SPICY GRAPEFRUIT MARGARITAS

It appears that I have a theme going on this week - margaritas today and the Tres Leches cake from Tuesday - and yes, I did plan for this! Once I realized earlier this week that Cinco de Mayo was coming up, and I had already planned on making the Tres Leches cake, I knew it was a no-brainer to share a delicious margarita recipe.

Like I've mentioned before, going to a Mexican restaurant and ordering a couple rounds of margaritas with my carnitas plate is just about my favorite thing ever. Without a doubt, a traditional margarita is my drink of choice, mainly because tequila is my favorite liquor. 

Additionally, there's another tequila drink that I'm very fond of, and it actually is nowhere near as popular as margaritas are at Mexican restaurants here in America; that cocktail is the Paloma. A Paloma is tequila mixed with grapefruit soda (or juice) and lime juice, and poured over ice. So based on the ingredients, margaritas and Palomas are not too far off from one another, the only difference being that Palomas are always made with grapefruit, and margaritas are always sweetened using either orange liqueur/triple sec or agave nectar.

So today I'm sharing a margarita recipe that is quite similar to a Paloma: you'll get the subtle sweetness that a margarita promises from the agave nectar, as well as the delicious grapefruit flavor from the Paloma. I also decided to step it up a notch by making this a "spicy" margarita by including a few slices of serrano or jalapeño chile peppers. If you're not a fan of spiciness, I totally understand because I know it's not for everyone; you can just leave the peppers out entirely. It'll still be an amazing cocktail! 

Just in case you didn't know, cocktail recipes are given in measurements of ounces. To make this easier for yourself, I strongly suggest in purchasing a jigger, which is the proper way to measure out cocktails. Jiggers may come in a variety of sizes, but the standard one (and the one I own) gives you 1 and 2 oz. measurements. Also, I want to make it clear that this recipe yields only one cocktail! So double or triple your measurements accordingly. Enjoy and please drink responsibly!

Spicy Grapefruit Margaritas

Makes 1 large cocktail

Ingredients

• kosher salt, for the rim

• 3 oz. silver tequila

• 3 1/2 oz. fresh or store-bought grapefruit juice

• 1 1/2 tbsp. agave nectar (or triple sec)

• 2 oz. fresh lime juice

• 2-3 thin slices of serrano or jalapeño peppers (more or less, depending on how spicy you like it)

• lime and serrano/jalapeño slices to finish

Directions

1. Salt the rim of your margarita glass, add ice and set aside.

2. In a cocktail shaker, combine tequila, grapefruit juice, agave nectar, lime juice, serrano/jalapeño pepper slices, and a handful of ice. Shake the mixture for about 10 seconds (the longer, the more spicier the drink will be).

3. Strain the mixture into the prepared glass, and top with lime circles and/or more serrano/jalapeño slices, if desired. Sip and enjoy!

TRES LECHES CAKE

In case you haven't looked at a calendar, watched the news, or glanced at your phone... today marks the first day of May! Normally I would feel pretty indifferent about this, but this year I'm welcoming May with open arms: next month my sister, Tianna, is getting married! To say that I am ecstatic is a complete understatement, and even though a lot of planning and coordinating must be done from now until the big day, I know it will all come out perfectly!

For the wedding, not only am I in the wedding party, but I also have been asked to make ALL the desserts, including the wedding cake (the wedding will have over 100 people). When my sister had asked me months ago to do the desserts, I was pretty hesitant (read: HORRIFIED) and was worried that I would mess something up and ruin the day. But after much thought and talking to my friends and family, I decided I would be crazy not to. Doing the desserts for a wedding will be my biggest accomplishment thus far in my baking career, and I know that after the day is over, I will feel pretty triumphant. And if I screw something up, like burning the cookies or making an uneven cake (knock on wood), life will go on and I'm sure we'll all get a good laugh out of it.

I'm not going to reveal what I'm baking just yet, but one idea I had was to make this Tres Leches cake. For dinner at the wedding, we are eating tacos with rice and beans and plenty of chips and salsa, catered by an amazing taco spot in Los Angeles (Sky's Gourmet Tacos), so I figured a Mexican/Latin American cake would work out perfectly. But alas, my sister and her fiancé decided on something more simple and easier for me to bake, so I happily obliged. 

With that said, a Tres Leches cake is still a wonderful option for any type of celebration, especially considering what this Saturday is (Cinco de Mayo!!!). I personally have made it for birthday parties (including my boyfriend's 30th) and backyard BBQs and it's always a hit. For those of you who don't know, "tres leches"  translates to "three milks". This has to do with soaking the cake in a combination of sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream.  Additionally, there is whole milk baked into the cake so it's safe to assume that anyone who is lactose-intolerant should stay far away from this cake and allow the milk fans to enjoy it!

The recipe for a Tres Leches cake can be broken down into three components: 1) the baking of the cake 2) the "poke and soak" aspect that entails filling the cake with a liquid and 3) the topping. All three components are quite straightforward and shouldn't give you any trouble unless you are not familiar with beating egg whites into soft, and eventually, stiff peaks. This step is important in making a perfect texture for the cake, and so I would suggest clicking here if you need some guidance.

Lastly, you may choose to decorate the cake in whichever way you wish.  Usually, the cake slices will have a maraschino cherry on top but I also like to add a good amount of sprinkles (I got this idea via the restaurant Trois Familia in Los Angeles). Whichever way you choose, it'll still be beautiful with the fresh whipped topping.

 

Tres Leches Cake

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

• Butter and flour for cake pan, or nonstick cooking spray

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup cornstarch

• 2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

• 6 large eggs, whites and yolks separated, room temperature

• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1 1/4 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup whole milk

• 1 12 oz. can evaporated milk

• 1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk

• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1-2 tbsp. dark rum (optional)

• 2 cups heavy cream (this is for the whipped cream topping)

• 2 tbsp. confectioners' or granulated sugar (for whipped cream topping)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter and flour (or spray with nonstick cooking spray) a 9" by 13" baking pan and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer), beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer still going, slowly add the sugar and bring the speed up to medium-high until stiff peaks form. Add the vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.

4. To the bowl, add one egg yolk at a time, mixing thoroughly before adding another. Add the whole milk and beat until combined, followed by adding the flour mixture in three additions.

5. Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake in the oven for 18-24 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean). Allow cake to cool completely before moving on to the next step.

6. In a large bowl, ideally one with a spout, whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, and rum (if using). Using a toothpick or a fork, poke holes all over the cake including the edges, and pour the liquid milk mixture on top. Refrigerate the cake for at least a couple of hours, but if time allows, refrigerate overnight. The more time the cake sits, the more time for the cake to absorb the liquid.

7. After refrigerating, make the whipped cream topping. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, beat together the heavy cream (2 cups) and sugar (2 tbsp.) until soft peaks form. Spread evenly over the cake, top with maraschino cherries and/or sprinkles, and enjoy!

HOMEMADE RICOTTA + RICOTTA ICE CREAM

Do any of you watch Chef's Table on Netflix? I sincerely hope that most of you reading this answered "Yes, of course I do, it's amazing!", but to those of you who haven't had the chance to yet, let me fill you in. Chef's Table is a documentary series with each episode dedicated to a single world-renowned chef. In each hour-long episode, the viewer learns the trials and tribulations that each chef went through in order to reach success. In addition to learning each chef's fascinating journey, we are treated to some of the most beautiful cinematography: almost every frame is a work of art. 

Earlier this month, Netflix released the fourth season of Chef's Table but this time having a focus on pastry chefs. Naturally, I was ecstatic and watched all four episodes as quickly as I could. Of the four chefs featured, I found great inspiration from Corrado Assenza, a fourth-generation owner of a cafe in Sicily, Italy (Caffè Sicilia) that is known to have the best Sicilian desserts in all of Sicily and perhaps all of Italy. 

Throughout the episode, we see Corrado make a variety of desserts and pastries including granita, cannoli, and gelato. Not only does Corrado execute these sweets perfectly, but he also stresses the importance of quality ingredients. For example: to make excellent ricotta gelato, Corrado closely works with a local dairy farmer who he has a strong relationship with and, in his opinion, has the best ricotta in the land. It if weren't for this relationship with this particular dairy farmer, Corrado's gelato wouldn't be perfect. The importance of not only using quality ingredients, but working with quality people/vendors is Corrado's modus operandi. 

This level of dedication that Corrado has for his ingredients, and therefore everything he makes, was undoubtedly inspiring to me. It excited me to the point where I wanted to take my skills to the next level and make my own ricotta cheese from scratch and in turn, make my own gelato (or ice cream). I had made ricotta ice cream before but I had used store-bought ricotta and even though the gelato turned out to be good, I had a feeling I could make it great. 

So, I googled how to make ricotta and to my surprise it is about the easiest thing one can do. With a large pot, some cheesecloth, and only 4 ingredients (whole milk, heavy cream, salt, and lemon juice) you can make a beautiful batch of fresh and creamy ricotta in no time. The recipe I'm giving you yields about two cups which is exactly enough to make for the ice cream recipe that I also give below. If you do not wish to make ice cream with your ricotta, go ahead and use it in any way your little heart desires (use it in lasagna, on toast with fresh jam, in a raspberry cake, etc.). 

If you are planning on using the ricotta for the ice cream recipe, allow the ricotta to drain in the cheesecloth for the full hour; we want a rather dry ricotta (it'll spread almost like a cream cheese would) for the ice cream. But if are using the ricotta for any other purposes, drain to the consistency that you personally prefer (anywhere from 10 to 60 minutes).

Notes for the ricotta ice cream recipe below:

I can sincerely say that this ricotta ice cream is one of the most delicious and creamiest desserts I have ever made in my kitchen, and I genuinely believe it is all due to the homemade ricotta. If you are up for the challenge, please try to make the ricotta and use it for this ice cream recipe; you won't regret it.

Like I stated above, Corrado is a proponent of using good, quality ingredients. So if you have the means to, try opting for organic or raw ingredients. Using organic eggs in a recipe where they are such an integral part of the recipe (the ice cream is custard-based) will really make a difference in taste. I also bought organic raw honey from Trader Joe's and now I don't think I can ever go back to the normal stuff. BUT, we aren't all Rockefellers here; if you don't want to spend the extra cash for these ingredients, you don't have to! It'll still taste amazing. 

Lastly, I am calling this recipe "ice cream" and not gelato for a couple of reasons: 1) traditional Sicilian gelato does not use eggs in their recipes and 2) gelato is made with more milk than cream - in the recipe I provide, we only use cream and get the "milk" aspect from the whole milk ricotta used. 

Homemade Ricotta

Yields about 2 cups

Recipe adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients

• 2 quarts (half gallon) whole milk

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions

1. Line a colander with at least three layers of cheesecloth and place the colander over a very large bowl to catch liquid.

2. Over medium-low heat, bring the milk, heavy cream, and salt to a rolling boil. Depending on how cold your ingredients are, this could take up to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching.

3. Once boiling, add the lemon juice and reduce the heat to low. Stir constantly until the milk mixture begins to curdle. This may take a couple of minutes.

4. Pour the mixture over the cheesecloth and allow to drain for an hour (read above about draining times for ricotta).

5. Discard the liquid (whey), and transfer the ricotta to a covered container. Store in the fridge for up to one week.

Ricotta Ice Cream

Yields about 1 quart

Recipe adapted from David Lebovitz

Ingredients  

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1/2 cup sugar

• pinch of salt

• 5 large egg yolks

• 1/4 cup honey

• 2 cups whole-milk ricotta

• 2 tsp. dark rum (optional)

• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

• 1/4-1/2 cup roughly chopped pistachios

• 1/4-1/2 cup finely diced candied citrus (orange, lemon, lime - I used mandarin)

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream, sugar, and salt to an almost simmer - you just want to warm up the mixture. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath by placing a metal or glass bowl in a larger bowl that is filled with ice and water. Place a strainer over the smaller bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks together and set aside.

3. When the cream mixture has heated up, begin to gradually add some of it to the bowl of egg yolks, whisking constantly as to not scramble the eggs (this is called tempering). Once the egg yolk mixture temperature has raised, pour the mixture into the sauce pan. Stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of your spatula or spoon.

4. Pour the custard over the strainer in the prepared ice bath and stir until it has cooled down.

5. After cooled, pour the custard into a blender along with the ricotta, honey, and dark rum (if using) and puree until smooth, about 45 seconds. Transfer mixture to a covered container and refrigerate until chilled.

6. Stir in the lemon juice, and churn the ice cream in your maker (time will vary depending on what kind of ice cream maker you have - I have this one, and it took less than 20 minutes). The consistency will be on the "soft-serve" side, rather than a regular ice cream. It will firm up in the freezer. Be careful not to over-churn.

7. When done churning, transfer to a container and mix in the pistachios and candied citrus. Freeze until ready to serve.