Opereta Mexicana Recipes

MEXICAN PALETAS RECIPE

Steps:

• Blend: Choose the fruit you want to use, then divide it in half. Finely chop half of the fruit and set it aside. Put the remaining fruit in a blender, along with the sugar and lime juice. Blender until smooth, adding a splash of water as needed to get things moving.
• Mold: Stir chopped fruit into blended mixture. Pour into molds, leaving a little space at the top for them to expand. Firmly tap the mold on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Insert sticks and freeze until hard (at least 4 hours).
• Serve: Run the mold under warm water for a few seconds to loosen them up, then remove from the mold.

OPERETA MEXICANA

Steps:

• TO MAKE THE ALMOND CAKES, preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets and line with parchment paper. Heavily butter the paper and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
• Whisk together the almond flour, 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar, the cake flour, and the baking powder in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the water, oil, and egg yolks. Beat the egg whites with a mixer on high speed until starting to thicken but not yet forming soft peaks, gradually add the remaining 1 cup sugar, and continue to beat until medium peaks form.
• Add the flour mixture to the yolk mixture and blend well. Fold in the egg whites. Spread on the prepared baking sheets as evenly as possible with an offset spatula and bake until they spring back to the touch, 8 to 12 minutes. Let cool.
• Loosen the edges of one of the cakes with a paring knife. Place a piece of parchment or wax paper on top and carefully but rapidly flip over. Peel the parchment paper away carefully and flip over again. Repeat with the second cake.
• TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE CAKE, preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and line with parchment paper. Heavily butter the paper and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
• Whisk together the flour and cocoa powder in a bowl and then sift. Combine the eggs and granulated sugar in a metal bowl and set over a pot of simmering water (the water shouldn't touch the bowl); whisk until warm to the touch, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and continue beating (a stand mixer works best for this) until tripled in volume and a ribbon forms when you lift the beaters, 5 to 8 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter and vanilla and keep warm.
• Place the bowl with the egg mixture on a kitchen towel to prevent it from sliding and add the cocoa mixture in thirds, alternating with the butter mixture, folding with a whisk or spatula until just combined. Spread on the prepared baking sheet as evenly as possible with an offset spatula and bake until it springs back to the touch, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool.
• Loosen the edges of the cake with a paring knife. Place a piece of parchment or wax paper on top and carefully but rapidly flip over. Peel the parchment paper away carefully and flip over again. If you are making the opereta ahead of time, put each layer of cake between two pieces of parchment paper. You can stack them on top of one another, but keep the layers on a tray so they are flat. Wrap well in plastic wrap.
• TO MAKE THE CRUNCHY LAYER, open the Nutella jar, remove the aluminum cover, and close it again but not too tightly. Fill a small pot halfway with water and bring to a simmer over low heat. Place the jar in the water and heat until melted. Pour the Nutella into a measuring cup to reach 3 cups. Put the Nutella in a bowl, add the rice cereal, and stir until well combined. Lightly grease the back of a baking sheet and line with parchment paper. Pour the Nutella-covered cereal in the center, put another piece of parchment paper on top, and spread evenly to all edges with a rolling pin (enjoy any excess that may peek over the edges). Freeze until set, 30 to 40 minutes.
• TO MAKE THE GANACHE, scald the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and pour the heavy cream over; let stand for 3 minutes. Whisk until smooth, then add the tequila. (If making ahead, let it come to room temperature or reheat it slightly in the microwave until it is a spreadable consistency.)
• TO MAKE THE BUTTERCREAM, combine the butter and confectioner's sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-low speed until blended. Increase the speed to medium and continue to beat, scraping the sides as necessary, for 3 minutes. Add the canela and 2 tablespoons of the heavy cream and whip for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon heavy cream, if needed, to make a spreadable consistency. (If making ahead, let it come to room temperature or reheat it slightly in the microwave until it is a spreadable consistency.)
• TO MAKE THE TEQUILA SYRUP, combine the tequila and granulated sugar in a small saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved, being careful so that the tequila doesn't catch fire (if it does, simply cover it immediately with a lid). (If making ahead, reheat it on the stove or in a microwave before using.)
• To assemble the cake, turn a baking sheet upside down or use a cutting board as a cake stand. Pour one-third of the warm tequila syrup over one of the almond cakes and let it soak in. Spread with half of the warm ganache and allow to cool slightly (you can refrigerate it if you want to speed the process). Place another almond cake on top and moisten with another third of the syrup. Let it soak in, and then spread with half of the buttercream.
• Take the crunchy layer out of the freezer and carefully peel away the paper. Flip it onto the cake and carefully peel away the remaining paper. If you have a blowtorch, lightly warm the crunchy layer so the cake adheres to it (otherwise, you can rub your hands on top or be patient and wait). When the crunchy layer has softened, place the chocolate cake on top and moisten with the remaining one-third syrup.
• Place a sheet of parchment or wax paper on top of the cake, place 2 full baking sheets on top, and weight with a couple of cutting boards (you want to press the layers together slightly, but not use too much weight or the cake will collapse). Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Remove from the refrigerator; remove the weights, pans, and parchment paper, place a baking sheet upside down on top; and carefully but rapidly flip over. Spread with the remaining half of the buttercream and freeze until set, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Warm the remaining half of the ganache in a water bath or the microwave and spread on top rapidly because it will harden.
• Using a ruler, measure as many 1/2 by 3 1/2-inch pieces as you can (you should have around 30 when you cut the edges so that all pieces are straight). Cut, dipping a sharp knife into very hot water and quickly drying with a towel between each slice (this will make nice clean edges).

PUNTAS DE RES A LA MEXICANA

Steps:

• Working against the grain, slice the beef into thin strips about 1/2 inch thick and 1 inch long.
• In a molcajete or mortar and pestle, crush the cumin, peppercorns, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt to form a coarse paste. (Alternatively, make the paste by finely mincing the garlic into a paste and mixing in ground spices until well incorporated. Reduce the spice amount in the recipe to half if using ground.)
• Rub the paste all over the beef using your hands. Cook right away, or transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to cook, up to overnight.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot and shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the beef and cook until lightly browned and fully cooked, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt.
• Add the tomatoes, chiles and bell peppers. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened, the tomatoes have released their juices and the sauce coats the back of a spoon, 20 to 25 minutes. Taste and season with salt, about 1 teaspoon.
• Serve in shallow bowls with a side of refried beans and piping hot tortillas.