#228_Pastel de Tres Leches ( Three-Milk Cake)

Pastel de Tres Leches

Pastel de Tres Leches, translated as three-milk cake is a very popular Latin American cake soaked in three different kinds of milk products, hence tres leches (three milk). Some recipes use butter cake, some simply use boxed white cake mix and while there's hundreds of ways to dress this cake up, I will stick to what I have already tried which is nuts and strawberries. Because this cake is already too sweet from the milk, I don't particularly want anymore frosting nor sweet garnishes on it such as whipped cream or caramel.

I first tried this cake last year from an authentic source (click here). I'm glad I did because now I have a recipe based on that authentic piece of cake.

For the cake, I used the tried and true Chiffon Cake recipe #210, click here and it turned out great. I did one in a 9"x13" pan and 5 mini cakes using "one-of-a-kind" molds.

I call these mini cakes because they are bigger than cup cakes and smaller than the smallest size cake pans. Do you want to know what kind of molds I used? It's my secret, so don't tell anybody... they are Tuna Fish cans! Yep! 7.5 oz.tuna fish cans, a bit taller than the regular 5 oz. cans. I love the size because it is perfect for individual servings. I got the idea from a friend, Josie, who uses the cans for making leche flan. There you go, I just revealed a secret!

Mini cakes using tuna cans for molds

Tres Leches Cake in a 9"x13" cake pan

Here's the recipe:

Prepare your pans. If using glass pans, grease the bottom well. If using mini molds, grease bottom and sides well. Baking gurus say don't grease the pans when making chiffon cakes...
I am breaking that rule specially with mini molds or muffin tins because you can't unmold them without breaking them to pieces if the molds aren't greased.

For the Cake (Chiffon Cake recipe #210, click here)

Egg yolk mixture:
2-1/4 cup cake flour, sifted before measuring
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tbsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup+2 tbsp orange juice or water
7 egg yolks
2 tbsp. orange zest
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Sift together cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add the egg yolks, canola oil, orange juice or water, vanilla and orange zest. Mix together with a wire whisk until all ingredients are well bended. Set aside.

Egg White Mixture:
7 egg whites, room temperature
1 tsp. cream of tartar
3/4 cup white sugar
Using a stand mixer, whip egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add the sugar. Continue to whip until sugar is dissolved and whites are glossy and soft peaks forms.

The Cake Batter:
Fold the egg white mixture (in 3 batches) into the egg yolk mixture until both are well blended together. (remember, just fold, do not mix or stir this mixture)

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake in pre-heated 350 degrees oven. Baking time varies
depending on the pans used. I bake the 9"x13" cake for 23 minutes; 18 minutes for the mini cakes. If using mini molds, place the molds in baking sheet then put in the oven.

Making the TRES LECHES

Cool cake for about 5 minutes, then poke holes all over the cake using a skewer or a fork.

Poke holes all over cake for the milk to penetrate.

Mix the 3 milk together
in a bowl

Some recipes that I saw online use a combination of evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream. Some uses fresh milk instead of heavy cream. I guess it doesn't matter as long as there's condensed milk in it.

Pour the milk into the cake making sure it gets into the holes.

After pouring milk into the cake, let it cool completely then cover
and put in the fridge to chill for few hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, pour some more milk on the cake then garnish as you desire.

Notes from MaMely:

1) This chiffon cake recipe looks like it is hard and complicated to make, but it is really not that hard. Unless you give it a try you won't know how easy it is to make it. I know, because it took me a few years before I decided to try making it as I thought it was complicated for me. I'm glad I did give it a try because now, I hardly use cake mixes for this kind of cakes.

2) A blog reader and a cyber friend, Ziggy who is from Cuba, told me she makes this cake a Cuatro Leches, which means 4 kinds of milk. For the fourth kind she uses dulce de leches to top the cake. Sounds delish, I'll have to try that.

#221_Stained Glass Gelatin Dessert

Stained Glass Gelatin Dessert

This dessert is a combination of different Jello-O gelatin flavors which make it so colorful. It is very easy to make, but the preparation takes time.

It has so many different names. Sometimes it is called "Broken Glass Dessert", or "Broken Window Glass Pudding", "Prism", "Rainbow Pudding," "Cathedral Window" , but I think "Stained Glass" sounds better, so I will call it that.

The recipe was given to me by a good friend who says every time she brings it to a pot luck, it is always a big hit. I will post her original recipe exactly the way she wrote it down for me and also my modified version.

She calls it PRISM SALAD.

1 of each. 3 oz. Jello: Raspberry, Lime and Orange. Dissolve separately in 8 or 9 inch square pans using 1 cup boiling water and 1/2 cup cold water for each flavor. Set in fridge until firm.

Lemon Jello Mixture:
1 package Lemon Jello (3oz.) dissolved in 1 cup boiling water. Add 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup pineapple juice. Chill until slightly thickened.

Prepare 1 pt. whipping cream (whip until thick) and blend with the Lemon Jello Mix.

Cut firm gelatin into 1/2 " cubes...


.....then fold Lemon Jello Mix into the cubed gelatin.

Let this mixture chill in a 9x13 pan for at least 5 hours or overnight
before cutting into squares.
Serves 20

Here's my modified version:

I followed everything on her recipe except for the Lemon Jello Mixture. I didn't have the whipping cream when I was making this dessert so I used 1 can condensed milk with the Lemon Jello dissolved in 1-1/2 cups water, eliminated the sugar and pineapple juice.

and this is how it turned out...delish but bubbly.

For Christmas you can use any red and green Jello gelatin or come up with your favorite combination for any occasion and have FUN!

#211_Mamon or Filipino Sponge Cake

What is Mamon?

(pronounced, mah-moon)

When chiffon cake batter or sponge cake batter is baked in those little fluted molds, cup cake style, the finished product becomes mamon. Sometimes they are called mini cakes.

When I was growing up mamon can be purchased from any regular bakery and they were available in just one kind...which was the regular mamon. Nowadays, they have what they call Special Mamon from specialty bake shops. These Special mamon are brushed with melted butter then topped with cheese and sugar. Very calorific!!

Mamon can be made from either Sponge Cake or Chiffon Cake batter. These two types of cakes are very similar to each other in texture and in taste, but one main difference is that Sponge Cake do not contain fat in the form of vegetable oil or butter which makes it a fat-free cake while Chiffon Cake contains fat. It doesn't matter, we Filipinos love both kinds.

Use the Orange Chiffon Cake batter recipe #210,
to make fantastic Mamon....

....or you can use any of your favorite chiffon or sponge cake recipes that you may already have.


Pour batter in 24 greased molds, (I use medium size ensaymada molds) then place these molds in sheet pans. (12 molds in a pan). Bake in pre-heated 350 degrees oven for 18 minutes. (test your oven temp. first)

If you don't have the fluted molds, just simply use muffin pans lined with paper liners.

The author of Joy of Baking who owns this recipe that I'm using said to invert the cake immediately upon taking it out of the oven so the cake will not shrink or lose its volume. I can't do that with the mamon in their individual molds, so I just skipped that process.

Hope you'll give this a try. You won't regret you did!

Note from MaMely:

You can use the mamon as a base for strawberry shortcakes, click here. Just spoon some strawberry filling on top of each mamon and top them with cool whip or whipped topping.

Addendum:

Don't worry if you don't have those fluted molds to make Mamon....

You can save tuna fish cans or collect them from friends. It took me a while to save about 20 cans. Make sure to wash them thoroughly before using. I had to soak them in soapy water for a couple of days before I got rid of the fishy smell, but it it's all worth it because I love the size and shape of the finished product.

Make sure to grease the sides and bottom of the cans really well
before spooning in the batter.

Mamon becomes Taisan
I let the Mamon cooled a little on a wire rack, then brushed them
with melted butter and sprinkled with white sugar.


I used some of the Mamon to make Tres Leches Cake
(click here ), and it was great!

#184 Microwaved Pichi-Pichi

Pichi-Pichi in Different Flavors.

While I was baking more batches of pichi-pichi,
I read Manang's (of kusina ni manang) comment on my
Oven-Baked Pichi-Pichi post,
that she makes hers by microwaving,
click here and go to the comment box.

Because I was in the process of making a huge batch

to take to my friend, Lisa, who's hosting
a Filipino dinner at her house,
I was able to try out that method right away.
I microwaved a little bit of the mixture to test how it works
and the result was incredible!
It turned out just like the baked kind. It was so amazing.

Suffice it to say, I made the rest of the remaining mixture
in the microwave, following Manang's instructions.
This method is truly a convenient way of preparing this dessert
specially when you want to make different flavors
from one mixture just like I did.
I'm so glad everybody at the dinner enjoyed it.

I was able to make Pichi-Pichi with different flavors
using these bottled essences available at some Filipino Stores.

From left to right: Mango flavor, Ube flavor,

Buko Pandan flavor and Langka flavor.

For Pichi-Pichi ingredients, click here.

The microwaved pichi-pichi
before they were sprinkled with grated coconut.

Now, we can make this delicious dessert
or kakanin in 3 different ways:
1) Steaming method, the traditional way, click here
2) Oven-baked method, click here
3) Microwave oven method

Thank you very much Manang!
I appreciate you for sharing your method of making Pichi-Pichi.

Click here to go to Manang's website.


Update:

Here's another option in making this dessert, which is the original and most authentic way. If all you have is a kalan and kawali, and sandok, you can make this dessert. It may sound kind of primitive, but this is how it was done in the first place before standard oven or microwave oven came about, and before somebody came up with the molds.
Cook the mixture until dry and translucent. Let cool, then form into different shapes. Roll in freshly grated coconut.

#183_Oven-Baked Pichi-Pichi

The process involved in making Pichi-Pichi

the traditional way is very tedious.
For instance, spooning the mixture into the molds,
placing them in a steamer,
then steaming them for 45 minutes, sometimes up to 1 hour.
The only easy part of the process is mixing the ingredients.
Even cleaning the molds after using them is quite a chore.

Let me quickly share with you, beloved readers and friends,
my serendipitous experience
as I was making Pichi-pichi yesterday.
(see previous post or click here).
After making 2 batches, I got impatient and got tired,
so I decided to put the mixing bowl
with the remaining mixture in it in the oven.


This is what that mixture looked like when
I remembered to check it after about 20 minutes or maybe longer.
I really don't exactly know how long it baked in the oven.
As you can see it was almost burnt because
I almost forgot all about it until I smelled something was burning.

I was nonchalant about it because, oh well, I wasn't really expecting
anything will come out of it.
It really didn't matter to me if it was burnt, after all,
there was only about 1 cup of the mixture that was going to waste.

Then when I started to scrape the unburnt part with a spoon,
I was so delighted to discover that it was so soft and tasted like
the kind of Pichi-pichi sold in the Philippines! yup, the real thing!


I scooped out the unburnt part and formed them into
little balls and coated them with the grated coconut.

I was so excited to discover that
I can now make Pichi-Pichi without all the traditional rituals.
No more using molds and no more steaming.
I can now make a big batch of it in a baking pan....
just scoop them up then form them into different shapes and sizes
and no more molds to wash.
And most important of all is that the taste
is a lot better than the steamed kind.
You know I will be making
Pichi-Pichi
this way from now on and I promise to give you
update on the baking time.

***************

Update: 10-3-09

I didn't burn them this time!

I baked another batch today and I greased the baking pan before pouring
in the mixture and baked it for 30 minutes in a 350 degrees pre-heated oven
and the result was very satisfactory.
No burnt edges and the mixture didn't stick on the pan. It was perfect.

BTW, I did not use lye water on this batch. No lie...am not lying!!
Pareho rin ang labas. Try niyo!

Click here for the ingredients

Note from MaMely:
baking time depends on the size of pan used.
For 11"x 9" pan, it takes about 1 hour to bake @ 350 degreesF.

I ran out of grated coconut so I rolled the baked Pichi-Pichi in roasted sesame seeds which turned out looking like buchi. Well, I had deviated from the traditional method of making this dessert, so I might as well deviate all the way, right? Maybe we can call these picho-picho or maybe next time I will make them I will come up with a different shape so they won't be buchi-look-alike.

#182_Pichi-Pichi

Pichi-Pichi
(They might look like Palitaw, but I assure you these are
Pichi-Pichi in their natural color).

This Philippine kakanin is made with grated cassava (yucca) and
are usually eaten as desserts or as snacks.

If you're in the Philippines or a place where
fresh cassavas are accessible,
fresh grated cassava is used in making this dessert,
but because I don't have that luxury in my neck of the woods,
I used the frozen grated cassava
which is sold in most Asian stores.

Here's the recipe:

1 lb. grated cassava, thawed
1-1/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 can coconut cream
1/2 tsp. lye water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
food color, optional (addendum, 9/30/09)

Combine every thing in a bowl then mix well.



Grease molds then fill with the mixture
and then steam for 45 minutes.

Take them out of the molds then coat Pichi2 with grated coconut.

Again, in the Philippines, because of the abundance of coconuts,
we use freshly grated coconut.
Here, I have to settle with this frozen grated coconut
found in most Asian stores.
Do not use dessicated coconut or coconut flakes...not a good idea.

Mag merienda na tayo!!

A note from MaMely:
While making these Pichi-pichi today,
I accidentally discovered another way to make them
without steaming. Isn't that wonderful?
Watch out for my next post!!

AN UPDATE: 9/30/09

A reader e-mailed me saying she thinks these are palitaw and not pichi-pichi. She is right, they sure look like palitaw, but I assure you, these are pichi-pichi in their natural color. I guess we can use some food coloring as they do with the commercial ones.

Click here for the oven-baked method.

#181_Quick and Easy Mango Turnovers

Mango Turnovers

You must have figured out by now that I'm crazy about mangoes
as I had posted several recipes with mangoes in this blog.
Yup, I heart fresh mangoes and anything mangoes
as long as they aren't too sweet
like the commercial dried mangoes or mango jam.
It is my #1 favorite fruit, so I have been looking
around cyberspace for other recipes using mangoes.

I found this recipe from Dallas Examiner
which is real easy and quick to do and uses mango jam,
I'll let you go to the site,
(click here) to save me from writing the recipe.

The recipe calls for one pound or a box
of store-bought Puff Pastry and makes 18 turnovers.

It is quite expensive at a little less than 5 dollars a box,

which is okay if you just want to make a few,
but if you want to make this dessert for a crowd,
you might consider making your own puff pastry.
I found a quick and easy homemade recipe by cafenilson,
click here, if you're interested to make your own.

Unfold pastry and cut into 4-inch squares.

I used my homemade mango jam with a little bit of peach jam.

The recipe says, "before putting the fillings on the squares,
sprinkle cinnamon powder on the pastry dough".
I modified that part by sprinkling cinnamon-sugar on top instead.
Brush the top of pastry dough with melted butter first
so the cinnamon-sugar mixture will adhere.

I left some of the turnovers plain, just brushed the top with egg yolk.

Don't forget to pierce each turnover with tines of a fork like I did.
They were in the oven for a couple of minutes before
I remembered to do that,
so I took them out of the oven and made slits with a pair of scissors.

A Note from MaMely:
Puff Pastries are best eaten when freshly baked and warm.
They are not good the next day.

Update:
You can fill this pastry with any kind of fruit fillings (or maybe even meat fillings) you desire and call it any way you want.... I found a recipe using apple pie filling, thus, Apple Turnover, click here.

*************************************

#165_Sushi Style Biko with Mango Custard Cream Filling

Mangoes + Brazo de Mercedes + Biko + Sushi=
A fantastic dessert

Not quite Heinz 57, but this is one "mixed-up" dessert!

For those not familiar with Brazo de Mercedes, it is a very popular dessert in the Philippines
made with baked meringue filled with custard cream, then rolled up like pumpkin roll cake or jelly roll. Here's some of the pictures, click here.

Biko is another favorite dessert in the Philippines made of glutinous rice, cooked in coconut cream and sugar. Click here.

To make this dessert, you'll need:

1 recipe for Biko without any topping
1 recipe for Custard Cream Filling
1 ripe mango, sliced lengthwise

The beauty of this dessert is that the main ingredients, the biko and cream filling, can be made ahead of time then refrigerated.
Before serving, just heat them in the microwave. You can even assemble it in front of our guests. It is that easy to make.

I modified the method for making Biko just for this recipe as I'm using it to roll up the mango filling, and it is not going back to the oven.

Here's how I did it:

This is just a half of the recipe
Please refer to recipe #7, click here, how to make Biko.

After cooking the glutinous rice in the rice cooker, dissolve 1 cup brown sugar in a 1/2 a can of coconut

milk, in a pan over medium heat. Bring it up to a boil. Stir in the cooked rice and continue to cook until it dries up and rice is fully cooked.

Lay a piece of plastic wrap on a work surface. On the plastic wrap spread some of the cooked rice into rectangle and spread some of the Custard Cream Filling. Arrange some sliced mangoes on the cream.

Roll up the filled rice just like rolling a jelly roll cake

Cut the rolled up Biko into about 2-inch thickness

Serve them on a plate with the cut sides up.
Put some more cream filling and cubes of mangoes on top.
Thin down the cream filling with milk
so you can drizzle it easily on top.

This is the best kind of mangoes to use for this dessert.
ENJOY!!

NOTE from MaMely:
For the custard cream filling, I used 1 whole can of coconut cream instead of 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup coconut cream.