lunaticsinge.com - Brazilian Cuisine Desserts

Coconut Flan - (Makes 8 servings)

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons water

8 large eggs

1 (14 OZ.) can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup whole milk

1 (13.5 oz.) can coconut milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup grated fresh coconut (or frozen)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place a baking pan inside of a larger pan with tall sides (such as a roasting pan). Fill a kettle with water and boil on the stove.

2. Place the sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a heavy saucepan and heat over medium heat. Swirl sugar occasionally as it starts to melt, and cook until sugar turns caramel in color. Remove from heat and quickly pour caramel into the baking pan, turning pan to allow caramel to coat the sides and bottom of the pan.

3. Place the eggs, condensed milk, whole milk, coconut milk, vanilla, cornstarch, salt, and coconut in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Place both pans in the oven, then pour boiling water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking pan.

4. Bake flan in the water bath for 50 to 60 minutes, or until flan only jiggles slightly when you gently shake the pan.

5. Carefully remove from the oven, and let the flan cool in the water bath. Remove from water bath and refrigerate flan until ready o serve.

6. Use a knife to gently loosen edges of flan. Place a plate on top of the baking pan so that the flan slips out onto the plate, caramel side up. Drizzle any caramel sauce left in the pan over the flan and serve.

Bacon from Heaven - (Makes 6 servings)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/3 cup water

1 cup almond meal

3/4 cup butter

6 large eggs

1 teaspoon almond extract

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch cake pan.

2. Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low an simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir the almond meal and butter into the mixture until well mixed. Set aside to cool.

3. Separate the eggs. Place the egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer and beat until soft peaks form.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until pale and creamy. Add the almond extract and mix well. Add the cooled sugar/almond mixture to the egg yolks and mix well. Fold in the flour and the salt. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the mixture. Pour batter into prepared cake pan.

5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake springs back very lightly to the touch. Cool on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Loosen edges of cake with a knife, then place a large plate over the pan and invert cake to unmold. Dust cake generously with powdered sugar before serving.

Peanut Butter Cookies - (Makes 25)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raw shelled, skinned peanuts

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place the peanuts in a shallow layer on a baking sheet and toast them until light brown and fragrant. Remove from the oven and let cool. Place peanuts in a food processor and process until very finely ground.

2. Place the butter in the bowl of a standing mixer. Add the sugar and beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Add the egg and the vanilla and mix well.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the ground peanuts, flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix until just incorporated and mixture starts to come together as dough. If mixture is too dry and crumbly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out cookies in desired shapes and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Re-roll scraps and cut out more cookies.

5. Bake cookies until firm and light brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer cookies to a wire rack.

6. Dust cookies with powdered sugar before serving.

Chocolate Fudge Truffles - (Makes 16)

Ingredients:

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chocolate sprinkles

1. Place the condensed milk, cocoa powder, and salt in a heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly. Mixture should not boil. Cook until mixture thickens, turns shiny, and starts to come together and pull away from the sides of the pan (about 10 to 15 minutes).

2. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Set mixture aside until cool enough to handle.

3. With buttered hands, take some of the chocolate mixture and roll it between the palms of your hands to form a 1-inch ball. Repeat with remaining chocolate mixture.

4. Roll each candy in the chocolate sprinkle to coat. Place in individual fluted paper cups to serve. Store candies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Dulce de Leche - (Makes 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients:

4 cups milk

2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon corn syrup

1. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and cook stirring constantly, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until mixture is caramel brown and thick. Do not let mixture boil after the first 15 minutes or it will burn.

2. The caramel is done when you can scrape a spatula across the bottom of the pot and it takes several seconds for the mixture to close back over the track.

3. Remove from heat and let cool. Store caramel in an airtight container or glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Angel Chin - (Makes 12)

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 cup rum

1 teaspoon vanilla

12 egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

12 whole cloves.

1. Place the sugar, water, and cinnamon stick in a heavy sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until syrup thickens slightly, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool, remove cinnamon stick, and stir in the rum and vanilla.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the egg yolks, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a standing mixer. Beat mixture on a high speed until doubles in volume and very light and fluffy, about 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin. Divide the batter between the tins. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until puffed.

4. Remove pastries from the tin, place 1 clove in the center of each pastry, and submerge them in the syrup until ready to serve.

5. Serve pastries in a bowl with the syrup.