Holiday Baking : Great Expectations

Come on--it’s the holidays. If you’re ever going to give in to the urge for more butter, more cream and more eggs, now is the time to do it.

We first encountered this wonderful creamy cake at a soda fountain in Tijuana’s Plaza Rio Tijuana. A three-month search for the recipe ended in Ensenada, where a locally published cookbook contained the formula. The book, “Recetario Facil y Practico” (Easy, Practical Recipe Book), is by Irasema Galvan de Navarro, who hosts a show called Club del Hogar (Home Club) on Radio Bahia, and the recipe is attributed to Dora de Bernal, who suggests covering the already rich cake with sweetened whipped cream. The following recipe is slightly changed from the original. Nestle Media Crema, a canned cream, is readily available below the border. Canned Nestle cream from Denmark and Nestle light cream from New Zealand are stocked in some Oriental markets. Whipping cream or creme fraiche can be substituted.

PASTEL DE LAS 3 LECHES (Cake Soaked in 3 Milks) 7 eggs, separated 1 cup sugar 1/2 pound butter, melted 1 cup sifted flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 (14-ounce) can condensed milk 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk 1 (225-gram) can Nestle Media Crema or 3/4 cup whipping cream or creme fraiche Raspberries Mint leaves

Beat egg yolks in mixing bowl until light and lemon-colored. Add sugar gradually, then add melted butter. Combine flour and baking powder and sift into yolk mixture.

In another bowl, beat egg whites until soft smooth peaks form. Fold evenly into yolk mixture.

Turn batter into ungreased 9-inch angel food cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes, or until cake tests done. Let cool slightly. Unmold onto platter with deep rim and pierce top all over with fork.

Blend condensed and evaporated milks with cream in blender. Before cake is completely cooled, bathe with half of milk mixture. Mixture will flow out onto platter. With brush, lift up and brush milk onto cake until most of mixture is absorbed. Refrigerate cake several hours or overnight to allow milk mixture to soak through. Pour additional milk mixture over cake just before serving, and pass rest to spoon on as desired. Garnish cake platter with raspberries and mint leaves. Makes 12 servings.

Note: For less rich dessert, combine 1 cup condensed milk, 1/2 cup evaporated milk and 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream and spoon over cake. Reserve remaining milk mixture for flan or other use. Or, for holiday party, prepare 2 cakes and soak with all of milk mixture.

Each serving contains about: 473 calories; 323 mg sodium; 205 mg cholesterol; 29 grams fat; 45 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams protein; 0.03 gram fiber.

This cake has an appealing tangy-sweet finish. It turned up in a book of menus and recipes from the 1992 Sonoma County Showcase & Wine Auction and was prepared by Bea Beasley for an American regional dinner hosted by Rodney Strong Vineyards.

AUNT LIL’S LEMONADE CAKE 4 cups powdered sugar 2 cups butter, at room temperature 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest 6 eggs 3 1/2 cups flour 1/4 teaspoon salt Lemonade Glaze

Sift powdered sugar. Cream butter at medium speed of mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Gradually add sugar and lemon zest and beat 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour and salt, add to butter mixture gradually and mix well. Turn into greased and floured 10-inch tube pan or bundt pan.

Bake at 350 degrees 50 to 60 minutes, or until wood pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack 5 minutes. Thoroughly pierce warm cake with thin bamboo skewer completely through to bottom of cake. Spoon Lemonade Glaze over cake until completely absorbed. Cool before cutting. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Each serving contains about: 656 calories; 395 mg sodium; 189 mg cholesterol; 34 grams fat; 84 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.12 gram fiber.

Lemonade Glaze 1 (6-ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed 1 cup powdered sugar Combine lemonade concentrate and powdered sugar and beat with wire whip until well blended.

At French weddings, Croquembouche is the centerpiece of the dessert table--and it would work just as dramatically at Christmas. Croquembouche (translated as “crunch in the mouth”) is a towering cone of small puffs held together with a golden caramel syrup.

Since the puffs lose their crispness, they should be stored in an airtight container and filled no more than one to two hours before serving. Or prepare a day ahead and re-crisp in a 350-degree oven for about 7 minutes before filling. For the filling use vanilla or chocolate cream, or even plain sweetened whipped cream and, if you like, insert chocolate-coated hazelnuts.

CROQUEMBOUCHE 1 cup roasted and skinned hazelnuts 3 to 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted Choux Puffs Vanilla or Chocolate Pastry Cream or 2 cups sweetened whipped cream 2 cups sugar 1/2 cup water 1 1/2 tablespoons corn syrup Candied Orange Zest, optional

Dip each hazelnut in melted chocolate and place on foil-lined tray. Chill quickly just until set. Fill each Choux Puff with pastry cream. Insert chocolate-covered nut into cream filling. Close up puffs.

Stir sugar, water and corn syrup in heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Place over high heat and bring to boil without stirring. Cover pan to dissolve sugar crystals. Uncover pan and heat over medium-low heat until syrup is smooth and light-golden in color.

Dip portion of filled cream puffs, 1 at time, into hot caramel syrup, placing them in shrinking circular layers to form cone on serving plate. (Reheat syrup slowly if it starts to harden.) Reheat any remaining syrup, if desired, and allow to drip over croquembouche. Garnish around with Candied Orange Zest. Serve by pulling apart with 2 forks. Makes about 60 puffs, or 10 servings.

Each serving contains about: 708 calories; 168 mg sodium; 384 mg cholesterol; 42 grams fat; 78 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams protein; 0.48 grams fiber.

Choux Puffs 1 1/2 cups flour 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut up 1 1/4 cups water 1/4 cup milk 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar 6 to 8 large eggs, at room temperature 1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Sift flour and set aside.

Combine butter, water, milk, salt and sugar in heavy-bottomed large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to boil and quickly remove from heat (prolonged boiling evaporates water and changes proportion of dough).

Add flour and beat vigorously with wooden spoon, scraping sides of pan, until stiff paste forms. Return to low heat and stir vigorously about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add eggs, 1 at time, beating vigorously (by hand or with electric mixer) after each addition. (Add only as much egg as needed to make choux dough shiny and loose enough to fall easily from spoon.)

Place dough in pastry bag with 1/2-inch opening (or fitted with plain 1/2-inch tip). Hold tip close to lightly greased baking sheet and squeeze dough onto baking sheets, making mounds about 1 inch in diameter and 1/2 inch high. Space mounds 2 inches apart. With moistened finger, press down small point left when pastry bag is lifted. Brush tops with beaten egg-water mixture.

Bake at 400 degrees 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and puffed. Remove from oven and pierce each puff with sharp knife to release steam so puffs are not soggy. Return to oven 5 to 10 minutes. Cool puffs on rack. Makes about 60.

Vanilla Pastry Cream 1 cup milk 1/2 cup flour 6 egg yolks 3/4 cup whipping cream 1/2 cup sugar 3 to 4 tablespoons butter 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla Beat together 1/2 cup milk, flour and egg yolks until very smooth.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup milk, whipping cream and sugar in medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat. Stir small amount hot mixture into egg yolk mixture then stir back into pan. Stir over low heat until thickened. Place mixture in food processor and process until smooth. Add butter, 1 tablespoon at time, and continue to process. Add vanilla. Cool. Cover and chill several hours. Return to food processor to blend if necessary.

Variation: Chocolate Pastry Cream:

After adding vanilla to pastry cream in food processor, add 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted, and 2 tablespoons Frangelico liqueur. Process until smooth.

Candied Orange Zest Zest of 1 large orange 1/4 cup water 1/2 cup sugar

Cut zest in long thin strips. Boil water and sugar in saucepan. Add zest and boil gently over low heat until thick and syrupy.

In addition to condensed, evaporated and whole milk, there are egg yolks and whipping cream in this decidedly rich flan.

THE ULTIMATE FLAN 1/2 cup sugar 6 egg yolks 1 (14-ounce) can condensed milk 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk 1/2 cup whipping cream 1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla or grated lime zest

Place sugar in heavy skillet over medium heat. When sugar on bottom starts to melt, gently stir with wooden spoon to allow sugar on top to flow into bottom of pan. Heat until completely caramelized but do not allow to get too dark or it will turn bitter. Pour into 9x5-inch loaf pan or other 2-quart baking mold, tilting pan to coat bottom and part of sides.

Whisk egg yolks in medium bowl. Pour in condensed milk, evaporated milk, whipping cream, milk and vanilla. Whisk until smooth but not bubbly. Pour into prepared pan and cover with foil. Place pan in slightly larger pan and add hot water to come about halfway up sides of flan pan.

Bake at 350 degrees 60 to 70 minutes, or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on rack before unmolding. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Note: For more caramel syrup, increase amount of sugar to 3/4 cup. Recipe may be easily doubled and baked in 4 smaller-sized molds, if desired.

Each serving contains about: 371 calories; 128 mg sodium; 255 mg cholesterol; 18 grams fat; 45 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams protein; 0 fiber.

This extravagantly rich tart is so good it will vanish in a flash. At least that’s what happened the last time we served it. The recipe comes from the Bonaventure Hotel.

MACADAMIA NUT TART 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/4 cups whipping cream 1/2 cup dark corn syrup 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 1/2 cups unsalted macadamia nuts, lightly toasted 1 (9-inch) Tart Shell Chocolate Glaze

Combine sugar, whipping cream, corn syrup and butter in heavy saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally with wooden spoon. Boil until mixture thickens and turns golden brown, about 240 degrees on candy thermometer.

Remove from heat and cool, stirring occasionally. When cool, stir in nuts. Gently push filling into prepared Tart Shell, being careful not to crack shell. Chill. Using large spoon, drizzle Chocolate Glaze back and forth across chilled tart. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about: 644 calories; 72 mg sodium; 111 mg cholesterol; 49 grams fat; 53 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0.61 grams fiber.

Tart Shell 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons flour 1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar Dash salt 1 egg, beaten

Blend flour, butter, sugar and salt together in bowl until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg and mix until dough begins to come together. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill thoroughly.

On lightly floured surface, roll pastry out 1/4-inch thick. Fit into 9-inch tart pan. (Pastry is delicate. If it cracks, press together in pan.) Place layer of beans or pastry weights on sheet of foil in pastry shell.

Bake at 400 degrees 8 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove beans or pastry weights and bake 5 minutes longer, until lightly browned. Cool before filling.

Chocolate Glaze 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate 2 tablespoons whipping cream 1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup

Chop chocolate into small pieces. Bring whipping cream to boil in small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until no lumps are visible. Stir in corn syrup until blended.

Cool until thickened slightly but still fluid enough to pour.