Mexican Bread Pudding - Mexican Recipes

Mexican Recipes

Mexican Bread Pudding
Capirotada

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup water

1 cinnamon stick, 3 inches long

1/2 loaf French bread

1/2 cup each toasted pine nuts, toasted slivered almonds, and chopped walnuts

1 cup raisins\1/2 pound jack cheese, cut in 1/2-inch cubes

1 tart apple, thinly sliced\Vanilla Ice cream or whipped cream

Boil brown sugar, water, and cinnamon until slightly thickened (about 5 minutes). Discard cinnamon stick.\Cut bread into 1/2-inch-thick slices and toast; then break into large pieces. Place half the bread in a greased 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Add half the pine nuts in a layer, repeat with half the almonds, walnuts, raisins, and cheese in layers; top with all the sliced apple. Pour half the cinnamon syrup over all. Repeat layers and top with remaining syrup. Cover and bake in a 350 F oven for about 15 minutes. Spoon into individual dishes and top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Orange Sangria
Sangria de Naranja

1 medium-size orange

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups freshly squeezed or reconstituted frozen orange juice

1 bottle(4/5 qt.) dry red wine

1/2 cup Contreau (or other orange-flavored liqueur)

Ice (optional)

Cut orange in half. cut 4 think slices from one half. Cut 2 slices into quarters; save for garnish. With a vegetable peeler, thinly cut off the thin outer peel of other half of orange. In a bowl, using a spoon, mash sugar into peel so sugar absorbs flavorful oils; then stir in orange juice, wine, and Cointreau. Cover and chill; after 15 minutes, remove orange peel.

Serve sangria in a bowl or from a pitcher, garnished with reserved orange slices. Add ice cubes to individual servings if you like. Makes 6 cups, or 12 servings of 1/2 cup each.

Spicy Red Wine Punch
Ponche Rojo

3-1/2 Quarts water

3 cups sugar

6 cinnamon sticks (each 3 inches long), broken in half

3 medium-size Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch slices

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup each raisins and whole pitted prunes

2 quarts dry red wine

3/4 cup rum

In a 6-quart or larger pan, combine water, sugar, and cinnamon pieces. Bring to boiling over high heat; continue boiling rapidly until mixture is reduced to 3quarts (about 15 minutes).

Remove cinnamon pieces from syrup.

Meanwhile mix apple slices with lemon juice to prevent browning. To syrup add apple-lemon juice mixture, raisins, prunes and red wine; cover and chill if made ahead. To serve, heat the wine mixture to steaming; remove from heat and stir in rum. Transfer to a heatproof serving bowl.

Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Mexican Tea Cakes
Pasteles de Boda

1-1/2 cups butter or margarine, at room temperature

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup coarsely grated or finely chopped almonds

About 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, un-sifted

About 1 pound powdered sugar

Beat butter until light and fluffy; beat in the 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, egg yolk, and almonds. Gradually add flour to make a soft dough that you can shape with your hands. Pinch off pieces of dough the size of a large walnut and roll between your hands into round balls or form half moons. place about 1-1/2inches apart on un-greased baking sheet and bake in a 275 F oven 45 minutes or until very lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheets until lukewarm . Sift about 1/2 of the 1 pound powdered sugar over butcher paper, arranged in a shallow pan, and carefully transfer cookies from baking sheet to sugar; Sift more powdered sugar over tops and sides, completely coating cookies at least 1/8 inch thick with sugar; Let stand until cool; store in an airtight container with waxed paper between layers of cookies. Makes about 2-1/2 dozen.

Mexican recipes 5