Postre de las tres leches, coconut style.

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The tres leches cake is very popular in Latin America. It’s classically soaked in tres leches (3 milks) : condensed milk, evaporated milk and cream. I had never eaten any. That was this month’s challenge :

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Blog-checking lines: Inma of la Galletika was our Sept. 2013 Daring Bakers’ hostess and WOW did she bring us something decadent and delicious! Pastel de Tres Leches or Three Milk Cake, creamy yet airy, super moist but not soggy.. just plain delish!

I made 3, this one PLUS :

DSC09042-001matcha tres leches (coming soon)

DSC09607-001 Momo mitsu-nyu, a plant based tres leches with peach (coming soon)

I’ve put the classic recipe at the end. I drifted away, using a second coconut version.

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My biscuit is flavored with lots of vanilla powder.
For soaking : condensed milk + coconut milk + coconut cream + rum.

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I garnished with orange, litchi and whipped coconut cream, unsweetened.

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Fruits are between the 2 layers of biscuit and around. Then dry coconut and sweet cinnamon :

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Sponge cake for Classic Three Milks Cake:
Source : Daring Baker

Servings: 12

Ingredients for the vanilla sponge cake
5 large eggs (separated)
½ cup (120 ml) (4 oz) (125 gm) sugar
2 teaspoons (10 ml) of vanilla extract
1 cup (240 ml) (5 oz) (140gm) all-purpose (plain) flour (sifted)

-Preheat oven to moderate 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Prepare a square 9”x9” (23cmx23 cm) pan or 9” (23 cm) round cake pan
Separate the egg whites from the yolks.
-Beat the egg whites on medium speed, 3 – 5 minutes.
When soft peaks form slowly add the sugar in small batches.
Whip until stiff peaks form about 5 minutes. Set aside.
-In a medium bowl beat egg yolks at medium-high speed for about 5 to 6 minutes, or until the egg yolks become pale colored, creamy and puffy. Stir in vanilla.
-Pour the egg yolks over the egg whites, gently fold until just combined trying not to lose any volume from the mixture.
Fold in the flour little by little in the form of rain. Mix until just combined (over-beating will result in a denser, flatter cake).
-Pour the batter into the prepared 9”x9” (23cmx23 cm) square cake pan or 9” (23 cm) round cake pan.
Bake in the preheated moderate oven for 25 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool.
-Once cool, split the cake in half, flip the top of the cake and place it on a base. Poke using a fork holes all over the cake to better absorb the three milk soaking liquid.

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Classic Three Milks Cake:
Source : Daring Baker
For three milks syrup
1 can (14 oz) (400 gm) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (12 oz) (340 gm) evaporated milk
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream (about 35% fat) or 1 cup of half & half or 1 cup milk
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons (10 ml) rum (or other flavoring)

Topping and filling
2 cups (500 ml) of whipping cream (about 30% fat)
½ cup (120 ml) (4 oz) (125 gm) sugar
Canned or fresh fruit (to fill and decorate the cake)

-Three milks syrup
In a saucepan add the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream and cinnamon stick, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and continue boiling for 5 minutes. Remove it and let it cool.
Once it is cool, add the rum or any other flavoring you are using
Gradually brush all the milk soaking liquid into all sides of the cake (including the cut surfaces) until all absorbed. Best to rest the cake in the fridge overnight to complete the soaking process.
-Topping
Whip the cream, when soft peaks form add the sugar little by little, continue whipping until stiff peaks form about 2 mins. Layer some whipped cream on the bottom layer and cover with canned or fresh fruit and decorate the top layer with whipped cream and the fresh or canned fruit.

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A la recherche du baba de Stohrer…

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Maybe it looked like that…
I am not an historian, just playing the costumed dessert game. And I have really love this retro version that I made not very sweet. It’s much lighter and fresher than the average baba.

For recipes to bake the baba/kouglof : click here.

The oldest pastry shop in Paris

In the year of grace 1725, Louis XV married Marie Leszczynska,
daughter of King Stanislas of Poland.His pastry chef Stohrer follows her in Versailles.

Five years later, in 1730, NICOLAS STOHRER opened his bakery
at 51 rue Montorgueil in the second arrondissement of Paris.

In its kitchen, where desserts were invented for the Great Court,king’s delights are still prepared.

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Thanks to a dry Polish brioche, the King Stanislas had brought back from a trip, Nicolas STOHRER invented the BABA.

Un baba. Un kouglof.

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The inside. It’s good fresh, but yes very soon, it’s stale.

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He enhanced the dry brioche by basting Malaga wine, flavored by saffron

The amber syrup : white wine, brown sugar, orange peel and saffron. A little Brandy to punch it up.

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Did they serve crème anglaise (vanilla custard) as a side ? That was very popular. And the orange, if they could afford the precious exotic fruit.

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Dekopon, the citrus with a nose

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デコポン dekopon is a fruit I am enjoying these days. deko is means something that pops out, that is convex. The reason is obvious.

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It has that pear shape… or like a snout at the point where the stalk is attached. The size is like a big orange.

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It can be opened by hand, the rind is thick, the inner skin is thick too, like a pomelo. Inside the fruit is perfectly round, the “nose” is empty.
Taste is between pomelo and mikan (mandarin orange), on the sour side. It has a nice flavor.

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Did you know citrus trees had spears ? Apparently not all of them, so I had not noticed so far.

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Carotene lunch

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Baked paprika, carotene powered.
I am not sure the body tells what it needs, but I wanted to eat this yellow orange color. I like thinking these food bring a lot of antioxidant β-carotene that I need now. Even if I’m wrong, I’ve eaten something good.

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A yellow paprika and carrot *okara*. I made carrot juice, they are the grounds.

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The filling is azuki beans, new onion, the carrot *okara*, turmeric, garlic, chili pepper, salt.

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Baked. I’ve put a drizzle of olive oil on top. That favors vitamin absorption.

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Today’s salad : chrysanthemum, young onion (salted, let 20 minutes, rinsed), parsley and ninniku no me (garlic stalks).

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Dessert : citrus flavored torta di riso (see here).

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A nice little three course meal, ready in few minute. The dessert was made a few days ago.

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Three Asian flavors for Italian Easter rice pies

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The bunny and the bells wish you a Merry Easter, even you don’t believe in chocolate eggs.
Well, that’s a personal version of the Italian Easter pies filled with rice and ricotta. This one is simplified and plant-based.

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I’ve added flavoring to cooked rice, let it overnight to soak the liquid.

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That’s the Asian touch. Lots of zests of yuzu, mikan (mandarin orange) and kumquat, and some juice. I also mixed it a good amount of firm tofu, after squeezing water out of it and crumbling it. Then some coconut yogurt.

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Filled pies (the crust is simply flour, olive oil, water sugar, yuzu zest).

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Decorate them. That doesn’t cost more and that’s so much prettier.

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Bake about one hour at moderate heat.

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Let them cool. Ideally wait till the next day so the flavors have the time to develop fully.

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Yummm… I love Easter sweets.

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