Have you heard about Season's Eatings?... this is the Event Katie organizes once a year (Xmas time) at her blog: Thyme for cooking. If you want to know about it, click here.
My package contained a good bunch of Star Anise, 2 natural vanilla sticks, a gelato recipe, a beautiful card and good Xmas wishes :D, all coming from sunny California, U.S.A. Simona from Briciole is the sender of the package and from here I send her a BIG THANK YOU!!!!! I will not be performing the gelato this time, but I will keep the recipe for the summer time ;D. You can get it here if you wish.Instead, I used Simona's fantastic spices to cook/bake Polvorones, Natillas and Crema Catalana... desserts that we will enjoy these Xmas days :D
Here you have polvorones or mantecados: simple steps to follow to get these sweeties over your table at Xmas time!Ingredients for 4 servings: 200 grs of flour, 200 grs of butter, 100 grs of icing sugar, some ground cinnamon a bit of anise (in liquid) and 6 star anise.
1.- Have a pot ready at low heat and place the butter there, add the star anise until the butter melts completely.
2.- Take away from heat, let cool down and when cold, place in the fridge. With the help of a fork mix the flour with the butter (discard the star anise), the icing sugar, a pinch of cinnamon and a bit of anise aroma (one teaspoon).
3.- When we have worked the dough and ingredients are well blended, form the balls and place in the fridge for one hour.
4.- Then crush the balls slightly on their top and bottom and insert in the oven for 15 minutes at 150ºC. Once cold, sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon and plenty of icing sugar.
Crema Catalana might make you think about Crème brûlée; they have some similarities, no doubt, but even though Crème brûlée sounds more chic... Crema Catalana won't deceive you :D. Here is your opportunity... go and try it!Here is what I did: The basic ingredients for Crema Catalana and Natillas are the same: Milk, sugar, cornstarch and yolks. The difference is in the quantity of cornstarch we add and the aroma we choose.
So, I took the basics: 1 liter of milk, 200 grs of sugar and 8 egg yolks and divided them in 2. Half the ingredients for the Crema and the other half for the Natillas.Next thing is: Crema C. needs 40 grs of cornstarch (since I used half the ingredients, I took 20 instead). Natillas need 20 grs of cornstarch (since I used half the ingredients, I took 10 grs instead).
The aroma chosen for the Crema was a lemon peel and a branch of cinnamon.
The aroma chosen for Natillas was star anise and vanilla. (6 stars and 1 vanilla stick).
1.- To prepare them: In a big bowl mix the egg yolks with the cornstarch and a shot of milk. Whip with a kitchen beater.2.- Heat the rest of the milk in a pot with the sugar and the aroma you chose. Have at medium heat and when it stars boiling, let cool down away from the heat.
3.- Once the milk has cooled down, add little by little into the eggs mixture and don't stop stirring. Strain it and pour in another clean pot. Have it at low/medium heat stirring all the time. 4.- When you see that it gets thicker stir more energetically and when it starts boiling take away from the heat and keep on stirring until it cools a bit.
5.- Place on earthenware small dishes and when cold place in the fridge. Just before serving, sprinkle generously with sugar on top and burn it with a blowtorch or any other kitchen tool you have for that purpose. There you are :D :D :D
And see what I have here to show you: Turrones... these ones are made out of chocolate and nuts... Mmmmmm I love them!!!! Still haven't learnt to make them, but I bet next year I will be ready to show you all their recipe :D. Turrones can be made out of nearly anything: egg yolk, dried fruits, almonds, any kind of nut, liquours, etc.
LET'S BE SWEET!!!!
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