Desserts And Good Food

 The inspiration for this this lovely and refreshing ice cream comes from Puerto Rico's traditional drink for Christmas called Coquito. Rich, smooth and creamy this delightful ice cream is a perfect match for summer hot weather.                                                          Ingredients: 1 cup heavy cream 4 egg yolks 2 tablespoon granulated sugar pinch of salt 1 cinnamon stick 1 can condensed milk 1 can coconut milk 2 teaspoon vanilla extract pinch of nutmeg  1 tablespoon coconut rum(optional) In a small saucepan mix the egg yolks with the sugar. Add the heavy cream, the cinnamon stick, a pinch of salt then mix until combined.  Heat the mixture over simmering water stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or until it thickens enough to coat a back of the spoon (nape).  Remove from the heat and continue to stir for a few seconds to keep the mixture from overcooking.   Remove the cinnamon stick and set aside. In the blender combine the condensed milk an

     This is the first flan recipe that I learned how to make. It is simple, delicious with a creamy texture that melts in your mouth. Use the best vanilla you can find it is worth it.                    This photo was taken a few years ago when I was in culinary school. That day the teacher wanted everybody to bring something from home to share an I was so happy that everybody loved my flan including my teacher.               Ingredients: 1 can condensed milk 1 can evaporated milk 1 cup of heavy cream 4 eggs 4 eggs yolks 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 Caramel recipe, refer to the post of  'Caramel for flan or bread pudding' 1- 8 x 8 x 2 cake pan 1 large roasting pan for (Bain Marie) Carefully pour the caramel into the cake pan and coat the bottom and the sides of the pan with the caramel. Set aside to cool.   Combine the condensed milk and evaporated milk into the blender. Mix for 1 minute and scrape down the mixture. Mix for 30 seconds. Add the eggs

    The other day I was looking at the photos in my computer and, I found this one that my son took a few years ago of an appetizer I made when he and his wife passed through in their way back from their honeymoon. This was something very simple but they loved it. Soon they will be celebrating their anniversary and I wanted to surprise them with the recipe.                                 Ingredients: 1 large avocado peeled and diced 1 large mango, peeled and diced 2 Roma tomatoes  skin removed and diced 1/4 cup yellow onion peeled, small diced The juice and the zest of 1 lime Salt and pepper to taste   1 loaf of fresh French or Italian crusty bread Extra virgin olive oil In a medium glass or ceramic bowl add all the ingredients and gently mix well. Slice the bread diagonally in 1/2 inch thick slices. Brush the bread lightly with olive oil. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for about 3 minutes or until lightly toasted on both sides. Serve the salsa ov

     In  Puerto Rico we called empanadillas.  Many other countries in the world have them as well, but they are more commonly known as empanadas in the United States. No matter what they are called, empanadillas are one of those treats you dream about it.  Made with plain flour, precooked cornmeal (masarepa) or fine yellow cornmeal they are a pleasure to eat.    I made two recipes using 2 different types of corn flour to see which one was tastier and easier to make.   This is my version of a recipe, from a very old cook book I brought  from Puerto Rico many years ago. In this recipe I use yellow cornmeal and the result is a crispy empanadilla with a strong corn flavor.                              Recipe #1 Ingredients: 1 cup corn flour 2 cups of water 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoon unsalted butter 2 cups of oil for frying 1 baking sheet covered with plastic wrap Filling, refer to Stew ground beef recipe In a medium saucepan combine the corn flour, water and salt. Turn

     The other day I was looking in a box where I have all the recipes I been writing for many years. I found a folder with my plantain recipes and I thought it would be a good idea to share a recipe that uses ripe plantains. In this recipe you are going to learn how you can transform a plantain in a complete meal.       The first recipe I want to share with you is called "Canoas de platano" (Plantains Canoes). This recipe is both savory and sweet due to the natural sweetness of ripe plantains. When you bite into it, your mouth will feel a myriad of flavors and textures.                                                         Ingredients: 4 ripe plantains, peeled 1 cup Shredded cheddar cheese  Stewed ground beef, refer to Stew ground beef recipe Preheat the oven at 350°F Make a long cut on the peel of the plantain. With the table knife push away the peel from the skin of the plantain. Make a long cut on the top stopping 1/4 inch from the bottom. Proceed to shape

     Richly flavored, this stewed ground beef is very popular in our Puerto Rican table. Made with peppers, spices and herbs we use this stew to fill our empanadillas (empanadas), rellenos de papas, yucca empanadas and many other Puerto Rican recipes. Through the years I have made some small changes to my mother's recipe depending on the produce available. Using grass fed ground beef ensures the best flavor in this stew.            dessertsandgoodfood.blogspot.com Ingredients: For the sofrito: 1/4 cup ham, small dice 1/2 cup yellow onion, small dice 1/4 cup celery, small dice 1/4 cup carrots, small dice  1 tablespoon annatto oil 1/8 cup green bell pepper, small dice 1/4 cup red bell pepper, small dice 1/2 teaspoon cumin 2 tablespoon cilantro, chopped  1 large garlic clove minced salt and ground black pepper to taste 1/4 cup stuffed green olive, rinse lightly 1- 8 oz.can  tomato sauce For the meat: 1 pound ground beef, I use grass feed 1 tablespoon

     The inspiration for this recipe came from my daughter's love for the Macadamia Nut cookie recipe I created for her. My blondies with coffee caramel are one of her favorite desserts. I thought why not make a Macadamia blondie topped with vanilla caramel sauce! Not a bad idea. I wrote down the recipe and, I made the blondies for my daughter. She took the blondies to her office and they were gone in less than an hour. After making a few batches of these blondies to test the different flavor combinations I decided to share this recipe. I hope you like it as much as we do.                                             dessertsandgoodfood.blogspot.com    Ingredients: 2 large eggs 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature 1 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar 2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 2/3 cup macadamia nuts 2/3 cup white chocolate chips 1/4 cup homemad

     Caramel sauce are very simple to make. Instead of cream you can also use fruit juices, liqueur or wine. Often a small amount of butter is added for flavor.      I make this vanilla caramel sauce to pour over my Macadamia nut blondies and,  the combination was decadent!                                            Ingredients: 1 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup water 2 tablespoon unsalted butter 3/4 cup heavy cream 2 teaspoon vanilla extract  pinch of salt a wooden spoon to stir the caramel In a medium pot over medium heat add 1/4 cup of water and pour 1 cup of sugar in the center. Mix the sugar until dissolved, stop stirring. Brush the sides of the pot with a wet pastry brush to prevent the sugar from crystalizing. Continue to cook until the sugar turns a light golden brown color. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the butter stirring constantly. Stir in the cream. As you stir in the cream, the caramel will boil vigorously so be extremely careful