Tres Leche Cake

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown 2007

prep time: 45min
inactive prep time: 8 hrs 0 min
cook time: 25 min
level: intermediate

serves: 1(13 by 9 inch) cake

Ingredients

For the cake:

Vegetable oil

• 6 3/4 onces cake flour, plus extra for pan
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
• 8 ounces sugar
• 5 whole eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Glaze

• 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 (14ounce) can seetened condensed milk
• 1 cup half-and-half

For the Topping

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 8 ounces sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

For the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour a 13 by 9 inch pan and set aside.

Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

Place the butter into a bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until fluffy, aproximately 1 minute. Decrease the speed to low and with the mixer still runnig, gradually add the sugar over 1 minute. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix to thoroughly combine. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches and mix just until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. This will appear to be a very small amount of batter. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden and reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees F.

Remove the cake pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Poke the top of the cake all over with a fork or skewer. Allow the cake to cool completely and then prepare the glaze.

For the Glaze:

Whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condense milk and the half-and-half in a 1 quart measuring cup/bowl. Once combined, and pour the glaze over the cake. Refrigerate the cake overnight.

Topping:

Place the heavy cream, sugar and vailla into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk together on low until stiff peaks are formed. Change to medium speed and whisk until thick. Spread the topping over the cake and allow to chill in the refridgerator until ready to serve. After serving return the cake to the refridgerator to keep the glaze from exiting the cake.

Baked Alaska

1 9” Yellow-cake layer
1 qt. vanilla ice cream
1 qt. raspberry sherbet
8 egg whites
1 cup sugar

Place cake in freezer to chill.

Line a 9” diameter bowl with wax paper or foil; along bottom and sides, pack vanilla ice cream. Then fill center with sherbet. On top, place sheet of wax paper; freeze until firm.

With electric mixer or hand beater, beat egg whites until they stand in moist, drooping peaks. Slowly add sugar, 2 Tbls at a time, beating until stiff and glossy.

Invert bowl of ice cream onto cake, centering bowl abot 1” from cake edges; then lift off bowl; pull off paper, With spatula, quickly spread meringue over entire surface of ice cream and cake; meringue should be at least 1” thick. Return to freezer.

About 15 minutes before serving: Start heating oven to 500. Remove alaska from freezer and promptly bake 4-5 min, until a delicate brown. Remove from oven; place next to a chilled serving plate; carefully transfer to plate.

Cashew Crisps

1 ½ c melted butter
2 c white sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/8 c molasses (2 Tbl)
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 ½ c finely ground salted cashews (measure after grinding in food processor)
2 beaten eggs
3 c flour

Combine butter, sugar, vanilla and molasses. Stir until blended, then add the baking soda, powder and salt. Mix well. Add ground cashews and mix. Pour in the beaten eggs and stir. Then add the flour and ix until all the ingredients are thoroughly blended.

Let the dough sit for a few minutes to firm up. Then form dough into small walnut-sized balls and arrange them on a greased cookie sheet. Flatten the balls slightly.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown. Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Yield: Approximately 10 dozen

Broccoli Cheese Soup and Bread Bowls

This is a really yummy soup that I found. Blake and I love it: it's way easy and great on a cold day! I used frozen broccoli - I'm a total cheater.

Ingredients:

* 1 ½ lbs fresh broccoli or 2 10 oz. packages frozen chopped broccoli
* 6 Tb. margarine
* ½ c. chopped onion
* 6 Tb. flour
* 2 c. chicken broth (or 2 c. water and 2 Tb. chicken base)
* 2 c. light cream or 2 c. half and half for low cal version
* 1 tsp. salt
* ¼ tsp. nutmeg
* 1 c. grated Cheddar cheese

Method:

Wash and chop broccoli. Peel and chop stem ends also. Cook in a small amount of water until tender. Meanwhile, melt margarine in heavy saucepan, add onion and cook until clear and starting to brown. Stir in flour to make a roux. Slowly add broth and cream or half and half. Stir and cook over medium heat until thickened. Add salt, nutmeg and cooked broccoli, can also add cooking water if not too much. Just before serving, stir in cheese. Makes 6- 8 servings

Crusty Soup Bread Bowls
Ingredients:

* 2 Tb. yeast
* 2 c. warm water
* 1 Tb. sugar
* 2 tsp. salt
* 5 c. flour
* Cornmeal

Method:

Dissolve yeast in water. Add sugar, salt and 3 c. of flour. Beat 3 minutes. Gradually add remaining flour to make a stiff dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until dough is smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, cover and let rise until double. Punch down and divide into 8 pieces. Form each piece into a ball and place on baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise until double in bulk. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 25 minutes. Cool. Cut off tops, scoop out bread to make a bowl. Eat interior bread with soup. Makes 8 large bowls, or 10 small bowls.