Pastel de Tres Leches

Pastel de Tres Leches

This is my favorite cake ever and not just because I seem incapable of screwing it up. It's pure indulgence, extravagant, and impressive, perfect for a dinner party, and so, so easy to make.

As with all of my favorite recipes, it's a great canvas for versatile flavors from fresh berries and fruit to caramel or chocolate sauces. This would be amazing later in the summer along with ripe peaches. Or add a bit of lemon zest to the whipped cream for a refreshing zing. I could keep riffing on ideas all day, but instead I'll just say: Make this!

Pastel de Tres Leches. Enjoy!

Note: If you do plan to make this cake but don't have a small kitchen scale, go ahead and buy one. You can get them for so little now, and measuring ingredients for baking by weight is really so much more effective. Hint: I use a coffee filter as a container, which is basically weightless, so I don't have to tare out its weight. Easy peasy.

Further: I just spray the cake pan (I use glass without any trouble) with cooking spray, because I'm too impatient to flour pans, and that always works just fine.

And more: There will seem to be too little batter for your 9X13 pan, but it's really alright. Don't panic.

Take the cannoli

Praline, Pistachio, & Espresso Cannoli from Whole Foods

I know it's insane, but these are the first cannoli I've ever had. I realized a couple of weeks ago that I'd never tried one, so I went to Whole Foods, where I knew I could get my hands on a cannolo (singular). They had larger versions, but only in pistachio and chocolate chip. I'm not crazy about chocolate chips, and I particularly wanted to try the praline and espresso versions, so I went with their mini-cannoli. The espresso was by far the tastiest, but I'm not convinced that these were the greatest cannoli in the world. I'm going to seek out more authentic cannoli and maybe even try to make them myself.

The Perfect Pecan Pie

Pecan Pie

I want to stalk the Pioneer Woman, jump out at her from behind a leafy shrub, and kiss her all over her beautiful face for blessing us all with this perfect pecan pie recipe. She calls it The Pie That'll Make You Cry, and it really, really does. Especially if you're like me and have been trying for years to make the perfect pecan pie. Look no further. Here it is. A glorious, sticky slice of heaven. Enjoy!

Florentine Cookies

Florentine Cookies

I didn't get a great photo of these, and my chocolate drizzling skills let me down a bit, BUT these cookies taste amazing. Anything with orange zest gets two thumbs up in my book, and I threw in some extra zest for good measure. I also added some dried cranberries for fruity, chewy goodness. I think these are perfectly lovely, and maybe even better, without the drizzled chocolate, but they're certainly prettier with it.

Get the recipe here, and enjoy!

Gladys' (Nanny's) Famous Brownies with Fudge Frosting

Nanny's Original Brownie Recipe with frosting!

I had the pleasure of getting to know Meredith Crandell online for quite a while before meeting her in real life. So, when we finally did meet, I was prepared for her to be pretty (such beautiful skin!) and vivacious and even funny, but I wasn't prepared for her to be as freaking hilarious as she is. It's one thing to read someone's tweets and think they're funny, but it's another thing to witness their perfect comedic timing in action. I came home from her house thinking that she missed her calling as a comedian or comic actress, but at least she works with kids, so I know her hilarity won't go unappreciated.

Meredith is also incredibly nice. So nice, in fact, that when I lamented ever finding a great brownie recipe, she shared her Nanny's famous recipe with me and even gave me permission to post it here. I could not be more grateful. And Shane, the brownie lover in our house, is really grateful. These brownies are awesome, certainly among the finest I've ever had, and definitely better than any recipe I've made at home. Did I mention that there's frosting?

Thank you so much, Meredith. You are one of those bright, shining people who make everything around them just a little more special. I bet you got that from your Nanny. So, we're grateful to her for that, too.

And without further ado:

Gladys’ Original Recipe for Brownies

Melt one stick of real butter with 5 tablespoons cocoa. 

Mix all of the following ingredients together with the butter/cocoa mixture: 

2 eggs,

1 cup sugar,

½ teaspoon of salt,

½ teaspoon of baking powder,

1 teaspoon vanilla, 

and ¾ cups flour 

Add nuts if desired (Meredith uses pecans and breaks them up a bit). 

Gladys didn't specify a pan size, but Meredith uses the original pan, and she said: I compared it to my 8x8 square dish. It's that same width and just two or three inches longer.

To make things even easier, I tried the brownies in my 8X8" square dish, and that worked great.

Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Keep an eye on them though; you don’t want them to get too done. Depending on your stove, you may want to cook them for just a bit longer. 

Frost with fudge frosting made of: 

1 cup sugar,

2 tablespoons cocoa,

1/3 cup milk 

Bring to soft boil. Don’t stop stirring. 

Here’s the tricky part. You know when the icing is done when you can drop some of the icing in a cup of luke-warm water and the drop stays intact.

(Mary's note: Or just insert a candy thermometer and let the mixture reach 235-240 degrees. This is known as the soft ball stage in candy making.)

Once it’s done, add ¼ stick of butter and ½ teaspoon of vanilla. 

Let frosting cool, then beat until creamy.

Meredith says: I let the frosting cook while the brownies bake so everything is ready about the same time. And that’s it!

Gladys Jewel Martin Wiggins

Gladys Jewel Martin Wiggins was born in Cameron, Texas in 1926. Just like her Czech and Polish mother, Gladys was an amazing cook. As a kid, for me, the best part of my birthday was getting to pick which home cooked meal my nanny would bake for me. But nothing compared to her amazing brownies. To this day, I have never tasted another brownie that even comes close to comparison. Her youngest son, my Uncle Mark, said that if she just put her brownie recipe on her tombstone, people would come from all over the world to do a rubbing. After my nanny passed away, I decided to keep her tradition alive. I tackled her tricky brownie recipe, and after a year of practice mastered it. Anytime my family visits me, I'll make nanny brownies, which they claim taste just like hers, and we reminisce about the past. My nanny was one of my very favorite people in the world. She was smart as a whip, hilarious, independent, head strong and stubborn. With every bite of these brownies, I still feel her love. -Meredith Crandell

Sugar and Spice Pepitas

The pumpkin purée has had more than its share of the spotlight. Now it's time for the seeds to shine. And shine they do in this excellent recipe for Sugar and Spice Pepitas.

What do I like about this recipe?

Everything.

These seeds are like candy. Warm-flavored, earthy candy. They're sweet, and they're spicy, and, if you're like me and have a few different kinds of ground peppers unlabeled in your cabinet, you might accidentally grab the habanero instead of the cayenne and end up with sweet and very, very, very spicy. Now, I don't recommend this to the general public. I enjoy insane levels of heat in my food.

Some tips:

•I roasted mine a good deal longer than just 15 minutes. You really want to wait until the seeds become brittle, not chewy, and crackle between your teeth when you bite them.

•It's worth the time to separate the seeds while they're still warm. Otherwise, you could end up with a massive ball of candied pumpkin seeds. You don't need to separate every single seed. Just break them into snackable pieces.

•Obviously, if you're making these for kids, you could leave the cayenne out altogether. I daresay they'll be just as yummy without the heat, and you'll still have a touch of spice from the chili powder and cumin.

•You don't necessarily have to use fresh pumpkin seeds. Look for seeds in the bulk section of your grocery store, and try using them. Cooking time will probably vary.

•Try these sprinkled over ice cream. Or just snack on them while drinking coffee; it's a perfect flavor combination.

I'll be making these again, for sure. Let me know if you enjoyed them.

Smooth and Spicy Pumpkin Pie

Remember that pumpkin we puréed a few days ago? Well now it's a pie, or at least some of it is.

Apparently, according to an email from The King Arthur Flour Company, Canadians prefer their pumpkin pie a bit spicier than Americans do. So, in honor of Canada's Thanksgiving celebration on October 10th, I made this spicy pumpkin pie. Honestly, it doesn't taste all that spicy to me, despite a hefty amount of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger, but it's good all the same.

What I like about this recipe:

•I like the leeway it gives you on spice amounts, allowing you to add only as much as you like.

•I like the addition of a small amount of corn syrup. I know, you'd think I'd be all up in arms over corn syrup, but I'm not as militant as that. In fact, I like the stuff . . . in strict moderation. Any knowledgeable cook knows that corn syrup is a terrific stabilizer, improving texture and flavor in many desserts.

•I also like the fact that you have to let the filling sit for 30 minutes to an hour in order to let the flavors meld and produce a smoother pie. I had never seen this trick before, but it really works. I let my filling sit for an hour, and I don't think I've ever made a smoother pumpkin pie.

So, for me, this recipe is a keeper. Let me know what you think, if you make it.

Jam Tarts

Seems like a lot of us Austin bloggers are excited about Confituras, an outfit that makes excellent locally sourced jams, jellies, and preserves.

It seems like we're also coming up with similar uses for their products, which is pretty cool.

I love jam tarts. Mostly because they make me think of Alice in Wonderland, but also because they're a perfect and fun way to use up those many jars of jam in your refrigerator.

If I had kids, I'd make them little jam tarts, and then we'd eat them at a tiny table in the back yard while giggling over tea poured into miniature cups. Or better yet, I'd teach them how to make the tarts, and then we'd have our tea party.

For the filling, I used Confituras Adriatic Fig Jam and Cherith Valley Gardens Jalapeño Jelly.

For the crust, I used a tweaked version of Aran Goyoaga's pie dough. This recipe can easily be halved, and the dough freezes well. I always keep some on hand to whip up quick tarts and quiches.

Simple Pie Dough 

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 sticks butter, cubed and chilled

1/2 cup ice water

Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Work the cold butter into the flour with your fingertips or a food processor until the mixture is crumbly and looks like coarse meal. Add the cold water and mix until the dough comes together.

Form the dough into a disc, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

When ready to make the tarts, let the dough relax on your countertop until it's easy to work with.

Roll out the dough to desired thinness. Cut a piece larger than your tart pan, lay the dough over the pan, press it gently into the pan, and roll your rolling pin over the top of the pan to cut off the excess dough. You can rework the remaining dough in with the rest or sprinkle the leftover strips with sugar and cinnamon and bake at 350 until done. This makes a fun snack for kids or hungry husbands.

Fill your tart shell with jam and bake at 350 for 30 to 45 minutes.

Pop the tarts out of their pans and let cool.

I put a dollop of crème fraîche on my tart. I couldn't find any locally made crème fraîche, so I bought a handmade one by the Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery. Oh my gosh, it is so good. Worth the money for sure.

You can find Confituras jams, jellies, and preserves at the Downtown Farmers' Market tomorrow, and many other places. Check out their website for more information. And, hey! They let you recycle your jars. How cool is that?

Best Cocoa Brownies?

Confession: I don't like brownies.

Clarification: I don't dislike the way they taste. I mean, if you handed me a brownie, I might shut up and eat it, but I'd do it more to be polite than because I really wanted it.

I don't ever think about or crave brownies, or chocolate cake, or anything chocolate really. Is that weird? I think that's probably weird.

At some point, I just kind of stopped obsessing about sweet foods. They say that'll happen, that you start preferring more bitter-tasting foods as you get older. It's true. I'd almost always rather have a hot mug of black coffee than anything sweet. Unless there's some kind of caramel involved, in which case I'll take both.

But let's go back to that scenario where you're handing me a brownie. Say we're at a party, or a bake sale, or at an off-Broadway theatre. (Strange but true, I was once handed a giant, unwelcome brownie in the lobby of a theatre in Manhattan. Actually, that happened more than once, now that I think about it.) Honestly, 9 times out of 10, I'm going to smile, take the brownie, say thank you, and maneuver myself over to my husband, Shane, where I'll discreetly pass it off to him. Because Shane loves brownies.

And I'm so glad he does, because boy do I love making them for him. I love the way the chocolate smells as you mix it in with the other ingredients. I stare down with the concentration of a child working on a finger painting, spiraling the rich brown round and round, whirling it in with the creamy yellow of butter and sugar, swirling my spoon until the bowl seems about to overflow with shiny, velvety, cocoa batter. Add a dash of Mexican vanilla, then a sprinkling of chopped pecans, and you start to believe that all of your desires just might be on the verge of coming true, colors seem brighter, every sound is crystal clear, and suddenly choirs of angels start singing Hallelujah as you slip the pan inside the hot oven.

But back in the real world, I'm really not that great at making brownies. It's one of the (many) skills that I haven't yet mastered, though I keep striving for perfection, armed with only a wooden spoon and an iron will.

Recently, I sat Shane down and grilled him on what he yearns for most in a brownie-based experience. I offered to make all kinds of fancy versions like s'mores brownies, brownies with pretzels baked in, caramel brownies (I try to sneak caramel in everywhere), but he just held up his hand and shook his head.

"I just want a plain, simple, old-fashioned brownie. Something that people might have made before boxed mixes came along."

I sighed, my fancy brownie bubble bursting, and agreed to find a recipe with nothing but simple ingredients.

I settled on one from Epicurious called Best Cocoa Brownies.

Now don't scoff at me for picking a cocoa powder brownie recipe. You need a cocoa powder recipe in your arsenal. You're not always going to have blocks of Scharffen Berger and Valrhona lying around, but I bet you always have cocoa powder in your pantry for those times when your loved ones suddenly shout out, "Make me brownies!" What? Your loved ones don't shout that at you? Weird.

My Review:

I particularly enjoyed getting to temper the cocoa with a double boiler (bain Marie). I don't think I've ever tempered powdered cocoa before, but I do like that kind of attention to detail, and my brownies did come out nice and shiny, with a satisfying crackly top. Overall, these were easy to throw together, and they came out lovely and dense with a depth of flavor that I didn't expect from plain old cocoa, butter, eggs, and flour.

I'd make these again, but if you have a beloved brownie recipe, please share! I'd love to hear about it.

Shane's Review:

Two chocolate-covered thumbs up.

Much to my pleasure, he ate them all. Not in one sitting, of course, but fairly quickly. I often think it's a good thing that I don't have children, because I'm pretty sure they'd be outrageously fat from all the baked goods I'd force on them.