajillo Quemado” – or “burnt” Carajillo, is much more interesting. Sugar and alcohol along with a bit of lemon peel are mixed in a glass and lit on fire. The coffee is added to put the fire out once much of the alcohol has been burnt off and the sugar has been given a caramelized flavor. In the United States Carajillos typically have sugar around the rim of the glass and the drink is topped off with whipped cream. Cinnamon is also sometimes incorporated in both the Spanish and American versions.

I couldn’t resist developing a cupcake which combines these unique flavors, so I started with a coffee-flavored cupcake as the base. Nescafé Clásico provided the perfect roasted coffee flavor I was going for while being mild enough that it would play nicely with all the other flavors I planned to incorporate. A decadent combination of rum, coffee and buttercream was an obvious choice for the frosting, along with a pinch of fresh lemon zest.

Now for the caramelized sugar flavor. While I briefly considered sprinkling the cupcakes with sugar and rum then lighting them on fire, I decided I’m a little too accident prone to attempt it! (My eyebrows thank me.) Instead, I made caramelized sugar toppings which really gave the cupcakes an elegant touch. I’m sure any mother will appreciate if you decide to make these cupcakes for Día de Los Madres (Mother’s Day!)

Here’s my recipe if you decide to treat your madre (or yourself!) and then down below, enter for your chance to win a $50 gift card from Nestlé!

For additional recipes, visit ElMejorNido.com.

Carajillo Quemado Cupcakes

Ingredients:

½ cup hot water
5 teaspoons NESTLÉ® Nescafé Clásico
1 ½ cups all-pupose flour, pre-sifted
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into cubes and softened
1 cup white sugar
½ teaspoon rum
2 large eggs, separated

1 batch rum buttercream frosting (recipe below)
1 lemon, zested, for topping
caramelized sugar garnishes (recipe below)

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350 F. Put cupcake liners in muffin tin, set aside.

MIX Nescafé Clásico into hot water, set aside to cool.

COMBINE flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

BEAT butter and sugar together in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.

ADD rum to butter and sugar, then the yolks one at a time, beating after each addition.

ADD flour to the butter mixture, alternating with the cooled coffee, starting with flour and ending with flour, until well-combined.

BEAT egg whites in a separate bowl with hand mixer until soft peaks form then stir them gently into the batter.

FILL cupcake liners ¾ full with batter. Do not overfill as cupcakes will rise. Shake the pan to even out the batter.

BAKE on middle rack for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

REMOVE cupcakes to cool completely before frosting. Makes about 1 dozen cupcakes.

Tip: I used Bacardi brand light rum which is what I had on hand, but many bakers prefer gold or dark rum; you can use any of those in this recipe.

Buttercream Rum Frosting for Carajillo Quemado Cupcakes

Ingredients:

3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 teaspoon imitation rum extract
1 tablespoon NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
1 teaspoon NESTLÉ® Nescafé Clásico

Directions:

BEAT sugar and butter until creamy.

ADD rum extract and beat until combined.

MIX Nescafé Clásico crystals into evaporated milk until completely dissolved, then add to the frosting mixture, beating until combined.

FROST cooled cupcakes using a pastry bag and tip as desired.

TOP each cupcake with a pinch of fresh lemon zest and a caramelized sugar garnish. Keep refrigerated until serving.

Tip: As cinnamon is sometimes incorporated into Carajillos, feel free to add a tiny dash of ground cinnamon to your frosted cupcakes as well!

Caramelized Sugar Garnish for Carajillo Quemado Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar

Directions:

HEAT sugar over medium heat in a large frying pan.

WAIT for most of the sugar to melt and become almost amber in color before stirring. Be patient as this process can take several minutes. Avoid the temptation to stir or turn the heat higher. While waiting, lay parchment paper out on a nearby clean kitchen counter.

STIR the melted, caramelized sugar with a wooden spoon, being careful to remove from heat before it burns.

USE a metal spoon to carefully drizzle small amounts of the caramelized sugar onto a parchment paper-covered surface, in whatever design desired. You must work somewhat quickly as the caramelized sugar in the pan will begin to harden.

WHEN cool the caramelized sugar designs will harden and you will be able to pick them up from the parchment paper. Use these as an edible garnish for your frosted cupcakes.

Tip: Because of the burn dangers of working with hot, melted sugar, make sure that pets and children are not in the kitchen while preparing caramelized sugar garnishes. If the remaining caramelized sugar hardens in your frying pan, you can remove it by simply adding a little water and heating it back up.

=== GIVEAWAY CLOSED. CONGRATS to HS! ===

Giveaway Details

Prize description: One lucky winner will receive a $50 gift card.

How to enter: Just leave a comment below telling me what you love most about your mother or another woman you admire. (Please read official rules below before entering.)

Official Rules: No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years of age or older to enter. You must be able to provide a U.S. address for prize shipment. Your name and address will only be shared with the PR agency responsible for prize fulfillment for that purpose. Please no P.O. Boxes. One entry per household. Make sure that you enter a valid email address in the email address field so you can be contacted if you win. Winner will be selected at random. Winner has 24 hours to respond. If winner does not respond within 24 hours, a new winner will be selected at random. Giveaway entries are being accepted between April 22, 2015 through April 27th, 2015. Entries received after April 27th, 2015 at 11:59 pm EST, will not be considered. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. If you win, by accepting the prize, you are agreeing that Latinaish.com assumes no liability for damages of any kind. By entering your name below you are agreeing to these Official Rules. Void where prohibited by law.

Buena suerte / Good luck!