Tres Leches cakes have been around a long time here in Texas. You can get them at any local grocer. Lately they seem to have become somewhat of a trend on the Internet and now all y’all are clamoring forrecipes for the humble Tres Leches. Well, Texans are generous and you are getting a ton of them. And here is one more.

Basically a Tres Leches is a firm cake that is soaked overnight in a mixture of three milks. The soaking gives it flavor and moisture, which originally was a way to save a stale cake.

I wanted something a little different with memorable contrasts. Sweet white chocolate and tangy key lime did the trick for me. This is not a cake to make in a hurry but once you make it you are going to love it. I am sure.

This is a rich cake and you can expect it to serve 12 easily.

Lime White Chocolate Tres Leches Cake Recipe

Cake

• 1-3/4 Cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 Cup butter
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Cup granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup key lime juice
• Zest from one lime

Tres Leches

• 12 oz. evaporated milk
• 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup white chocolate
• Lime juice for sprinkling cake

Topping

• 2 cups heavy cream
• sugar to taste
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 1/2 tsp rum extract

Directions:

1. Blend the flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
4. Add the vanilla and the zest.
5. Add the flour and then the lime juice.
6. Mix carefully.
7. Spoon into a 9×9 inch pan or a 9-inch round pan and bake at 350F until done, about 30 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and let cool.
9. Poke the cake with a fork in several places.
10. Heat the heavy cream to a simmer.
11. Add the white chocolate to the cream and stir until smooth.
12. Mix the cream mixture, Eagle Brand condensed milk, and evaporated milk
13. Pour slowly over cake, allowing cake to absorb all the liquid. Repeat until the cream mixture is gone.
14. Cover tightly with plastic wrap.
15. Place in the refrigerator overnight.
16. Next day turn out onto a cake plate.
17. Sprinkle with about 1/4 cup more lime juice.
18. Whip the cream with the vanilla, rum extract, and sugar to taste.
19. Top the cake with the whipped cream, sprinkle with zest and serve.

One thing I will do next time is to increase the cream mixture by half because this cake was not quite as “wet” as I like my Tres Leches cakes to be. I think the pan I used made the cake thicker than a 9×9 pan would have and a thinner cake would have worked better. Use your own judgment on this. I used Oxford Falls Raspberry Chipotle sauce on the plate to add both flavor and a color color contrast.

Terrine is a French dish, most often made with meat, sometimes with vegetables, less often with a sweet. They are always incredibly rich and meltingly smooth. The one I have chosen to develop is……:::::drumroll::::

Earl Grey & Bittersweet Chocolate Terrine

Smooth, rich, luscious. Think of it as  mousse on steroids. I used a strong infusion of the Mrs. Earl Grey tea that I had gotten at Teavana a few weeks ago. I thought that the combination of flavors would be a good one, and I purposely used as little sugar as possible to intensify the chocolate flavor to an adult level. It works, it works the same way as a Godiva truffle and a cup of espresso work. This is not Jello Instant pudding, folks, nor is it Hersheys.

It is not hard to make. You do have to make it ahead so it can chill for 8 hours minimum.  The texture is amazing..You will think it is going ot be cakelike but as you putit in your mouth it melts and disappears, leaving an intense chocolate memory. I love this dessert.

It sounds complicated but like riding a bike it is really easy once you know how.

Earl Grey & Bittersweet Chocolate Terrine

Serves 8

• 2/3 c whipping cream divided
• 8 oz chopped bittersweet chocolate
• 2 Tbs unsalted butter, chopped
• 3 Tbs strong infusion of Mrs.Earl Grey, or any other Earl Grey Tea.
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 c sugar

Ganache Glaze

• 1/2 c dark chocolate, chopped
• 1/3 c heavy cream

Bring heavy cream just to a boil, remove from heat and add chocolate, stir until smooth. Pour and smooth over the cold terrine while still warm.

Method for Terrine

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Cover eggs with hot water, not boiling, and let them come to a slightly more than room temperature.
3. Bring 1/3 c heavy cream just to the boil and remove from heat. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until chocolate is fully melted and mixed with the cream. Add the butter. Continue to stir while adding the tea.
4. Whip the eggs and egg yolks for 5-6 minutes, or until nearly tripled in volume. Slowly add sugar and continue to whip. Be sure all the sugar crystals are gone.
5. Whip the last 1/3 of whipped cream. Fold the eggs into the chocolate, then fold the whipped cream in. Be careful not to deflate but mix thoroughly.
6. Set a loaf pan in a pan of warm water. Line the loaf pan with aluminum foil. Spoon the chocolate mixture in it and smooth top. Seal aluminum foil over the top, cutting a few vents in it to let steam escape. Bake at 325 for 40 minutes, checking it halfway through.
7. After 40 minutes it should look somewhat dull on top. Do not overcook!
8. Remove to a rack and allow to cool at room temp for an hour, then put in the fridge for at least 8 hours.
9. Unmold, Smooth the ganache glaze over it, slice, and serve with a dollop of whipped cream…if you dare.

I can’t resist puff pastry. I know it is full of fat and calories but there is something about those crispy, airy layers of pastry that beckons me. And I always respond, like someone who has been hypnotized….mmmmm… puff pastry…

This Napoleon is a little different than most. I filled it with a praline-banana-rum fillings along with the creme patisserie. What resulted was a skyscraper of  flavor layers… crispy pastry, sweet banana, rich cream, and crunchy pecans. This finishes up any Caribbean style menu beautifully, I think. It is very summery and tropical.

If you want a fluffier pastry cream just whip about a half a cup of heavy cream and carefully fold it into the pastry cream just before filling the Napoleons. You can then pipe it and it will look very elegant, as opposed to the messy, rustic look that I prefer. This recipe serves 12 generously, or you can probably serve 18 normal servings. Be sure the bananas are very ripe - they will be sweeter and more flavorful.

Please use organic cornstarch. Regular cornstarch is generally made from genetically modified corn and that is just a bad idea.

Banana Rum Napoleon

• 1 package frozen puff pastry or 1 lb homemade
• 4 bananas, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup rum
• pinch of salt
• 1 recipe pastry cream

1. Thaw the pastry according to directions and cut along fold lines. If you are using homemade then you can just cut it into 6 rectangles.
2. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes or until golden and puffed. Set aside to cool.
3. Melt butter in heavy pan and whisk in brown sugar until smooth and combined. Add the rum and simmer for 1 minute.
4. Stir in bananas and pecans.
5. Mix gently until the bananas are covered in brown sugar mixture. Set aside.
6. Split the puff pastry rectangles longwise  into two pieces each. Save the best looking 2 tops to be the top of the pastry.
7. Place one rectangle on a serving plate. Spread with pastry cream, then a layer of the banana mixture.
8. Top with a layer of pastry and repeat until there are six layers.
9. Dust the top with confectioners sugar.
10. Repeat with the other pastry rectangles.
11. Chill until ready to serve.

Pastry Cream/Creme Patisserie

• 3 cups half and half
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 8 egg yolks
  
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  
• 6 tablespoons organic cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Beat the egg yolks and sugar until ribbons form
2. Whisk the cornstarch into the milk and heat, stirring until it begins to boil and thicken
3. Pour 1/3 of the hot milk mixture slowly into the egg yolks stirring constantly.
4. Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the pan with the  milk, stirring constantly
5. Cook, stirring, until thick , about one to two minutes at most (Don;t allow to curdle)
6. Pour  though a strainer into a bowl
7. Stir in butter and vanilla
8. Lay a piece of  buttered plastic wrap on the top and chill

Can be made a day ahead if desired.

images: marye audet

I love pears. When I was growing up  we had a pear tree in the yard. It was an ancient and gnarled tree that produced the sweetest of sickle pears. I would climb to the top branches of that tree with the library book I was reading and could literally spend and entire summer afternoon in complete oblivion to the rest of the world.

The summer that I discovered Louisa May Alcott was also the summer I discovered the boy that lived in the house next door and played football in the yard between our houses. I believe I was in fourth grade and was precociously interested in the rippling of his shoulder muscles as he threw and caught the football. So, the tree took on a new facet  for me; a place where I could observe un-noticed the object of my 10 year old affections.

Always the pears were ready for me in the golden heat of  a late August afternoon. Warmed from the sun, sweet, ripe and juicy - those pears had a flavor that is indescribable to this day. I can taste them. (more…)

I love doing cheesecakes. Even though people think they are really hard, and impressive–they are a cinch. Just a few tricks and tips will guarantee your success. Once you have the basic formula down you can change flavors and crust and topping to your heart’s content.

This brownie cheesecake was actually an accident. I was trying out a new chocolate cake recipe for Matt’s birthday party (7/24) and the texture of the cake was not what I wanted..too dense to be cake, too dry to be brownie. What to do?

When I took it from the pans it crumbled. I grumbled. And then…

(more…)