Happy Cinco de Mayo! We just got back from a party, where we brought tapas and dessert! š Everything was a hit, and some of these I will definitely make again soon! Hereās what we brought:
Mexican Chocolate Pecan Pie
My parents make this one frequently, and itās always a crowd pleaser. This is Marcela Valladolidās recipe and can be found here.
I used 12 whole graham crackers in the crust, along with the melted butter and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. (The other Ā½ cup of brown sugar will go in the filling.) If you canāt find Mexican chocolate, you can use 70% dark chocolate (I used Lindt) with Ā½ tsp of ground cinnamon! The pie only cooks for 10 minutes in the oven, but it will continue to set up on the counter.
I actually took two pies today because I grabbed the wrong chocolate bar out of the pantry and didnāt realize it until after it was cooked! My first pie used semi-sweet chocolate, while the second followed the recipe. Both tasted great, but I still prefer the darker chocolate personally.
Horchata
I found this recipe from tastes better from scratch, and itās really easy! You just need to start it early since there are a couple of stages. It has to set on the counter for at least 8 hours after the first few steps, so make it the day before you want to serve it!
I made vinyl labels on my Cricut and found these colorful plastic cups at Albertsonās for 25 cents each! Everyone enjoyed drinking their horchata over ice in their personalized cups.
Churro Muffins
After making two chocolate pecan pies, I wasnāt planning on making another dessertā¦but I had pinned this a while back and had all the ingredients already on hand. It was really quick to whip up and Iām glad I made them. They went fast! Itās not quite as crunchy as a churro, but the flavor is spot on.
Mexican Street Corn Salad Cups
These turned out so pretty! I found this recipe from take two tapas, but I did alter it a little bit.
First, I boiled corn on the cob instead of using frozen corn. Any time I make corn, I add honey to the water, which makes it a little sweeter! (8 ears of corn was about 5 cups.) After cooking them, I cut the kernels off. My dad taught me this cool trick; you can take a bundt pan and place the corn in the middle hole. When you slice the kernels off, they fall right into the pan!
Other alterations I made:
1 whole red bell pepper, diced (instead of Ā½)
Ā½ jalapeno, diced finely (instead of 1 whole)
6 Tbsp Mexican crema (instead of 3 Tbsp sour cream)
1 c. Cotija cheese, grated, plus additional for topping! (instead of Ā¾ c)
Ā¼ tsp chili powder (It mentioned it in the recipe description, but it wasnāt listed in the ingredients.)
Salt and pepper, to taste
The corn mixture tasted great both in the wonton cups and by itself. Some of our family even put it on their street tacos, over steak!
Shrimp Guacamole Bites
I wasnāt able to get a picture of the shrimp bites because they went too fast! This recipe is by well plated by Erin. I used frozen cooked shrimp since it was on hand. I tossed them in olive oil and the spices and baked them for 4 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. I prepared fresh guacamole with pomegranate seeds (it gives them a sweet crunch!) and topped round Tostito chips with the guacamole, shrimp, and grated Cotija cheese.
Manchego Cheese and Prosciutto
The last appetizer was pieces of manchego cheese wrapped in prosciutto slices. My parents went to Spain recently, and this was something they would eat over there, alongside marcona almonds. Yum!
taste and SPARKLE 