Marquesa Recipes

VENEZUELAN CHOCOLATE MARQUESA

Steps:

• Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat butter and salt until creamy on medium-high speed, about 10 - 15 minutes. NOTE: Beating the butter for a long time is the secret for the cream to does not taste buttery.
• Add the condensed milk slowly; mix until well incorporated, 2 minutes. Then add the powdered sugar; continue mixing until incorporated and creamy, about 2 - 3 minutes. And then add the chocolate powder and mix until you have a homogeneous and fluffy mixture, about 2 more minutes. Finally, add 2 tablespoons of milk and vanilla extract; mix to incorporate. NOTE: If your cream is too stiff, add 1 - 2 more tablespoons of milk.
• Line a 9-Inch nonstick springform pan with parchment paper.
• Spread evenly 1 /4 of the chocolate cream on the bottom of the mold.
• Place the remaining milk in a bowl. Dip the Maria cookies (2 at the time) in the milk for 2-3 sec. NOTE: This is just a quick dip; don't over soak the cookies, or the cake will not have a good texture.
• Place a layer of cookies on top of the chocolate cream. Continue alternating cream and cookies until you finish all the cookies. It will be about 4 layers. Finish with cream on top.
• Cover the mold with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
• When ready to serve, loosen the Marquesa from the pan's sides by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Unmold and transfer to a cake plate.
• If desired, decorate the Marquesa. Take a handful of crushed almonds and carefully press them around the cake, then drizzle with melted chocolate.
• Serve. NOTE: I recommend leaving the Marquesa a room temperature for 5 -10 minutes before serving so the cream soften a little.

CHICKEN MARBELLA, UPDATED

Steps:

• Combine the olive oil, vinegar, prunes, olives, capers, bay leaves, garlic, oregano, 2 tablespoons salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken to the marinade. (You can also place the chicken and marinade in a 2-gallon plastic storage bag and squeeze out the air to make sure the chicken is fully covered with the marinade.) Refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally to be sure the marinade is getting into all of the chicken pieces.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the chicken, skin side up, along with the marinade in one layer in a large (15-by-18-inch) roasting pan, sprinkle with the brown sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper, and pour the wine around (not over!) the chicken. Roast for 45 to 55 minutes, until the internal temperature of the chicken is 145 degrees F. Remove the pan from the oven, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Transfer the chicken, prunes, and olives to a serving platter, sprinkle with salt, and serve hot with the pan juices.

CHICKEN MARSALA

Steps:

• Put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them; pound with a flat meat mallet, until they are about 1/4-inch thick. Put some flour in a shallow platter and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly.
• Heat the oil over medium-high flame in a large skillet. When the oil is nice and hot, dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Slip the cutlets into the pan and fry for 5 minutes on each side until golden, turning once - do this in batches if the pieces don't fit comfortably in the pan. Remove the chicken to a large platter in a single layer to keep warm.
• Lower the heat to medium and add the prosciutto to the drippings in the pan, saute for 1 minute to render out some of the fat. Now, add the mushrooms and saute until they are nicely browned and their moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Pour the Marsala in the pan and boil down for a few seconds to cook out the alcohol. Add the chicken stock and simmer for a minute to reduce the sauce slightly. Stir in the butter and return the chicken to the pan; simmer gently for 1 minute to heat the chicken through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

MARQUESITAS RECIPE - (4/5)

Steps:

• Add all of the batter ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth. Set aside and let rest for 10 minutes, or cover and refrigerate up to 12 hours. Stir before using. Heat a 10" crepe pan or flat bottomed non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, pour about 1/4 cup of batter and spread out in a circular shape to cover the entire pan. You want to create a very thin layer. Once the bottom begins to become toasted and golden, loosen the edges with a spatula and flip to toast the other side. Continue to flip another 2 times until the batter starts to crisp. Add desired filling - chocolate hazelnut spread and Edam cheese are traditional to the Yucatán Peninsula. Roll up into a big and wide roll. As soon as, you remove it from the heat it will begin to crisp up like a wafer cone. Enjoy!

MARQUESA

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients together, except crushed Oreo cookies, with an electric mixer on medium speed.
• After thoroughly mixing ingredients add crushed cookies and stir into batter with spoon until well mixed.
• Pour into pie crust.
• Bake at 350°F until center is almost set or 40 to 45 minutes.
• Cool and refrigerate.