Tres Leche Cake (Pastel de Tres Leches)

Thank you Pioneer Woman for finally giving me the recipe that is 100% Mexican husband approved.  I have scoured the internet for years trying to find one that worked and nothing really came close until now.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE you Ree!!!!  I am so excited about this recipe and plan to make it often (well at least, as long as my waist line can handle it).  I only made one change to this since I did not have a perfect sized platter to turn the cake out onto.  I cooled mine in the pan and added the milks to it, then turned it out.

1 cup All-purpose Flour
1-1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
5 whole Eggs
1 cup Sugar, Divided
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/3 cup Milk
1 can Evaporated Milk
1 can Sweetened, Condensed Milk
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
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FOR THE ICING:
1 pint Heavy Cream, For Whipping
3 Tablespoons Sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan liberally until coated.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Separate eggs.  Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.
Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.

Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface.  Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in baking dish.

Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a small pitcher. When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle all but about 1 cup of the milk mixture—try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can.

Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes. To ice the cake, whip 1 pint heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar until thick and spreadable.

Spread over the surface of the cake. Decorate cake with whole or chopped maraschino cherries. Cut into squares and serve.

Thanks Ree Drummond for sharing your world.

Molé Poblano

Mole poblano is the best known of all mole varieties and considered the "national dish" of Mexico. Mole Poblano originates from the Mexican state of Puebla and is known to contain about 20 or more ingredients.  Moles come in various flavors and ingredients, with chili peppers as the common factor. This sauce is most often served over turkey at weddings, birthdays and baptisms, or at Christmas, but mostly for the yearly celebration of the local churches in each community. 

So the story goes...

The legend takes place at the Convent of Santa Rosa in Puebla during colonial times.  The archbishop was scheduled to visit which sent the convent nuns into a frenzy since they were poor and had nothing to prepare. They prayed and gathered the little bits of what they did have, chili peppers, spices, day-old bread, nuts and more. They killed an old turkey, cooked it and put the sauce on top.  The archbishop loved it.  The rest is history.

The version I was taught is one that my husband's family uses which is a recipe handed down through generations.  Each cook puts their own spin on their sauce to make it their own.  However, I did not veer from the original recipe that was given to me. I hope you all try it and enjoy it as much as our family does.

8-10 pieces of turkey, chicken or pork, reserve stock
6 chiles Pasilla, dried
4 chiles Chipoltles, dried
1/4 c. sesame seeds
1/2 c. pumpkin seeds
8 Roma tomatoes
1/2 c. raisins
1/4 c. roasted almonds
1/2 c. dry roasted peanuts
1 ripe plantain 
3 T. corn or peanut oil

In a large pot, cover the turkey, chicken or pork with water, generously salt and boil meat until cooked through and tender.  Skim excess solids and reserve stock.  Remove meat and set aside.

While meat cooks, toast chiles in a dry skillet.  Once toasted, chiles will soften allowing you to remove stems, seeds and membranes.  This step is very important and will reduce the heat of the chiles.  In separate batches, toast pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds.  Finally, roast tomatoes until skins are charred.  Add chiles, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, tomatoes, raisins, almonds, peanuts and plantain and one to two cups of stock to blender and blend on high until smooth. 

**Note:  The type of blender you have will depend on how long it will take to completely puree ingredients to a smooth sauce.  I have a Vitamix which really helps with this recipe to create the consistency and texture needed.  No I am not selling Vitamix blenders but it was one of the best purchases I EVER made.  Additionally, you may need to thin out your mixture with stock and run it through a sieve to achieve a smooth sauce.

Add oil to a dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Stirring constantly, add mixture to pot and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Be careful as it will pop up if you leave unattended.  Add additional stock to mixture until it becomes a gravy consistency. Add in your meat and simmer for another 30-45 minutes.  Add additional salt, if necessary.  Serve with warm corn tortillas and Mexican rice.