Sweeten her life and prepare a wonderful dessert on Mother's day: Nicaraguan inspired, "Tres Leches" or Cake of Three Milk.
Receta de Goya / By Goya
We all know how special this day is... Mother's Day!
This year, May 9th in North America, 10th in most of Latin America, 30th in Nicaragua. But do we really know what do mothers crave for on this occasion?
You'd be surprised. It's not a treat to the spa, or a shopping day out with the girls, or even the most surprising visit of any of us. It's indulging in her favourite dessert. And with that into account, let's review.
What does chocolate mean on Valentine's day? Friendship, passion... amour? None of them, it means indulgence. What does Egg Nog means for Christmas? Family, unity... candour? Neither, it means indulgence.
So... how come on Mother's day we think of flowers, brunch, even that little something special called a "gift"?
By all means, all of them are fantastic ideas, thanks to media marketing. But I think mothers deserve companionship foremost, and a little bit of indulgence.
Now that it's settled, let's think of what to make that will quench her indulgence. We are coming to visit her no matter what. Let's then make "Tres Leches."
Leche is spanish for milk, "a three sweeten milks cake soaked in a sauce made of condensed, evaporated and heavy milks" says Chelsie Keynon of About.com. "The latter is whipped to be used as a topping" she adds.
It is sweet and delicious, yet heavy for the average middle age woman. I mean, with all due respect, most mothers are ageless, unless you happen to be a young one but still want to be counted in for the indulgence part of this article.
It is described as "a soaky, spongy, delectable cake, oozing a sweet wonderful milk", by Mary Luz Mejia, upon an invitation to do a TV feature on Iliana Ros-Lehtinen, a prolific Cuban-American politician, at her home in South Miami, where a family member happened to celebrate a birthday.
We Latinos know this is a classic favourite for many occasions, and even "Martha Stewart has crafted her own version" shares Mary Luz. But it is no longer a trend nor a novelty. It's now a classic cake for mothers and mothers-to-be.
How many calories asks a young, conscious mother-to-be? 414 on a serving size (139.3 grams), a D- says Calorie Count. It has a 96% Nutrition confidence grade, low in sodium, high in saturated fat, very high in sugar and contains alcohol.
But let's understand that all sweets come in with a price. For that reason, Tres Leches is an indulgence, once in a while, once a year indulgence that is.
If bought, it comes in Vanilla, Strawberry and Chocolate flavours. It starts at $25 for a regular 10cm size. But life's too short not to enjoy baking, and it takes just over an hour to make. So, here you have the Basic Nicaraguan Inspired Tres Leches Cake recipe.
And in Spanish:
Ingredientes:
2 tazas de harina
1 cda. de polvo de hornear
6 huevos, (separar la clara de la yema)
2 tazas de azúcar (1 por el postre y 1 por el merengue)
1/3 taza de leche
1 cdta. de vainilla
1 lata de Leche Condensada Goya (14 oz.)
1 lata de Leche Evaporada Goya (Nela) (12 oz.)
3 tazas de crema de leche (Heavy Cream)
3 claras de huevo
1 taza de azúcar
2 cdas. de jugo de limón
Instrucciones:
1. Precaliente el horno a 375 ° F.
2. Cubra un molde de 13"x9" con mantequilla y harina.
3. Combine la harina y el polvo de hornear y deje a un lado.
4. Con una batidora mezcle las 6 claras de huevo hasta que hagan espuma. Añada azúcar gradualmente y continúe mezclando hasta que este espesa, aproximadamente por 5 minutos. Agregue las 6 yemas de huevo, una a la vez. Mezcle la harina y la leche, alternadamente, empezando y acabando con la harina. Añada la vainilla y mezcle. Vierta la mezcla en el molde de 13"x9". Hornee a 375 ° F. por 30 a 35 minutos. Inserte un utensilio en el centro del postre, si sale limpio, retire el postre del horno. Deje enfriar por 10 minutos.
5. Entre tanto, combine la leche condensada, la leche evaporada, y la crema de leche. Vierta la mitad de la mezcla en una cacerola. Cuando este hirviendo, añada el resto y vierta toda la mezcla lentamente sobre el postre hasta que absorba. Deje enfriar por lo menos 1 hora.
6. Para hacer el merengue *, mezcle las 3 claras de huevo restantes al baño Maria, hasta que haga espuma. Gradualmente añada la taza de azúcar restante. Continúe mezclando hasta que este espeso y el merengue este brillante, por aproximadamente 5 minutos. Mezcle el jugo de limón. Vierta el merengue sobre la parte superior del postre y refrigere hasta que este listo para servir. Manténgalo refrigerado.
* Nota: Usted puede sustituir media pinta de crema de leche batida en lugar del merengue.
Sirve 8 porciones
By Goya.com
Enjoy and Happy Mother's Day!
iChefJr
In the spirit of New World Cuisine!
