Showing posts with label Snacks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Snacks. Show all posts

Saturday, December 19, 2015

This is an original Emeril Lagasse recipe that I modified to add wasabi powder and an extra step to bake the nuts until dry. Otherwise, I think the humidity in Costa Rica leaves the nuts a little too sticky.

Ingredients:
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon wasabi powder (optional)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups unsalted mixed nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and almonds
3 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Mix spices and reserve

Directions:
Preheat oven to 225°F. Heat nuts in a dry skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to toast, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.  Add the butter, sugar, water and spices to the hot skillet and cook, stirring, until a glaze forms, about 1 minute.  Return the nuts to the skillet and toss to combine with the glaze.  Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, or until the nuts are glazed and golden brown.

Remove from the heat and transfer to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, separating with a fork. Bake about 30 minutes until the nuts are dry. Let rest until cooled and the sugar has hardened, about 10 minutes.  Store in an airtight container.
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Monday, April 20, 2015

When we lived in Houston, Texas, one of our favorite places to dine was at an upscale Latino restaurant, called the Cafe Red Onion. They have an amazing menu of Latin fusion meals representing the best of Latin American cooking. Like most TexMex restaurants, they too serve chips and salsa when they take your beverage order, but their salsa is probably unlike any salsa you've encountered in the past.

Since we have been here in Costa Rica for almost 4 years now, I was really craving some of Red Onion's salsa, so I began my internet search. I found the Houston Chronicle had actually published the recipe years ago from one of their readers. She got the recipe in a cooking class taught by Cafe Red Onion owner Rafael Galindo.

The key ingredient calls for canned pineapple! Since we live here in the land of abundant fresh pineapple, canned pineapple would never be acceptable. So I set about tweaking the recipe just a bit to take advantage of our fresh ingredients. 

We served this salsa to dinner guests last night and received rave reviews. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 large fresh pineapple cut into chunks, with juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup cilantro leaves, with the woody stems removed
Juice of 1 juicy lime
1 fresh Jalapeño pepper seeded (more, or less to taste)
Salt to taste
1 packet of Splenda (optional)

Directions:
Combine 1/2 the pineapples and all the other ingredients, except the salt and Splenda, in a blender or food processor. Pulse the blender until the cilantro and Jalapeño is well chopped and mixed with the pineapple. Empty contents of blender into a bowl. Add the remaining 1/2 of the pineapple to the blender and pulse just until you have small chunks/tidbits. Add this to the bowl with the other ingredients, Mix well. Season to taste with salt, and with Splenda if the pineapple needs additional sweetness. Serve with chips.

¡Buen Provecho!
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Saturday, December 13, 2014

We had some chocolate chips in the pantry, but I didn't have all the ingredients needed to make fudge. So, rather than run to the store, I decided to invent a recipe for salted chocolate caramels. These caramels make a delicious, salty 'n sweet treat.

Ingredients:
2 cups of sugar
2 cans of sweetened condensed milk
1 ounce can of evaporated milk
2 sticks of butter (1 cup)
2 cup of dark molasses*
2 teaspoon of vanilla
2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Melt the sugar, milks, butter and molasses together in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir every couple of minutes until it reaches a temperature of 235°F to 240°F on a candy thermometer. You will need patience for it to come up to temperature, and you'll need to be careful not to let it scorch.

Remove the pan from the heat, add vanilla and 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Mix until all the chocolate chips are melted.

Pour the mixture into two baking dish, or two cookie sheets, that have either been greased, or lined with parchment paper. Allow the caramels to cool at room temperature for an hour. Score the candy into bite size piece that you can break apart when it's completely cooled. Sprinkle Sea, or Kosher, salt on top after you score the candy and you'll have an awesome salty/sweet treat.

*Note:  Here in Costa Rica, I make my own molasses with unrefined brown sugar cakes called "Tapa de Dulce". This is crude sugar cane juice that is cooked down until it caramelizes. Then it's poured into wooden molds and left to cool and setup into brown sugar cakes. I melt the "Tapa de Dulce" with an equal part of water and let it simmer until it reached the consistency of syrup, about 225°F on a candy thermometer. 
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Friday, December 5, 2014

Every year the community hosts a Christmas Party for the poor children in Atenas. A Christmas tree is put up and decorated with paper Angels. The back of each Angel lists an age and what the child wants for Christmas. This year there were over 300 angels on the tree and folks in the community took Angels off the tree to buy presents. Tomorrow is the annual Angel Party for all the children. There will be pizza and refreshments and Santa will be on hand to pass out present to everyone. I volunteered to make cookies for the event this year. I decided to make Santa's Thumbprint cookies, but I wanted the filling to be something special that Latin Children love. So, instead of Raspberry or Strawberry jam, I used Guayaba (guava jelly); a staple here everyone enjoys.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup guayaba (guava) jam or jelly
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 2 large baking sheets.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to blend.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 2 additions and beat just until moist clumps form. Gather the dough together into a ball.

Pinch off the dough to form 1-inch balls. Place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing 1-inch apart. Use your floured index finger or 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to create depressions in the center of each ball. Fill each indentation with nearly 1/2 teaspoon of the jam mixture. Bake until golden brown, about 20-22 minutes.


Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Yield: About 2½ dozen cookies
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Saturday, June 14, 2014

This recipe has been a family favorite cookie recipe since back in the 50's. It's so easy to change these up, by just changing the type of nuts. They are always a big hit.

Ingredients:
¾ cup brown sugar, well packed
¾ cup white sugar
1 cup butter softened (2 sticks)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup whole rolled oats
1 cup chopped nuts – almonds, pecans, walnuts, or macadamia (optional)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a small bowl mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt and set it aside. I use a fork to blend the dry ingredients.  Cream the sugars and the butter until well mixed. Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and mix well. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in, by hand, the oatmeal, chocolate chips and nuts until well blended.  Drop rounded tablespoons full of cookie dough on a cookie sheet. If you have a melon ball scoop, this will work very well. Bake the cookies 15 minutes for chewy cookies and 17-18 minutes for crispy cookies. Between batches, I store the dough in the refrigerator. I think the cold dough cooks better than when kept at room temperature.

You can also roll the dough into balls to store them in the freezer until you are ready to bake. When you are ready to bake, you will need to add an extra minute or two to compensate for the frozen dough.

Yield:  approximately 6 dozen

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Sunday, February 2, 2014

I am delighted our local farmers' market has started selling deliciously sweet grape tomatoes. I usually try to buy a kilo box whenever I am there. Today I found I had too many left over to keep for more than a day or two, so I oven roasted them.

Ingredients:
1 pound of grape or cherry tomatoes sliced in half
1 tablespoon fresh minced basil
1 tablespoon fresh minced oregano
2 cloves of garlic minced
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
olive oil
parchment paper
baking sheet

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F.

Toss the sliced tomatoes in the herbs, garlic and olive oil until well coated, add salt and pepper to taste. Lay the tomatoes cut side up onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for about 45-50 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to collapse.

Cool completely before storing.  They can be stored in an air tight jar in the refrigerator for about 5-7 days, or you can pack them in olive oil with some Kalamata olives.

The tomatoes can be served as an antipasto, tossed in pasta or a salad, layered on sandwiches, served with olives, cheese and crackers, or on bruschetta. Just use you imagination.

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Monday, December 30, 2013

My friend David sent me a recipe for New Year's Eve Crack.

Warning! This is a highly addictive treat and you won't be able to eat just one piece. I would never make this to have around the house, but I'd gladly make it for a party at someone else's house.

I plan on taking this "crack' to my friend Joni's New Year's Eve Party tomorrow night.

After I read the ingredients, I realized I would have to modify it just a bit. I don't care for the product sold here for brown sugar, because is it simply raw sugar with caramel added, and it doesn't pack down well. I like using the real thing... traditional sugar cakes sold as Tapa de Dulce. In my opinion, Tapa de Dulce has more of a natural molasses flavor I find delicious.

Ingredients:
20-24 saltine crackers
2 sticks (1 cup) butter
1 cup packed Tapa de Dulce (or brown sugar if you must)
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup of holiday sprinkles (think 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year's colors)

Directions:

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  • Line a cookie sheet with foil and coat it with nonstick cooking spray. 
  • Lay the saltine crackers on the cookie sheet in a single layer with the salted side down.
  • Grate the Tapa de Dulce with a cheese grater, or food processor until you have enough to firmly pack one cup of sugar.
  • Melt the butter and Tapa de Dulce in a saucepan over medium heat and stir frequently to prevent the butter from scorching.
  • Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil for 3-5 minutes to create toffee.
  • Remove from the heat and carefully pour the butter and sugar mixture over the crackers on the cookie sheet.
  • Place the cookie sheet with the crackers and toffee in the oven for 3-5 minutes, until the toffee is bubbly all over. Carefully remove the cookie sheet from the oven.
  • Immediately top the toffee crackers with the chocolate chips, and allow them to sit for a minute to soften and melt. When the chocolate chips are soft, take an offset spatula and spread the melted chocolate into an even layer over the toffee crackers.
  • Top with holiday colored sprinkles.
  • Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for a least 30 minutes.  Once the "crack" is set, break it into small uneven pieces by hand.
  • The Holiday Crack can be stored in a airtight container for about a week (if it lasts that long.)
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Sunday, September 1, 2013

Ingredients:
12 cups roughly chopped tomatoes
6 cups chopped and seeded sweet peppers
6 cups chopped onions
8 Jalapeño peppers, minced & seeded (Warning: wear gloves while preparing the Jalapeños)
1 ½ cups cider vinegar
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon ground cumin
6 large garlic cloves, minced
½ cup chopped cilantro
4 teaspoons salt
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

Directions:
• Combine all ingredients except the tomato paste in large sauce pot.
• Bring to a boil and simmer until desired thickness. We like it chunky so 5 minutes is more than enough
• Stir in tomato paste.
• Ladle hot salsa into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch head-space.
• Process the jars for 15 minutes in a hot water bath

Adjust the amount of Jalapeño peppers for a hotter or milder salsa.

Yield: 8 pints
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Saturday, January 19, 2013


Found some beautiful sweet peppers at the Farmers' Market (Feria del Agriculture) in Grecia yesterday, so I picked up a couple of dozen for around $3 USD. Today I combined them with the Jalapeño peppers growing in our garden to make some hot pepper jelly. The recipe makes a delicious, mild hot pepper jelly. It's just not hot enough for our palates, so next time I'm going to kick it up a notch with about 3 or 4 more hot peppers.

7½ cups finely chopped sweet peppers
½ cup finely chopped Jalapeño or Serrano peppers (about 6)
2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 (1.75 ounce) packages powdered pectin
10 cups white sugar

Sterilize 6 (16 ounce) canning jars and lids according to manufacturer's instructions. You can use any combination of jar sizes to come up with approximately 96 ounces. I usually boil the lids in a large sauce pans and boil the jars in the rack of the canning pot according to the manufacturer's instructions. I then just leave the lids and jars in the hot water until ready to fill.

The easiest way to chop the peppers is in a food processor. Remove all the seeds and membranes and cut them in large chunks for the food processor. You should wear gloves to trim the hot peppers and avoid inhaling the fumes. Thoroughly mix the hot and sweet peppers together.

Place the peppers in a stock pot over high heat. Mix in vinegar and fruit pectin. Stir constantly until the mixture comes to rolling boil. Quickly add the sugar. Stir constantly and bring it back to a full rolling boil for exactly 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and if necessary, skim off any foam.

Ladle the jelly into sterile jars, to within ¼ inch of the tops. Cover with flat lids, and screw on bands tightly.

Place jars into the rack in the canning pot. The water should completely cover the jars, and it should be hot, but not boiling. Bring water to a boil, and process for 5 minutes.

Remove the jars and allow them to cool completely at room temperature.

Server on crackers, over cream cheese, or mixed with cream cheese and/or sour cream for a sweet and spicy dip.

Experiment with all green, all red, or all yellow sweet peppers for a different eye appeal.
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Saturday, May 26, 2012

I found a bag full of apples tucked back in the refrigerator today. They either needed to be eaten, or cooked, so I put together this recipe for applesauce. It's really delicious!

Ingredients
8 apples - peeled, cored and chopped
1¼ cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt

Directions:
In a saucepan, combine apples, water, lemon juice, sugars, cinnamon and salt. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are soft. Allow to cool, then mash the apples with a fork or potato masher.

Enjoy!


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Saturday, May 5, 2012

Since our move to Costa Rica, most of our stuff is still boxed in the casita's garage, waiting for our imminent move into our new Casa. This should occur in within the next couple of week, but that doesn't help me now... I still can't get to my cookbooks. I've been hungry for some chewy, homemade brownies and decided to browse for recipes online. I finally came across a couple of recipes that sounded yummy and cobbled them together. As I started to gather all the ingredients, I discovered my wonderful bottle of vanilla had totally evaporated due a cracked plastic cap.

How do you make brownies without vanilla?

Sitting on the casita's kitchen counter was a bottle of "Cafe Rica," which I think is even better than "Kahlua," and it's less than half the price. I substituted the "Cafe Rica" for the vanilla and the brownies came out "over the top" yummy. I may never make brownies with vanilla again.

Ingredients
1 cup butter
2 cup white sugar
4 eggs
1 tablespoon coffee liquor
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup of walnuts or pecans

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 9x13 inch pan.

In a large saucepan, melt 1 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 tablespoon coffee liquor. Beat in 3/4 cup cocoa, 1 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.

I didn't frost my brownies, but if you want to, go ahead. Here is a simple recipe:

Mix these ingredients and frost the brownies while they are still warm.

5 tablespoons butter, softened
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, or 1 tablespoon coffee liquor
1 and 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
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Monday, January 16, 2012

I have been meaning to post this recipe for years. This was my Dad's recipe for his wonderful sweet, spicy and hot dill pickles. I don't think the original recipe was ever written down, so I wanted to document it before I forget how to make them.

Ingredients:
1 gallon of whole dill pickles, any brand, but not Kosher or Polish, just plain dills (I haven't a clue why you couldn't use Kosher or any other dill for that matter. Perhaps dad thought there would be too much garlic.)
2 kilos, or 4 pounds, of granulated sugar
1 whole pod of garlic
1 small bottle of Tabasco sauce

Directions:
Prep the Ingredients:
Drain the vinegar from the pickles. Just pour it out. Yes, that does means pour it down the drain, unless you can come up with some other use for the vinegar, in some other recipe. Cover your table with a waterproof table cloth, because it could get messy. Peel all the cloves of garlic and slice them into somewhat thin slices and set them aside. Now, slice all the pickles into ¼" disks and put them in a large bowl. Wash and dry the original jar and lid.

Pack the Ingredients:
Pour about an inch of sugar in the bottom of the jar, layer in some pickles and garlic, and cover it with more sugar. Keep building layers until the jar is completely filled. I know it will look like everything won't fit, but trust me, it will. You may have to shake the jar a bit to get everything to settle. Once you have the jar tightly packed, pour the ENTIRE bottle of Tabasco sauce in. Don't worry about mixing it. Wipe up any spills around the mouth of the jar with a clean damp cloth. You don't want the outside of the jar to be sticky with sugar, or you won't get a good seal. Now, screw the lid on nice and tight, and set it somewhere out of the way, but where you will see it everyday.

Age the Pickles:
You will need to leave the pickles in the jar for a minimum of 2 weeks. Every morning rotate the jar upside down onto the lid and every evening turn it back right side up onto the base. Do this for 2 weeks and don't cheat and don't taste them.

Enjoy!!
Once the pickles have aged you will be rewarded with the best sweet, spicy hot pickles you have ever tasted. The sugar will draw all the remaining vinegar out of the pickle slices they will be very crisp. You can repack them into smaller jars and store some in the pantry and some in refrigerator. I like these best when they are very cold. They also make a great homemade gift for the holidays.


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Monday, October 24, 2011

These tasty little treats make a wonderful appetizer, served warm, or at room temperature.

Ingredients
  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup grated jack or other mild low moisture cheese
  • ½ kilo, or 1 pound chorizo (or any flavor of ground sausage)
  • 1/3 cup fresh natilla, or sour cream
  • 1 medium potato, coarsely grated (about 1 to 1½ cup)
  • 2½ cups Krusteaz or Bisquick pancake/baking mix
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Directions
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Soak grated potato in cold water for 10 minutes.
  • Grate the cheeses.
  • Remove the casing from the chorizo, or sausage.
  • Drain water from grated potato and blot dry in a towel to remove excess moisture.
  • Using your hands, combine all ingredients and mix well.
  • Form mixture into balls about the size of a walnut.
  • Bake on parchment paper for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown.
Yield:  about 3 dozen
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    Wednesday, January 26, 2011

    "Bizcochos" or "Rosquillas de Queso", a traditional Costa Rica snack food, are corn meal cheese rings. Usually, bizcocho is fried in vegetable oil until golden brown. This baked recipe is a lower calorie/lower fat option.

    Like Fritos Corn Chips or Doritos Tortilla Chips? You'll love these!

    Ingredients:
    • 2 cups corn flour - I use Maseca Masa de Maíz or Quaker Masa Harina de Maíz (tortilla mix)
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
    • 1 1/3 cups warm water
    • 6 ounces of finely grated cheese (Cheedar, Manchego, Monterrey Jack)
    Directions:
    • Preheat oven to 350° F
    • Mix the corn flour and salt in large bowl. Gradually add the warm water and mix with your hands until all the flour is incorporated into a dense ball of masa.
    • Add the cheese to bowl and knead it into the masa until it is well mixed.
    • Pinch off a piece of masa about the size of a cherry and form rings by rolling the dough between the palms of your hands until it's a little more than a 1/4 inch in diameter and about 3" long (the width of your palm is a good measure).
    • Place the rings on a cookie sheet and bake until a light golden brown, about 35 or 45 minutes.
    • Allow to cool completely and the bizcocho should be very crunchy.
    Yield: About 96 rings, 8 rings per serving

    For a fun and mildly spicy alternative, add 1/4 teaspoon of Cayenne pepper to the corn flour and salt. Then mix 1/2 teaspoon of Tabasco sauce into the warm water before you add it to the flour.
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    Thursday, July 29, 2010

    Our granddaughter Rebekah, raised her own money to go to summer camp this year by selling baked goods. Here is her delicious recipe for Zucchini bread

    Ingredients:
    2 cups Zucchini, peeled and grated
    3 eggs beaten until foamy
    2 cups sugar (or 1 cup Splenda & 1 cup sugar)
    1 cup oil
    2 teaspoons vanilla
    -----
    3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    3 cups flour
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    1 teaspoon salt

    Direction:
    Mix the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the dry ingredients together in another bowl, then add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Pour into 2 greased and floured bread pans. Bake for 1 hour at 325°.
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    Tuesday, January 5, 2010

    Ingredients:
    1 egg
    2/3 cup Splenda Granular or equivalent sweetener of your choice
    1 can (1 3/4 cups) pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix
    1 tsp vanilla extract
    2/3 cup nonfat milk
    1 cup whole wheat flour
    1/2 cup oat flour
    1 tsp. baking soda
    1 tsp. baking powder
    1/2 tsp. salt
    1 tsp. cinnamon
    1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

    Directions:
    Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 12-serving muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with paper baking cups and spray insides with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. In a large bowl combine pumpkin, eggs, splenda, vanilla, milk and stir well. Sift in flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Fill prepared muffin cups equally, sprinkle tops with extra cinnamon. Bake 20 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

    Added note: if you can't find oat flour then try putting quick cook oats (not instant) in your blender and pulverizing, shaking, pulverizing, shaking the container until it all grinds down to a flour. Should work just fine! Also...be sure to spray your muffin pan or cups with nonstick spray or yes, they will stick.

    Number of Servings: 12

    Nutritional Info
    • Fat: 0.9g
    • Carbohydrates: 13.6g
    • Calories: 70.4
    • Protein: 3.1g
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    Wednesday, January 14, 2009

    This recipe was demonstrated on the Paula Deen show on the Food Network. These cookies can be made, start to finish, in about 15 minutes and they almost melt in your mouth.

    Ingredients:
    1 cup Peanut Butter (creamy or chunky)
    1 cup Splenda sweetner
    1 egg
    1 teaspoon vanilla

    Directions:
    Mix the four ingredients together. (Notice no flour is used in this recipe.) Roll them into balls about the size of a walnut and place them on a cookie sheet. Use a fork to press them down a bit an leave the decorative imprint of the fork tines. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes until they start to turn golden brown.

    Yield: 1 dozen cookies

    Nutritional Information: Per Cookie: 167 Calories; 11g Fat (59.5% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 18mg Cholesterol; 138mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
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    Sunday, March 9, 2008

    (Served at Dona Luisa's Restaurant in Antigua, Guatemala)

    INGREDIENTS:
    3 Plantains, not very ripe
    1 cinnamon stick
    1 1/2 cups fried black beans
    2 ounces sugar
    3 tbsp cooked cornmeal (polenta)
    oil

    DIRECTIONS:
    Wash the plantains and cut each into 5 to 6 pieces. Cook them in a small amount of water together with the cinnamon stick. Peel them and mash tem or put them through a sieve, adding the cornnmeal. With this dough make pancakes 4 inches in diameter, not very thin, put some black beans in the middle and fold them over.

    Heat oil in a skillet and fry the rellenitos. Serve them with a little sugar on top.
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    Friday, January 11, 2008

    (or prayer pretzels as referred to by mom and dad)

    Ingredients:
    1 cup warm water
    1 package dry active yeast
    1½ cups of flour
    2 tbsp vegetable oil
    ½ tsp salt
    .....................
    1¼ cup flour
    4 cups water
    2 tbsp coarse salt
    1 beaten egg

    Directions:
    Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand for 10 minutes. Add the vegetable oil, salt and 1½ cups flour. Stir together until thoroughly combined. Add remaining flour and knead for 5 minutes. Let the dough rest for 1 hour. Roll dough into snakes about 2 feet long and twist into pretzel shape or any other shape you wish. (who doesn't like their initials written in soft pretzel form?) Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place on a greased sheet. Brush with egg and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake for 12 minutes.

    Note: Try topping with Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, pico de gallo seasoning powder, cinnamon and sugar, or whatever you can dream up.
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    Tuesday, January 8, 2008

    Ingredients:
    2/3 Cup flour (exactly)
    1/4 tsp salt
    14 ounces sweetened flaked coconut, 1 bag
    1 can sweetened condensed milk (do not use evaporated milk)
    2 tsp vanilla extract

    Directions:
    Mix flour salt and coconut well. Pour entire can of sweetend condensed milk (scraping the inside well) over this with the vanilla extract. Mix well until no flour can be seen. Drop by teaspoon full onto parchment teaspoon full onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and bake 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees. Make minutes at 350 degrees. Make sure to use parchment paper as the cookies will stick to wax paper and/or the plain cookie sheet.
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