Easy Cheesy Tamales with Poblano Cream Sauce

                                                      Cheese and Corn Tamales



4 lbs. purchased Masa

1 ancho chili

1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese

1 lb. grated jack cheese

2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

1 pasilla pepper, roasted, peeled and minced

1 lb. pkg. frozen petite white corn

1 egg

1 tsp. kosher salt

Presoaked corn husks



In food processor, grate jack cheese and remove to large bowl. Then insert blade, and process half the corn to resemble creamed corn. Remove and add to large bowl. Place cream cheese, egg, chopped pasilla, salt and cilantro into the food processor and pulse several times to combine. Add to large bowl. Add the remaining whole corn to the bowl. Mix by hand to combine, then refrigerate until ready to use.

Bring 2 cups water to boil. Add the ancho chili. Let soak 10 minutes, and then place in blender with just enough soaking liquid to process the chili into a paste. Push through a fine sieve. Using a mixer, add chili paste to the Masa, one tablespoon at a time, until the desired color and taste, and then continue to beat with mixer to lighten the Masa.

Spread the Masa on the soaked corn husks, and then place the cheese and corn mixture down the middle. Fold, and place on large baking sheet until all tamales are filled.

Line a large pot fitted with steamer insert with corn husks, add tamales, cover with more corn husks, and steam over simmering water for about one hour. Remove to let cool.

Serve with poblano cream.



Poblano Cream

½ roasted pasilla chili

2 cups heavy cream

Blend to combine. Just before serving, place in small saucepan and bring to a bare simmer. Drizzle over tamales.

Blackberry Cobbler

 I have been working on this recipe for a while now. I wanted to downsize it, because most cobbler recipes make far too much. Hubby also likes a lot of crunch to his cobbler, so I had to work on that. I think I have come up with one of the best cobblers that you will ever sink your teeth into. With the explosion of berries right now, I hope you try this.




Favorite Berry Cobbler



1 basket of fresh berries, blackberry, raspberry, blueberry

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2 ¼ ozs. a.p. flour-scant half cup

3 ½ oz. sugar- ½ cup

1 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

½ cup milk, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla



Topping

¼ cup brown sugar, lightly packed

3Tbsp.flour

¼ cup quick oats (not instant)

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter



For topping, melt butter and add to the rest of the ingredients, using a fork to fully incorporate butter. Set aside.



To make cobbler:

Put butter in a 5x7 pyrex dish, and put it in the oven. Turn oven to 350°, and melt butter. In bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add vanilla to milk, then stir into flour mixture. Remove pan from oven, pour batter into melted butter. Do not stir. Add fruit. Do not stir. Add crumbled topping. Place back in oven for 25 to 35 minutes.

Serves 4
 
 
Substitutions:  I used APPLES instead. I peeled and cored 3 apples, cut into 1/3" dice, (small, so they would cook in 30 minutes) and tossed them with 1/4 tsp. cinnamon.


I used maple flavoring in place of the vanilla. And I added 1/2 tsp. cinnamon to the crumble topping.

Baked as directed for appr. 30 minutes.

I served our guests, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, and it was so delicious. Not a drop was left.

Chewy Chocolate Cherry Cookies

                                                           My New Favorite Cookie


I have a new favorite cookie. I am making these my cookie gifts this year, along with the recipe. I did do something different than this recipe called for, which was to chop the cherries, rather than use them whole. I didn't want to bite into a giant chunk of cherry. They came out wonderful, and you want them soft, so don't overbake. I was surprised by how much I liked these, (really, really liked these) so I wanted to share this with all of you as my cookie "gift" to you all. This is my adapted version of a recipe I found on line. Enjoy!



Chewy Chocolate Cherry Cookies



1 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg

2/3 cup dried tart cherries, chopped

4 Tbsp. semisweet chocolate chips



Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg, and beat well. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture. Beat just until combined. Fold in cherries and chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or just until set. Remove from oven, let cool on pans for 5 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Yield: 30 cookies

Ready for Cinco de Mayo

Caramel Flan

Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner. I thought you would enjoy some finished photos of my Caramel Flan.
Buen Provecho!






Served with a little whipped cream, luscious and decadent....

Caramel Flan

Caramel Flan

This is an easy recipe. It does require some time to make though, so start the day before you want to enjoy this dessert. This needs 8 hours to chill, the longer it chills, the creamier it becomes.

You will need:

1 cup white sugar
½ cup bakers’ sugar (superfine)
8 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup 2% milk
1 ½ tsp. vanilla, or 1 tsp. vanilla combined with ½ tsp. almond extract
10” deep dish pie plate

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In an 8”-10” nonstick skillet, place the one cup of sugar, and over medium heat, stir constantly until sugar has melted. It will be the right color as soon as all the sugar has melted. Immediately pour into your pie plate.

Now, put the ½ cup of bakers’ sugar, along with all the other remaining ingredients into a blender, and blend on low speed for 10 to 15 seconds, just long enough to dissolve the sugar. Pour through a strainer, into the baking dish with the caramel.

Put the lid on the dish, and transfer to a baking dish large enough to hold the pie dish. I use the bottom of the broiler pan. Place in the hot oven. Add boiling hot water to the broiling pan, to come half way up the sides of the baking dish.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, depending on the heat of your oven. This will look done, and with a light touch of your finger, feel slightly firm, like a cake that is almost done, but not quite. However, it will still be quite jiggly when you move it, like hot liquid pudding. Don’t be alarmed. This continues to cook from residual heat, and really firms up in the refrigerator, so don’t be alarmed by how jiggly it is. If you cook it more, it will be like rubber when it cools. Trust me; this is the secret to a good creamy flan.

Let cool on a rack, uncovered, then transfer to the refrigerator to completely chill, uncovered.

When ready to serve, run a small knife around the edges, and turn upside down on to a serving platter. Lift off the pie plate and use a spatula to scrape out any remaining caramel onto the custard.

Slice and serve, with a dollop of whipped cream if you like.

This makes 12 servings, or 8 very generous, and gut busting servings.

Decorative clay bakers are meant to be used in the oven. This one, with its top, is the perfect choice for flan. And baked this way, with the top on, produces a perfect caramel. If you don’t have one, you should buy one. 
Do not cool with the top on, or condensation will ruin your flan. Do not cover in the refrigerator either, for the same reason. Once turned out, leftovers should be covered in the refrigerator.

Sweet and Sour Pork

                             Follow Up


The picture doesn't do this justice. I tried frying some cilantro, the way you fry basil or parsley, and this was not good. Not a pleasant taste, but the sweet and sour pork, as well as the tempura fried asparagus, was wonderful.
The sun is out, so go enjoy your weekend. I know I am.

Tonights Dinner

Well, tonights dinner is Sweet and Sour Pork. At least, for us. It's too good to share. Unless, of course, you would like to put up your own jelly, for that's one of the key ingredients of this dish. I am going to give you the recipe for the jelly. If you decide to make it, let me know.
Last night was left overs. We finished off my Dribble Chicken and watched Avatar. What a great feel good movie. Buy it, it's a keeper.

Now, aren't these pretty jars of

Manzano Pepper Jelly

2-3 large red bell peppers, chopped fine in a food processor, to equal 2 cups
1 Manzano pepper, chopped fine
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped fine
1 Serrano pepper, chopped fine
juice of one lime
zest of 1/2 lime
7 cups of sugar
1 1/2 cups of cider vinegar
1 pouch of liquid pectin
Process peppers and then follow the directions found inside the box of liquid pectin to make your jelly. Process in a water bath for 5 minutes. Let cool and check the seals.
Makes 7 to 8 half pint jars.
This is really wonderful stuff, if you've never had it.
Now, if you care to try the sweet and sour pork, and don't want to make this jelly, you can try and find the green pepper jelly, often found in specialty stores and farmers markets, to use in the following recipe.

Sweet and Sour Pork

1 pork tenderloin, cut into 1" pieces
tempura batter (which can be homemade or use purchased box of tempura batter mix)
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 yellow onion, sliced in half, then cut in strips
1 cup carrots, cut into 1/8 inch slices
1/2 cup green onion (about one bunch), sliced crosswise into 1/8 inch pieces
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
1 cup jasmine rice, cooked according to package directions
corn or peanut oil, enough to deep fry in

Cook rice and keep warm.
Heat oil in deep skillet or wok. Dip pork in tempura batter, and deep fry for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring. Remove to paper towel lined plate.
In separate skillet or wok, stir fry bell pepper, onion, and carrots until cooked crisp tender, using as little oil as possible. Add pineapple, green onion and sweet and sour sauce. Heat through, about one minute. Add battered and cooked pork pieces, toss to coat, and immediately pour over warm rice and serve.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 cup Manzano Pepper Jelly
2 Tbsp. dark soy sauce (not regular soy sauce)
2 Tbsp. catsup

Add all ingredients to small saucepan and heat through. Thin with juice from the pineapple can, if you need to, or with chicken broth.

This is the best Sweet and Sour you will ever eat, I can promise you that. You will never want take out again!
May your dinner be as wonderful as mine is going to be....