Mexican Churros with Chocolate Chili Dipping Sauce

May 2, 2018

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with churros – a traditional Mexican deep-fried pastry treat. Serve with a chocolate chili dipping sauce.

Makes: 14 churros

Ingredients

For the churros:

• 4 cups vegetable or canola oil for frying
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup salted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Chocolate Chili Sauce:

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet or deep fryer to between 350°F and 375°F.
2. Add water, butter, vanilla, and salt to a large saucepan. Heat until the butter is completely melted and mixture is just simmering. Remove from heat and stir in the flour.
3. Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing until the eggs are fully incorporated into dough.
4. Transfer the dough to a large pastry bag fitted with a large star-shaped tip.
5. Working in batches, pipe the dough directly into the hot oil using scissors to trim to the desired length.
6. Cook until dough puffs and turns golden brown; about 2-4 minutes. If using a large skillet, turn churros halfway through cooking time so they cook evenly.
7. Remove churros from skillet and place on a paper towel-lined plate.
8. Add sugar and cinnamon to a large sealable plastic bag. Put one or two churros in the bag and gently shake until churros are coated in sugar and cinnamon mixture.

For the chocolate chili dipping sauce

1. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler. You can also melt chocolate in the microwave. Cut chocolate into small chunks, place in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on medium high for about 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir. If the chocolate has melted completely, repeat heating at shorter intervals, 15 to 20 seconds, stirring in between, until the chocolate is completely melted and has a smooth consistency.
2. Add cayenne pepper, chili powder, cocoa, and sugar. Stir until smooth.
3. Add cream and salt.
4. Serve with churros.

Palanqueta – a sweet Mexican candy

May 2, 2018

Palanqueta is a traditional Mexican candy treat made of roasted peanuts, caramelized sugar, a variety of seeds, with a touch of salt. It’s Mexico’s version of peanut brittle – sweet, crunchy, and delicious!

Makes about 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup raw hulled pumpkin seeds, roasted
• 1/3 cup of toasted sesame seeds (or amaranth seeds)
• 2 cups dry roasted salted or lightly salted peanuts
• 1-2 tablespoons black raisins, optional

Directions:

1. Spray a 9″x13″ baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a saucepan, melt the sugar over low heat until it turns golden.
3. Remove from heat and add butter, seeds, peanuts, and raisins
4. Mix well and pour mixture onto greased baking dish.
5. Spread and press the mixture down firmly to compact the ingredients together.
6. Let cool completely; about 2 hours. Cut into rectangles or circles.

Lemon Chia Pancakes with Glaze

May 1, 2018

Lemony, light, fluffy pancakes with the goodness of chia seeds. Chia Seeds are a great way to add fiber, omega-3 fats, protein, vitamins and minerals to any recipe. Apart from their health benefits, chia seeds are a great replacement for eggs in many recipes as they act as a binder.

Makes: 10-12 pancakes

Ingredients

For the pancakes
2 tablespoons chia seeds
¼ cup water
1½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 banana, mashed
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups milk (or almond milk)

For the Glaze
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Ingredients

1. Mix together chia seeds and water in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Combine dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together banana, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, milk, and the chia seed mixture.
4. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Don’t overmix.
5. Warm a skillet over medium heat. Grease with oil or cooking spray.
6. Pour ¼ cup of batter per pancake onto the hot skillet. Flip pancakes over when the edges are brown and the middle of the pancake has bubbles; about 3 minutes per side.
7. To make the lemon glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon juice. If mixture is too thick, slowly add up to another tablespoon of lemon juice until desired consistency is reached. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of pancakes. ENJOY!