Horchata

Horchata is the most delicious beverage you can have, I first tried it in Spain, as a little girl, then whenever I could.

My sister in law just gave me this easy recipe and I wanted to share it with you, its as easy as delicious and refreshing.

Hope you like it!
Ingredients
1 cup of rice (regular rice will be fine)

3 cups of water
1 cup of evaporated milk shopping liscinnamon 1 or 2 branches
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
5 Tbsp sugar
powder cinnamon for decoration How to make it

How to do it
Bring the 3 cups to a boil
Add the cup of rice
Let the rice and water rest for at least 3 hours, you can leave it overnight add the branch of cinnamon at this point
Put the rice and water in the blender all together with the cinnamon
add 1 Tbsp of vanilla
and then 5 Tbsp of sugar
add the evaporated milk
Blend all this perfectly
Strain 2 times and pour it in a big beautiful pitcher with ice and sprinkle some more powder cinnamon if you like
enjoy!

Happy Cake

I saw this recipe and loved it! it came from "Cream Puffs in Venice" blog, I thought it was a great classic cake, I did just a few changes to follow my style and at the end I have to say I just loved it, I hope you like it too. Its very versatile and a crowd pleaser, so enjoy!!!!!!

For the Cake

1-1/4 cups unsalted butter
2-1/2 cups granulated sugar

6 extra large eggs

1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp pure vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1tsp baking soda

For the Frosting
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
3 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
1 pound icing sugar
2 tbsp vanilla extract

How to make it
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour your baking pan really well.
In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar for 3 min on high speed. The mixture should be fluffy. Reduce the speed to medium and carefully add the eggs, two at the time.
Add the sour cream and the vanilla extract. Mix for another minute on medium speed.
In a large bowl stiff toghether the flour, cornstarch, salt and baking soda. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined.
Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake for 40 min, and it will depend on your oven, check with a toothpick to check if its done or missing some more minutes.
While the cake is cooling prepare the frosting just by placing the butter, cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat at high speed for four minutes, stir in the vanilla extract.
Refrigerate the frosting until ready to use.

Enjoy!!!

The Best Chocolate Caramel Bread Pudding

I have to start saying why I did this chocolate bread pudding on the first place, its all because it was My wedding anniversary!!! a very special event for my family, my husband is always trying and tasting my new creations, and almost always enthusiastic about them all.

I wanted to do something different, maybe a simple creation, yes, but sometimes homemade cakes are what family enjoy the most.
So in a recent trip I bought some cooking books, I love going to libraries all over the world and get to know a countries favorite cakes, cookies, flavours, combinations, that sure surprises me and makes me enjoy every moment discovering them.

So this time it had to be a bread pudding, maybe because I had a craving for one since long time ago I have to admit.
From my point of view this is a little sophisticated, which I liked, the combination of chocolate and caramel its incredible, gives it not only an interesting texture feeling but a wonderful flavour.

INGREDIENTS
6 large egg yolks
4 large whole eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 cups milk
5 cups 1/2 inch cubed chocolate cake ( I used a betty crocker mix, and put it in the microwave for 9 1/2 min) its great ! cooled and cubed.
Chocolate ganache if desired for decorating
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 F
In a bowl, lightly whisk together the egg yolks, whole eggs, and salt, set aside.
In a large heavy saucepan stir together the water and sugar.
Place over medium heat to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and comes to a boil,
Increase the heat to high and cook, without stirring,until the mixture becomes a nice golden amber.
while sugar is cooking, put the cream in small heavy saucepan, and place it over medium heat, when little bubbles appear around the edges of the pan, then remove from the heat.
As soon the caramel is golden amber, remove from the heat and let bubbles subside for a few seconds.
Stir in about 1/4 cup of the hot cream, stirring.
Add more cream little by little, once all has been added, whisk the caramel cream into reserved egg mixture, also little by little.
Then whisk the milk.
Place chocolate cake pieces in a 9 by 13 inch baking pan.
Pour the caramel custard evenly over the cake
Bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out almost completely clean. about 1 hr.
Its better to do this bread pudding one day ahead and keep it refrigerated.

If you want to see step by step this recipe please visit:

http://www.grouprecipes.com/115088/the-best-chocolate-caramel-bread-pudding.html

Birthday Cake

I made this chocolate cake for my daughter´s bday, it had to be chocolate and had squares, so I thought of giving it a fresh and non complicated look and this is what came out, it was moist and delicious, you can do it in layers or just in one piece.

I divided the batter in 3


in between layers I added the chocolate nutella sauce



covered it with ganache



covering sides too

Finishing by adding colored whipped cream squares and colored sugar


CAKE
200 grs. butter
200 grs. sugar

150 grs. flour
200 grs. semi-sweet chocolate

(or milk chocolate) melted

65 grs. milk
6 egg whites

6 egg yolks
SAUCE
100 grs semi sweet chocolate
100 grs. nutella
3/4 cup milk
GANACHE
250 grs. semi-sweet chocolate
150 grs. milk
20 grs. butter
DECORATIONS
Whipping cream
sugar to taste
drops of food coloringDirections
CAKE DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven 350 degrees.
1.cream the butter untill it has a lighter color , then add the sugar, egg yolks,beat for one minute, then the chocolate, give this 2 minutes and add milk.

2.In another bowl whisk the egg whites untill stiff, then add it to the cake batter with soft revolving movements.

3. Grease a pan, this is a big square cake pan
4. Put the cake batter in the oven and bake for 35 to 45 min. or untill it's done.
For the sauce heat the milk, add the chocolate and nutella, with a toothpick make little holes in the cake and pour the warm sauce, it should go inside the cake, let it rest for 20 min before covering with ganache

FOR THE GANACHE
Heat the milk, and add the melted chocolate

beat for 2 minutes and add the butter.
Cover the cake .

DECORATIONS
If you want to put chocolate decorations just melt chocolate, put it into a decorating pipe and do whatever you want.Prepare the whipping cream with the sugar and when soft peaks appear add some drops of your favorite color.I just did little color squares and sprinkle with colored sugar

Banana and Dried Fruits Cake

Is there a house without BANANAS? I don´t think so, its a versatile fruit, besides it´s delicious and healthy. Well I had 4 ripe bananas and wanted to follow my instinct, so I decided dried fruits would be a great addition, as I still had some from Christmas.

Here´s the recipe, it turned out great, its so moist and delicious, and dried fruit are an interesting addition, so I hope you like it!

INGREDIENTS
4 ripe bananas
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup cubed mixed dried fruits
2 cups flour
3 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp vanilla
1tsp baking soda
powder sugar for decoration (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 F . Grease 2 molds, I used two flower ones.
In a large mixing bowl sift the flour.
In a mixing bowl mash the bananas, add the sugar, then baking soda, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, until smooth.
Then dust some flour over dried fruits, so that they stay on top of the cake.
Add dried fruits.
Spoon batter into prepared molds.
Bake until golden brown, about 35 min.
Remove from oven, and let it cool.
Dust with powder sugar the cake that goes on the lower part, and just place the little cake on top
Done, enjoy!

Orange Sponge Cake

Recipes for simple and delicious cakes are a must this days that we have so many things to do and so little time to bake.

So that´s why I want to show you this delicious Orange Sponge Cake

FOR THE CAKE
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1/2 fresh orange juice
6 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup of sugar (for the egg whites)

POWDERED SUGAR FROSTING
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
evaporated milk
4 Tbsp. slivered almonds

FOR THE CAKE
Beat egg yolks with sugar, add orange peel and little by little the orange juice.
Gradually add the flour.
In a separate bowl beat the egg whites, the cream of tartar and little by little the rest of the sugar(1/2 cup).
Fold the egg white mix with the egg yolk mixture.
Pour into greased and floured ring pan.
Bake at 325 degrees for 50 min. aprox.
FOR THE FROSTING
In mixing bowl stir together powdered sugar, vanilla and add enough evaporated milk to make of drizzling consistency(about 2 Tbsp).
Drizzle over the top of the cake.
sprinkle almonds

Buttermilk Coffee Cake

I love coffee cakes, they´re rich in textures, and can be just as simple as this one, or you can add apples, cherries, banana, blueberries, etc.

They give you the idea of being homemade, even if they´re not.

You can enjoy them with different kinds of ice cream, mmmmm.....

I created this coffee cake by accident, I was thinking on doing a classic cherry coffee cake, but when everything was ready I didn´t have any cherry filling.

So this delicious cake came out:

Cake:
80 grs. butter, 1/2 cup caster sugar,200 grs. buttermilk, 4 eggs, 1 tsp baking powder, 1Tbsp vanilla, 1 1/2 cups flour
Streussel:
60 grs. butter, 70 grs. flour, 1/4 cup caster sugar, 1tsp vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon

Decoration:

powder sugar (optional

How-To:

Preheat oven to 375 f. grease and flour a round mold.

Prepare Streussel: mix all ingredients and put into the freezer for 20 min aprox.

For the cake: In a medium mixing bowl, cream butter, then add caster sugar, then buttermilk, and eggs, beating between each ingredient.

Then add the vanilla, baking powder and flour.

Pour batter into prepared mold.

Break Streussel into crumbs, and place them on top of the batter, dust a little caster sugar and cinnamon on top as well, just what your fingers can sprinkle.Bake until little brown.Let cool for 20 min, and if you like, dust some powder sugar on top.

enjoy