Vanessa's Flan Cubano

A Latina Never Forgets…her First Flan

It could be argued, I did not fully embrace my Cuban-American identity until I made my first flan.

I was around 28, un poco vieja for a Cuban kid from Miami to be making a first flan. Pero, I had been afraid of failing. It looked so hard to make…and so easy to just buy.

Pero, in Nashville, back then, I couldn’t just buy flan. Plus, it was a shame that my gringo husband made an awesome flan.

Que pena!

And so, I dove in.

The hardest part was making the caramel. I failed so often. For reasons still unknown to me, the sugar and water combo failed to caramelize. I stood at my stove stirring and stirring and stirring and all I usually got was a bubbling, clear liquid so hot I feared losing skin if I touched it.

Or, the caramel burned.

Que peste!

I don’t stir it much anymore and at last, I know just when to remove it from the stove.

But, for years, I faked caramel by layering brown sugar in the pan before pouring in the egg and milks mixture. A cheat taught to me by Oscar, my genius partner at Los Pollitos Dicen.

Those first flans were made with fear, but they were delicious, even if they were not truly authentic. Now, around here, I am famous for my traditional Cuban flan. Oh yes, I am.

Do You Remember Your First Flan?

I asked other Latina friends about their first flans, and got a fabulous variety of answers, plus some recipes to make awesome desserts.

So, grab a cafecito because, aqui vamos.

My First Flan

Flan y Cubanas. We go together like el gordo and cake. My childhood was no different, especially during the holidays. We’d feast, talk and when it was time for desert, an elderly women would retreat to the kitchen and emerge with the most glorious vision to be seen: flan! That golden custard, smooth as a baby’s bottom and without even a single crack, was the evening’s trophy. But how were these mysterious creations made? From what I can tell, you just opened the frig and there they were! There was no slaving over the stove top, chopping countless ingredients. So, this year, when it was time to host my very first Noche Buena, I decided to figure out the mystery. I finally made my first flan.

Even if I did cheat with a box of Goya, I was proud to be Cubana while watching my family devour the rookie flan. But the creme de la crepe came when that wiggly little thing successfully plopped itself, in one piece, onto the serving platter. What a glorious feeling!

As I whispered to all my Cuban ancestors, delicately tapping the bottom of my baking dish, I held my breathe as I revealed one solid piece of custard. I am officially a bonafide Cubana!

Flan y Cubanas and me. We just go together.

Vanessa of De Su Mama

I Only Eat My Own Flan

“I never liked Flan until I made it myself. OMG! It’s so good. But I only eat it when I make it because I find that many people make it to “eggy” or to “Jello-y.” Does that make sense? I posted my first & only Flan recipe back in 2009. It’s rich and creamy.

Lisa Perez of New York Chica

Once Fearful of Burning the Sugar

I was always afraid to make flan because I would burn the sugar or not get it right at all… till Daisy Martinez showed me. I was so afraid when I tried it at home by myself for Thanksgiving in 2011 but I got it right! I was SO proud of myself. My family nom nom’d it all up.

Rachel White of Digital Latina.

Caramel on the Floor

The first time I made Roxana´s MIL flan de queso it came out perfect. The second time I was a bit too confident and the caramel-making process became a disaster. I have no idea what I did, but all I remember is it all fell onto my kitchen floor and I spent the next hours scraping caramel off the floor!

Ana Flores of Spanglish Baby

Flan is Good for the Ego

I made my first flan at 10 or 11-years-old. I thought it was dead easy because all the ingredients went into the blender and then into the baking pan.
My mother helped with the caramel and the water bath, though, and the flan was a huge success. From that day on, I am convinced that everything I cook is a hit…lol… It was good for my young ego.

Morena Cuadra of Peru Delights

Gave Up On First Flan

My first flan was Christmas Eve 2001. I remember it clearly because the whole evening was a disaster. The water bath was too high and started boiling and spilling all over the oven. When I tried to pull it out of the oven I burned myself. I ended up leaving the flan on the stove – I gave up on it, because we were late for the late night Christmas Eve church service.

We arrived at church, only to have my younger son, (then not even 2-months-old), projectile vomit all over the row of nicely dressed people in front of us during the very beautiful candlelight service. We left early, obviously, but the baby continued to get sick all over the car and wouldn’t stop.

We spent the rest of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at the hospital. (My parents picked up our older son and took him to their house. He cried, worried Santa wouldn’t know where to bring his gifts.) The baby was okay in the end – a healthy 10-year-old today, but because of everything that transpired that evening, I’ll never forget my first flan.

Tracy López of Latinaish

Cheater’s Flan

My First Flan was courtesy of my lying, cheating boyfriend at Yale. Called Cheater’s Flan. The relationship didn’t last but the flan did and over the years, I baked the cheater out of it, making it my signature dish!

Viviana of The Wise Latina Club

Sometimes, You Use Box Flan

I think I used the Goya box too – maybe? But there were eggs, something about whisking, and I burned the sugar… I don’t even remember. Then there was some upsidedown-ness I had to do… gosh it was like 100 years ago. It was during my dessert-phase.

Li of Her Deep Thoughts

Maybe It’s Photoshop?

I recently made my first flan (intento de quesillo) and though it came out looking good – caramel making was a disaster. When I told my 80-year-old grandmother about it she laughed. I showed her a picture and told her “But look how good it came out!” she said: “That’s probably photoshop!” PLOP!

Helena of Pink Guayoyo

First Flan: What’s the Worst that Can Happen?

Success!

To be honest I had never even made a flan before and always left the flan making to my sister. But being that I had some pumpkin puree leftover I figured why not. It’s only a few ingredients and what’s the worst that can happen?

Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack of Muy Bueno Cookbook on her Tres Leches Pumpkin Flan

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Un poquito mas:

1. A Match Made in Heaven = Flan + Cake
2. Café Flan Recipe
3. Dulce de Leche de Tia

Making Flan Caramel

By Bren Herrera

Okay, chicas and fellas (those gutsy enough to explore beyond grilled cheese and eggs), making flan is not rocket science.

It is, however, an art and one that requires a certain level of technique.

I’ve been toying, for lack of a better word, with making flan for over 15 years and I’m still always learning something new. That’s really only because I love thinking outside the box and find a need to create mucho sabores. The classic vanilla flan is extraordinary and I’d say the most popular one, but why stop there!? It’s such a decadent, rich and creamy postre that deserves sitting on a pretty pedestal of colorful and aromatic flavors.

You can see more of all those luscious flan creations here. For now, the one trick to making a superb flan is the caramelo. I hear a lot of grunts and
frustrated home bakers when they’ve either burned their sugar or didn’t get the right color.

Tips for Making Flan Caramel

1. Know that the amount of sugar you are working with will depend on the size of flan you’re making. Start with 3/4 cup of granulated sugar for an 8-inch flan mold.
2. Use the mold that you’re baking the flan in. This will eliminate transferring the caramel and will minimize wasting some good, good, stuff.
3. When caramelizing sugar, make sure to constantly stir with a wooden spoon, so as to prevent clumping and burning!
4. If using a gas stove, keep your heat at medium temperature but continue to stir until sugar has melted down to a liquid. Gas stoves will liquify quicker. If using an electric stovetop, keep temperature at medium to high, continuing to stir until it has completely liquified and you’ve achieved a lovely cognac color.

Y ahi! You should have a perfect caramel to coat your flan mold.

Flanboyant Eats Flan Recipes

Earl Grey Flan by Bren Herrera

Try these recipes from my blog, Flanboyant Eats, and let me know how you do.

• Cinnamon Creme Flan, a delicious combination of creme cheese, cinnamon and dark Jamaican rum.
• Goat Cheese Flan with Brandy Reduction Sauce, the reduction is made with French Brandy and apple cranberry juice.
• 9 Spice Rum and Ginger Flan, a sexyt flan for two recipe to make for a sweetheart, or for just for you, of course.

Bren Herrera is a professional singer/songwriter, classically trained cellist, self-taught chef and published writer. The Cuban-born Herrera, who lives in Atlanta, writes the food blog, Flanboyant Eats, and the fashion site, B So Chic!

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Un poquito mas:

1. Café Flan Recipe
2. A Match Made in Heaven = Flan + Cake
3. Dulce de Leche de Tia

Dulce de Leche Cheerios Snack Bars

Dulce de leche, a staple deliciousness in the Latin American diet, is not a well-kept secret anymore.

For goodness sakes, it is as main stream as salsa. It’s everywhere.

The latest evidence: Cheerios, a cereal as American as apple pie, has introduced a bright box of dulce de leche flavored toasted oaties.

This news is kind of bigger than when Starbucks introduced the dulce de leche latte; bigger than Haagen Daz and its yummy dulce de leche caramel ice cream; and way bigger than dulce de leche Pop Tarts. But, maybe not bigger than the iconic Girl Scouts adding dulce de leche cookies.

The CEO of General Mills, which makes Cheerios, said in a conference call last month: “This caramel-flavored cereal features a taste profile that’s popular with Hispanic consumers, but we think it will have broad appeal.”

So you see, dulce de leche: It’s not just for Latinos anymore.

So, what to do with a whole box of dulce de leche Cheerios — which we know you’re going to buy just to try and see if they’re as good as you hope? Well, make desserts and treats, claro.

Reprinted here, with permission from Betty Crocker’s people, are two recipes that use dulce de leche Cheerios as a main ingredient.

And if you have to ask: What is dulce de leche? Well, dear, it is something way better than any caramel you’ve ever had. Ever.

Dulce de Leche No Bake Snack Bars

Ingredients

• 4 cups Dulce de Leche Cheerios cereal
• ½ cup dried banana chips
• ½ cup roasted whole almonds
• ½ cup roasted salted hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• ½ cup sweetened dried cranberries

Syrup

• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Spray 13 x 9-inch pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix cereal, banana chips, almonds, pepitas and cranberries; set aside.

In 1-quart saucepan, heat all syrup ingredients over low heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Pour over cereal mixture; gently toss to coat. Press in pan; cool 30 minutes. For bars, cut into 5 rows by 3 rows. Store tightly covered.

Makes 15 bars

Each bar has 160 calories; 45 of which are from fat. Total fat is 5g; 1.5 g from saturated fat and no trans fats.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

Dulce de Leche No-Bake Cheese Cake

Crust

• 2 cups Dulce de Leche Cheerios cereal
• ⅓ cup butter, melted

Topping

• 1 pint (2 cups) whole fresh strawberries, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup sugar, optional

Cheesecake

• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping (thawed)
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray.

In 1-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag, place cereal and finely crush with a rolling pin. In small bowl, stir crushed cereal and melted butter until well mixed. Press crust firmly and evenly in bottom and 1 inch up side of pie plate. Bake 9 minutes; cool 20 minutes.

In medium bowl, stir topping ingredients until well mixed; let stand while making the cheesecake so strawberries will become juicy. In separate medium bowl, beat all cheesecake ingredients with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth; spoon over crust. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

To serve, spoon topping over cheesecake slices. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.

Makes 8 servings

1 serving contains 320 calories; 230 of which are from fat. Total fat is 26g; 16g of which are saturated fats and ½ g trans fat.

Recipes and photos from Betty Crocker. Used by permission.

How to Make Dulce de Leche

And, because we’re big into dulce de leche over here at the Tiki Tiki, be sure to check out our recipe for making your own dulce de leche using sweetened condensed milk.

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Un poquito mas:

1. Dulce de Leche de Tia
2. Dulce de Leche – How Sweet It Is
3. Que Rica Vida – Dulce de Leche Crepes

Klaudia’s Layered Multi Color Multi Shape Necklace Set from fantasyjewerlybox
Crystals are coming back with big and colorful designs, they can work to revive any outfit!

Plenty by Tracy Reese dress from Layla Grayce
This is dress that will go almost anywhere!

Tina Trunk Pillow embroided from Layla Grayce
I couldn’t  look away from this pillow once I saw it. It’s perfect!

Michael Kor’s Josie pump from Nordstrom
Que elegante no? For the New year’s party?

Asos Stripe Wrap Cardigan
Love this print and style

Square Stud Bowling Bag from Warehouse
Sometimes I’m partial to greens and turquoise but they really go well with anything, try it!

Sequin Hoodie Coat from Poppy
This coat comes with the sequin hoodie attached!!

Etch Pendant from Design Within Reach
Beautiful lamp to begin the new year in gold!

Royal Douton bowls from John Lewis
Colorful set of bowls, vert pretty and useful!

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No related posts.

Click the image to see the video invitation

Let’s Have Thanksgiving Together

Dear Amigos,

Consider this your Evite to a Virtual Thanksgiving Celebration.

Join us Thanksgiving Day on the Tiki Tiki Facebook Fan Page for a pachanga with the pavo, la comida and la familia.

We are inviting you to upload photos of yourself, your family, your abuela, your flan, even, so that we can celebrate Thanksgiving together.

All you need is a camera phone and a quick upload to the Fan page and share a little something about your day.

We did a version of it last year here on the Tiki Tiki and it turned out super chevere. We shared the Virtual Thanksgiving with familias from New York, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles and in between. Beautiful, really.

We would love to have you at our mesa and share this day of great gratitude and friendship with you.

Please share the invitation with your amigos y familia.

No need to RSVP, but we hope to see you there. It won’t be the same without you.

Abrazos from the Tiki Tiki.

Scenes from Tiki Tiki Thanksgiving 2010

Thanksgiving in San Diego with Tiki Tiki Contributor Dariela Cruz

Familia de Maya Escobar, Bloomington, Ill.

Carol Alvarez Cain of NYCityMama.com and Dominican Pastelitos

photo here

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Un poquito mas:

1. Virtual Thanksgiving with the Tiki Tiki
2. Homemade Thanksgiving Cranberry Sauce
3. El Thanksgiving Recipe Round-Up con Sabor

I am not a complicated girl.

I like simple recipes that don’t require a lot of chopping, dishes that don’t ruin if they sit a little too long, and food served right out of the pot.

So, my Thanksgiving is pretty relaxed. My table is beautiful — thanks to a crazy splurge at Williams-Sonoma one year — pero, other than setting out flowers and some special dishes, I don’t sweat it too much. It’s about the people, not the platters.

My taste of home menu usually is the same: Guava-glazed turkey, sauteed green beans, roasted acorn squash with cranberries and walnuts and a simple salad. Dessert is pumpkin flan with gingersnap crust y un cafecito.

I am toying with adding a roasted Brussels sprouts with carmelized onion and bacon. Yes, bacon. Something I usually don’t eat. Pero, oy, I like this dish. And, if my husband wants it, he makes dressing from his childhood, pero no siempre.

It’s all “a little different” from the Thanksgiving dinners of my childhood — where there always was black beans, lots of cousins and turron — and while I long, this sort of menu suits me, makes me happy.

If you are looking for new Thanksgiving turkey recipes and inspiration for your own delicious Thanksgiving, here is a Latin-flavored round-up para ti.

Thanksgiving Stories

A funny post about “El Mish Mash That is Our Thanksgiving” — a look at our multicultural Thanksgiving Table, and recipe links.

Nostalgia, Thanksgiving and Pork Tamales.

Thanksgiving in Hialeah.

Thanksgiving Recipe Collections

Epicurious Complete Thanksgiving Guide. Seriously, lo tiene todo.

Free Cookbook via PDF download by Martha Stewart and other chefs, offered by SiriusXM

iVillage Latino Thanksgiving recipe collection from celebrity cooks like Daisy Martinez, Bobby Flay and Ingrid Hoffman. Recipes include Cranberry Passion Fruit Sauce, Chile-Fruit Mole, Pumkin Empanadas and Butternut Tamales with Chipotle Chicken.

Mexican-Inspired Thanksgiving Menu by Muy Bueno Cookbook.

Latin-style Thanksgiving round-up and recipes over at Fox News Latino, complied by Tracy Lopez.

Thanksgiving Recipes a lo Latin

Turkey Mole over at Tech.Food.Life.

Roasted Turkey by Goya, with adobo, lemon and coriander and a stuffing recipe.

Poblano Chile and Pumpkin Seed Stuffing at Epicurious.

Gluten-free Pumpkin Quinoa Cookies by Vianessa.

Sweet Potato Cakes with Black Bean and Corn Salsa at the Yuca Diaries.

Pomegranate Lacquered Sweet Potatoes at Nibbles and Feasts.

Low Fat Pumpkin Pie at B and B Fit.

Pumpkin Pie Pops at Spanglish Baby (great for the kids!)

Pumpkin Pie with with Pepita Nut and Ginger Topping from Bon Appetit.

Y Tu?

What is on your Thanksgiving Menu?

Cuentame.

Join us For Virtual Thanksgiving

The Tiki Tiki is hosting a Virtual Thanksgiving on the Facebook Page. We’d love you to upload a photo of you, your familia, your pavo, your comida — whatever you like — on Thanksgiving. Easy, just a quick snap from the camera phone. It is one more way of sharing gratitude as a community.

For details please check our Fan Page.

And, if you are on Google+ we can connect over there, too.

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Un poquito mas:

1. El Mish Mash that is Our Thanksgiving
2. Sabor: What’s on the Menu this Week?
3. Thanksgiving a lo Cubano con Nitza

I’ll continue next month with more holiday picks!

Lace wool scarf from Vital Temptation
I know what you are thinking: Eso no abriga. But it’s ok, for the indoor party
you can leave it on and look great!

Carmen Raw Clutch from melie bianco
For the upcoming parrandas! There are several colors to choose from too.

Rifle Journals from Paper Source
I have a mantra: Whenever taking notes always be stylish. And these notebooks do the trick! 

Handmade Initial Necklaces from MAKE PIE not war
Wearing one of these makes the person a little more special, it’s so delicate and unique, even though there might be 1000′s of people with the same initial!

Peach Leather and Mesh earrings from Natalu
Metal and leather combination in a color that will match almost any outfit.

Sinclair Avenue Oxford Booties from Ruche
A very thin stiletto with botties is very IN and it looks lovely! 

North Shore dress from Shabby Apple
There are 2 more colors for this dress, but you can never go wrong with turquoise! 

2012 Calendar from Paper Source
Consider this calendar a work of art that will change every month on you wall. Chévere no?

Ceramic French Press from Golden Calf
Add any of these colors to your kitchen and even though it’s name includes the word “French”, it will make an excellent “Latin” cafesito.

Delaney Leather watch from Fossil
Very stylish and classy! 

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Un poquito mas:

1. Pretty Things: Spring Designs
2. Pretty Things: Preparation
3. Pretty Things: Transitions

By Nicole Presley

I know many people reach for a can of cranberry sauce to dress the Thanksgiving table with a dash of red and to add a nice, sweet condiment for the bird. But, why not make it from scratch and bring the formalities up a notch?

The fresh taste of cranberries will make you gobble gobble gobble — in two languages.

Plus, making cranberry sauce is the easiest dish to make for the holidays, can be made up to 5 days ahead of time, and only takes about 10 minutes from start to finish.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Nicole’s Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1  cup of sugar
• 1  cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/4  cup water
• 1 – 12 ounce bag of fresh, whole cranberries

In a medium sauce pan over a medium flame, mix sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves, orange juice and water, until sugar dissolves.

Bring to a boil. Once boiling stir in cranberries.

The cranberries will begin to pop after a couple of minutes in the boiling orange juice mixture. When you hear the cranberries pop it’s time to smash/mash them down with a potato masher.

Remove from flame and place in a bowl. Let come to room temperature, Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools. Place the cranberry sauce in the fridge covered if making a few days in advance.

Nicole Presley, a Tiki Tiki contributor, writes an original recipe food blog called Presley’s Pantry from her home in East Los Angeles. Apart from working on her blog everyday, she dedicates her time to raising her 2-year-old with her fiance, and dotes on her Mother. 

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Un poquito mas:

1. Mexican-Inspired Cranberry Sauce
2. Get Your Mojo (Sauce) On
3. El Mish Mash that is Our Thanksgiving

I am declaring it, right here, right now:

The Future is Fried Pies.

Fried pies sold in rolling trucks, fried pies sold in cute little cafes, fried pies served as dessert in chichi restaurants.

It is the next step beyond the cupcake and cake pop craze. How do I know this? I just do. I have that kind of nose.

Some background: A few weeks ago, my family went to a local event called Music and Molasses — old timey fun, crafts, music and food. We bought four fried pies — cripsy, little, warm hand-held beauties. They’re famous in the South, and though I have lived in Nashville 20 years, I had never eaten one.

A real shame.

I bit into the peach fried pie (and you have to say “fried pie” with a big Southern accent) and nearly fell out of my chair. Same experience over the blueberry and cherry pies. Ay, madre, what I have been missing.

I think I loved them so much because they remind me of empanadas — the delicious, doughy, warm snacks I grew up eating in Miami. The empanadas of my childhood were guava and picadillo.

OK, back to predicting the future: So I have since told a lot of people I am predicting a new food truck trend. I even tried convincing a friend who owns a snacks food truck. Not sure anyone believed me.

But then, last week, I logged into Amazon and right there, right in my face, was the pre-order notice to Handheld Pies: Pint-sized Sweets and Savories by Rachel Wharton and Sarah Billingsley.

Aha! La prueba! You see, little pies — a la empanadas and fried pies are — The Future.

And lucky, we of Latin American roots, we already know how to eat fried pies and enjoy them in all sorts of ways — con dulces, con carne, con queso, con papas. The empanada is the Global Fried Pie.

I went in search of empanada and fried pie recipes to share here on the Tiki Tiki and discovered that just about every culture out there has their own version of the fried pie/empanada.

Some names you may recognize: Italian calzone, Jamaican patty, Indian Gujia, Polish pierogis, and the classic American turnover.

Seems everyone loves food wrapped in dough.

In Latin America, the Argentinians, Colombians, Venezuelas, Cubans, Puerto Ricans and such, all have their own versions — many of which are sold as quick street food by mobile vendors. (You see, it’s only a matter of time these get all hip in food trucks.) And we call them things such as empanadas, empanaditas, salteñas and pastelitos.

I asked the Tiki Tiki Facebook community to dish about empanadas, and this is what they said:

“Colombian empanadas of course with lots of ají. I know how their made, but I don’t make them. I remember watching my grandmother in Bogota make 400 empanadas for the neighborhood bazar to raise funds for the catholic church.” — Sylvia.

“I make mine with my homemade picadillo, or guava and cream cheese, or ham and cheese. I always use the Goya discs because they don’t break and fry up really well.” — Mary Lynn.

“For me the best empanadas are the ones my Abuela makes – Venezuelan style, with Harina Pan y rellenas de carne mechada. Awesomeness!” — Helen.

“We make empanadas chilenas at home (Alan es de chile), both de queso y de pino (carne molida). However we make them both with bakeable dough and they are ummmmmmm good.” — Adriana.

OK, so, when you see empanadas and fried pies everywhere — as you see salsa and chips everywhere — you’ll remember my prediction.

Below are recipes for empanadas and fried pies and here’s a link to an easy way of making empanada dough — so you don’t have to buy the frozen disks, though you can if you must.

Empanada Recipes

Colombian ground pork and beef empanadas recipe from My Colombian Recipes.

Nika’s Culinaria has a step-by-step photo guide to making Colombian empanadas.

Cuban empanadas recipe over at Gourmet Betty.

Venezuelan Beef Empanadas from the Food Network.

Pumpkin Empanadas from Muy Bueno Cookbook.

Eva Longoria’s Crab Empanadas

Spinach, Apple and Walnut Spanish Empanada from Simple Spanish Food.

Fried Pie Recipes

Apple Fried Pies by Paula Deen.

Tex-Mex Fried Pies and Blueberry Fried Pies, both from the Homesick Texan

Southern Coca-Cola Fried (Apple) Pies at Serious Eats.

Mini Nutella Fried Pies by Sweet T Makes Three.

Peach Guijya Indian Empanadas from Indian Simmer.

Watch Paula Deen make Fried Pies

Y Tu?

Tell me how much you love empanadas and fried pies!

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Un poquito mas:

1. Larger than Life
2. Guava, Guava Everywhere. (Video)
3. Time Traveling via A Cuban “Frita”

Ed. note: The Tiki Tiki asked Clara, the genius behind the Dominican cooking site, Aunt Clara’s Kitchen,  to share some favorite recipes from the Dominican Republic.

To learn more about the typical creole cooking, the pasteles, the rice and beans, sancochos, the mangu of the D.R., plus many more Caribbean food recetas from the D.R., visit her beautiful and popular site.

You also can purchase her cookbook, Aunt Clara’s Dominican Cooking, the first illustrated English-language cookbook highlighting the food of the Dominican. 

Recipes and images shared with permission. Words and photos below by Aunt Clara.

Pastelón de Plátanos (Ripe Plantain Casserole)

Pastelón de Platano from DominicanCooking.com

I don’t know when is it that our people decided that combining savory and sweet flavors was a good idea. Blessed the moment!

Ripe plantains are not like bananas, they are not meant to be eaten raw, and they are not as sweet, but sweet they are. Combine that with the flavorful beef filling, and the melting cheese on top and you have pure bliss. Another great thing about this dish is that it’s almost a meal in itself, just prepare some fresh salad and you’re done.

For the filling, you may use vegetables, chicken or beef (or just use cheese).

Time: 1 hr. Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 6 very ripe plantains
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup of butter
• 1 lb. of ground beef
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 small red onion diced into small cubes
• 1 green pepper
• 1 teaspoon of crushed garlic
• Black ground pepper

Before starting to cook: Butter up a 1-inch tall baking pan. Heat up the oven to 350 °F.

Preparation:

Mix meat with pepper, onion, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper and garlic. In a shallow pan heat a tablespoon of oil. Add the ground beef and stir so it cooks uniformly. Add two tablespoons of water and the tomato paste. Let simmer at medium heat. Adjust water when necessary. When the meat is ready let all the liquid evaporate, adjust salt to taste. Turn off the heat and reserve.

Peel the plantains and boil adding 1 teaspoon of salt to the water. When the plantains are very tender turn off the heat. Take the plantains out of the water and mash them with a fork. Add the butter and keep mashing until it is very smooth.

Put half of the plantains mixture in the baking pan. Cover with 1/3 of the cheese and add the meat. Add another third of the cheese, cover with the remaining plantain mixture. Cover with the rest of the cheese. Put in he oven until the top is golden brown.

Serve with a few slices of avocados.

Dulce de Leche Cortada from DominicanCooking.com

Dulce de Leche Cortada

Dulce de Leche Cortada is a delicious dessert with a touch of sour. It is prepared with curdled milk and its luscious, chewy texture does not detract from its simplicity.

Time: 35 mins. Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 6 cups of whole milk at room temperature
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon of lime peels
• 1/4 cups of raisins
• 1/2 cup of lime juice at room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 1 large cinnamon stick

Preparation:

Mix the milk and egg, stirring until they are well mixed. Sieve to eliminated undisolved egg parts. Mix in cinnamon, lime peels, raisins and sugar and put in a bowl at low heat.

When it breaks a boil add the lime juice one tablespoon at a time in different spots, boil at medium heat, do not stir unless it is sticking to the pot. The milk will eventually curdled and float in thin caramel. Adjust sugar to taste. Turn off the heat and cool to room temperature.

Chill before serving.

More Dominican Desserts We Love

Here’s a taste of some delicious desserts you can find at Aunt Clara’s Kitchen.

Bizcocho Dominicano or Dominican Cake, the center piece of many Dominican celebrations. It is moist, airy and fruit-filled.

Dulce de Leche en Tabla or Milk Fudge Bars, creamy and sweet.

Morir Soñando, Aunt Clara’s version of the traditional Dominican drink whose name translates to “Die Dreaming.” It is a combination of orange juice and evaporated milk. Truly dream-worthy and refreshing.

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