Brazo Gitano Recipes

BRAZO GITANO DE GUAYABA (JELLY ROLL WITH GUAVA)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour a 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan.
• Break eggs into a small mixing bowl; beat with an electric mixer until thick and lemon-colored. Beat in sugar gradually. Add water, lime zest, and vanilla extract and blend well. Beat in flour gradually until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and loosen the edges with a sharp knife. Turn out immediately onto a tea towel sprinkled with powdered sugar.
• Cut guava paste into chunks and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in between, until spreadable. Be careful, it will get hot because of the high sugar content.
• Trim any stiff edges off of the cake and spread guava over. Roll up carefully in jelly roll fashion from the narrow end, using the towel to ease the cake over. Let cool in the towel on a wire rack for about 30 minutes.
• Remove the towel carefully and sprinkle additional powdered sugar over the top if desired. Slice to serve.

GYPSY ARM (BRAZO GITANO)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Beat eggs for 10 minutes.
• Add sugar and continue beating.
• Add water, baking powder and vanilla, keep beating.
• Gently fold flour into batter.
• Line a large cookie sheet (make sure not to use the largest size as cake will come out too thin) with foil and grease well.
• Pour batter evenly onto lined cookie sheet.
• Bake approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown and well done.
• While cake is baking, dampen two clean dish towels. Towels should be slightly larger than the cookie sheet.
• When cake is ready, lay one towel on counter and transfer cake with foil onto towel.
• Lay the second towel over the top of the cake and roll the cake length-wise forming a cylinder shape.
• After about a minute or two, unroll cake and flip cake with towels upside down to remove foil then flip cake over once more to fill.
• Spread filling of choice (e.g. vanilla/lemon/chocolate pudding or mousse) all over the cake taking care not to go completely to the edges.
• Once filled, gentle roll cake back into cylinder shape.
• Top either with confectioner's sugar or a Syrup Topping (see below). Serve chilled.
• Note : Syrup Topping - mix 1 part sugar to 2 parts water, pour over cake. Rum or whiskey or vermouth may be added for additional taste if desired.

BRAZO GITANO NAVIDEñO ( NIñO ENVUELTO )

Steps:

• Whisk egg whites with the salt until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
• Beat egg yolks with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the butter and half of the flour.
• Gently fold in half of the egg whites. Then fold in the remainder of the flour and last the rest of the egg whites.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit/ 240 degrees celsius.Grease and line a baking sheet with wax paper, then grease the wax paper again.
• Then spread batter evenly onto sheet. Bake for aprox. 7 minutes or until firm and pale but not golden.
• While it bakes get your filling ready and set a moist,clean towel on a clean flat surface, which should be big enough to cover the entire cake.
• Remove the cake from the oven and quickly invert it onto the towel, remove the paper and spread dulce de leche and top with marmalade on top and roll the cake. Wrap cake with the towel and refrigerate up to a day before or 3 hours minimum. Remove and decorate.