Ingredients:

• 1 – 250 Gram Package Polvorones Orange Flavored Cookies (Graham Cracker Cookies may be substituted)
• 6 to 8 Tablespoons (about 1 Stick) Unsalted Butter
• 3 – 8 Ounce Packages Cream Cheese, at room temperature
• 2 Cups Sour Cream
• 1/3 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
• 1/3 Cup Tequila
• 1/3 Cup + 1 to 2 Tablespoons Grand Marnier
• 1 + 1/4 Cups White Sugar
• 1 to 2 Teaspoons Lime Zest
• 4 Eggs
• Lime Slices, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

One (250 gram) package of Polvorones cookies makes about 2 & 1/2 cups of cookie crumbs.

Crush the cookies with a rolling pin or use a food processor to break them up into crumbs.

Place the cookie crumbs in a medium bowl.

Melt the butter. (If using Polvorones, you’ll probably only need about 6 tablespoons of butter. If you decide to use graham crackers, you’ll likely use a whole stick of butter.)

Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the cookie crumbs and mix until well blended. In a 9-inch springform pan with 2 & 3/4-inch high sides, press the cookie crumb mixture onto the bottom and 1 inch up the sides.

Refrigerate the crust while preparing the cream cheese filling.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until fluffy.

Measure out 1 cup sour cream and pour into the bowl with the whipped cream cheese.

Add 1/3 cup of the freshly squeezed lime juice.

Add the 1/3 cup tequila.

Measure out 1/3 cup Grand Marnier and add it to the other ingredients.

Measure out 1 cup of sugar and add it.

Add the lime zest.

Beat the ingredients until well blended.

Add one egg and beat until just blended.

Repeat, adding one egg at a time and beating until just blended after each addition.

Remove the chilled cookie crust from the fridge and pour the cream cheese filling into it.

Bake the margarita cheesecake until its center is softly set, about 50 minutes.

While the cheesecake is baking, prepare the topping.

Measure out the other 1 cup of sour cream.

Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar.

Pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons of lime juice.

Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier.

Mix the topping ingredients until well blended and set aside.

When the cheesecake is done, remove from the oven, but maintain the oven temperature. Pour the topping over the cheesecake and smooth the surface using a spatula.

Bake the cheesecake about 5 minutes longer. Remove it from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.

When ready to serve, run a knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the cheesecake. Garnish with lime slices, as desired.

Remove pan sides. Slice the margarita cheesecake to make 10 to 12 servings.

Enjoy!

Recipe Posted by Lindsay

Crepe Ingredients:

• 3/4 Cup Milk
• 1/2 Cup Water
• 2 Eggs
• 3 Tablespoons Melted Butter
• 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1 Cup Flour
• 2 & 1/2 Tablespoons White Sugar
• Additional Butter, for cooking crepes

Caramel (Cajeta) Sauce Ingredients:

• 370 Grams Cajeta Syrup (Mexican caramel syrup made from goat’s milk)
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 1 Tablespoon Brandy, optional
• Whipped Cream, optional
• Chopped Pecans, optional

Directions:

Add all of the crepe ingredients (except for the additional butter to coat the pan while cooking) to a blender and mix until smooth, about 15 to 20 seconds. Pour into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate 1 hour.

While the batter is chilling, make the caramel sauce. For the cajeta syrup, I recommend using Coronado “Vainilla” Cajeta.

Pour the thick cajeta syrup into a small saucepan set over medium-low heat.

Add the milk and brandy while stirring continually. When the sauce begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer about 5 to 10 minutes.

Turn off the stove, but keep the sauce warm.

Note: When serving the crepes, you may choose to garnish them with chopped pecans and/or whipped cream. Since these crepes are pretty rich, I prefer to top them off with homemade whipped cream. (If you’d like to make whipped cream, use a hand mixer and beat together 1 pint whipping cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and white sugar to taste. Beat the cream on high until it forms stiff peaks. Cover and chill until ready to serve the crepes.)

When the crepe batter has chilled an hour, butter a crepe or omelet pan set over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add about 1/8 cup of the batter to the hot pan and swirl to spread evenly.

Cook about 30 seconds.

Flip the crepe and cook another 20 seconds or so.

Remove the crepe from the pan and lay flat on a plate to cool. Add butter to the hot pan and repeat the steps with the remaining batter. (You should make about 18 crepes.)

When ready to serve, spread out a spoonful of warm caramel sauce over the surface of a crepe on a dessert plate.

Fold the crepe in half.

Fold it in half again, forming a triangle.

Repeat the process with two other crepes, grouping them together on the plate. Pour another spoonful or two of caramel sauce over the three crepes.

Garnish with whipped cream and/or chopped pecans, as desired. Repeat the steps for the number of servings you need.

You can refrigerate any remaining crepes and caramel sauce separately and reheat before serving.

Recipe Posted by Lindsay

Ingredients:

• 1 Box grape flavored jello
• 1 Box strawberry flavored jello
• 1 Box lemon flavored jello
• 1 box pineapple flavored jello
• 1 Can condensed milk
• 3 cups of water
• 4 Envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 1/2 Cup cold water
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Prepare the jello one by one with 2 cups of water less than what the package calls for.

Pour the mixture into a square or rectangular mold and let stand until firm.

Cut the jello in cubes and set aside.

Pour the condensed milk into a small sauce pan and set over medium low heat. Remove when the milk is hot.

Combine the vanilla with the cold water in a small bowl. Add the unflavored gelatin and mix until dissolved.

Place it in the refrigerator until well-chilled.

Combine the flavored jello in cubes in a large mold or multiple small ones.

Add the vanilla gelatin from the condensed milk.

Refrigerate until well set.

Recipe Posted by Magdiel.

Ingredients:

• 3 Eggs
• 1 Cup fine sugar
• 1/4 Tablespoon salt, to taste
• 1/3 Cup cornstarch
• 2 Cups of water
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1/3 Cup lime juice
• 1 Tablespoon grated lime peel
• Green food color
• 1 Baked 9-inch pie shell

Directions:

To start beat first the egg yolks and set them aside.

Then Combine the sugar, salt and cornstrach in a saucepan. Add some of the water, stir well and bring to a boil stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add a quarter of the mixture to the egg yolks and stir to prevent the eggs from cooking. Return to hot the mixture and add some butter and lime juice stirring it well. Return the saucepan to stove and boil for 2 minutes. Remove it from heat and now add the peel and food coloring. Pour into pie shell. Put the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in a medium bowl and beat until get s foamy.  Include to the mixture the 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until the sugar dissolves and merengue is stiff. Cover pie filling with merengue, spreading it to the crush. Bake at 350 degrees for only 12 minutes or til is brown. Cool and serve.

Recipe posted by Lindsay

If there is something that Mexicans look for to eat at the time for breakfast or dinner is a delicious piece of sweet bread. In Mexico, bread come right after tortillas as the second most eaten food in the country. Now, we are not talking about bread that is sold in plastic bags at the supermarkets, we are talking about traditional and authentic Mexican bread. The list of styles, forms, flavors and names is quite long, but some of the most recognized names are: conchas, bigotes, chilindrinas, elotitos, limas, ojo de buey, polvoron, pata de mula, tostada, picon, mantecado and many many more.

They are baked on places called “Panaderias” bakeries where you go, take a bread platter and tongs and pick your favorite breads. The prices may vary from one place to another, but generally for a piece of bread you would pay around 30 to 60 cents (USD) a piece.

Families have the custom to get bread in the morning, when many of the bakeries make early morning fresh and warm bread, and they keep it for the day, maybe to have a dessert after lunch or dinner along with a cup of hot chocolate, champurrado or just plain milk.

Bread is also featured as part of special festivities and in some cases, flavors and shapes are unique of certain towns. There is one called Rosca de Reyes that is baked throughtout the country only around January 6, as part of the tradition of the arrival of the Three Wise Men, but we’ll talk about it later.

Posted by Magdiel

Mango Bread (CC photo by Island Safari)

I have to admit that there are 2 things that I love to eat, one of them is bread and the other is everything that has a mango flavor, so you can imagine my reaction when I have both of them combined in the same food. When I saw this recipe I said to myself, “Mac, you have to share this recipe with the friends that read Mexico Food and More”.  And thanks that we have access to plenty of mangos here in Mexico during the spring season (and I’m sure in many parts of the world), why don’t you give it a try to this delicious bread recipe? ready? Here we go!

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups all purpose flour
• 1 Cups sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• 2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 Eggs, slightly beaten
• 3/4 Cup vegetable oil (not olive oil)
• 2 Cups finely chopped mango
• 1/2 Cup chopped pecan nuts or walnuts
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 Cup raisins (optional)

Directions:

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, ground cinnamon and the 3 eggs in a large bowl. Make a well in centre of dry ingredients, combine the eggs and oil, stirring until just moistened. Stir in chopped mango, pecan nuts and lime juice. Add raisins if you want. Spoon batter into 2 greased/floured loaf pans, preferably medium size. Bake at 375 °F (medium-hot oven) for approximately 45 minutes to an hour or until a knife inserted in the bread comes out clean. Cool loaves in pans on wire racks for about 10 minutes. Remove the loaves from the pans and let them cool completely on the wire racks.

I would personally suggest that if you like milk, serve some in a glass and enjoy every bite of this mango bread.

Posted by Magdiel

Flan (CC photo by Daffodilious courtesy of Flickr)

In Mexican Cuisine, flan is expertly crafted and comes in all kinds of varieties. Flan Napolitano is a sweet custard made from eggs, milk, cream cheese, and sugar, soaked in a delicious caramel sauce. The word “flan” in Spanish rhymes with “dawn”, although many English speakers would say it rhymes with “man”. But no matter how you pronounce it, it’ll always delight your palate. Although there are many ways to prepare this Traditional Mexican Dessert, no doubt you’ll be enchanted by the following recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cups sugar
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 2 Cans condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cans evaporated milk
• 2 Cups cream cheese
• 3 Eggs
• 2 Egg yolks
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• A pinch of salt

Directions:

For the caramel: Combine 1 cup sugar with the 2 tablespoons of water in a saucepan and place over medium-high heat. When the sugar begins to melt, swirl the pan over the heat about 10 minutes, watching for it to darken to a honey-amber color. Remove from heat and immediately pour into a flan mold, tilting it so the caramel coats up the sides and the bottom evenly. Place the mold in a large roasting pan and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring a kettle full of water to a boil and keep it hot. You’ll use this for a water bath.

Thoroughly combine the condensed milk, evaporated milk, cream cheese, and vanilla in a saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Add the cinnamon stick. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, but don’t allow it to come to a full boil. Remove from heat.

Cream together the eggs, yolks, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl. Add a pinch of salt. Whisk vigorously until thick and pale yellow in color. Remove the cinnamon stick from the hot cream mixture. Gradually whisk the cream into the egg mixture, but be careful not to add it too quickly as the eggs will cook. Pour the custard into the caramel-coated flan mold.

Carefully pour the hot water from the kettle into the roasting pan so that it’s about halfway up the mold’s side. Transfer to the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes, though it may take longer depending on the oven. If you notice during this time that the surface is starting to turn golden-brown but it’s not fully cooked yet, cover it with foil so it doesn’t burn. You may also periodically insert a knife in the center of the flan to check it’s consistency. If the knife come out clean, it’s done. When the custard is just set and slightly jiggles, it’s time to take it out.

Let it cool in the water bath. Refrigerate fo a minimum of 4 hours.

To serve, run a knife around the inside of the mold to loosen the flan. Place a serving plate over the mold and invert it to pop the flan out.

Posted by Lindsay