Layered Strawberry and Cookie Custard (Pavê com morango)

This versatile dessert was one of the very first ones I ever had in Brazil. It’s generally made with uncooked egg whites, but I prefer this version because all the egg yolks are cooked into a custard. It can be made without strawberries, with chocolate, or with any berry you choose.

The typical cookie for this is the maizena cookie, a long cookie that fits nicely in a square pan. The flavor is mildly sweet with a consistency much like an animal cracker. Really, you could use any cookie, but I like the Mexican Maria cookies, sold at most grocery stores in the ethnic section and all Latino supermarkets.

The longer this sits in the fridge, the better the cookie molds to the custard. Feel free to experiment!

Layered cookies with strawberries (Pavê com morango)

Servings: 10

Time: 30 minutes

Refrigeration: 4 hours

Total time: 4 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

24 Maria Mexican cookies

24 bolacha tipo Maria

1 14 oz. Can sweetened condensed milk

1 14 oz. lata leite condensado

1 C heavy cream

1 copo creme pesado

1/2 T unflavored gelatin

1/2 colher de sopa de gelatina sem sabor

1 C whole milk

1 copo leite integral

2 egg yolks

2 gemas 

1 T cornstarch

1 T maisena

2 C strawberries, sliced

2 copos morangos, cortado

1 t vanilla

1 colher de chá baunilha

Extra strawberries and cream to decorate 

Morango e creme para enfeitar

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch into 1/4 C of milk. Reserve. 

1. Numa tigela pequena, bate a maisena com 1/4 copo de leite. Reserve.

2. In a medium saucepan over low heat, put the rest of the milk, the sweetened condensed milk, and the cream. Add the unflavored gelatin, mixing well to incorporate. Bring to a simmer (with small bubbles).

2. Numa panela média, bota o resto do leite, leite condensado, e creme. Aumente a gelatina, batendo bem para incorporar. Ferva em fogo brando.

3. Beat the egg yolks gently in a small bowl. Add half a cup of the warmed milk mixture one spoonful at a time to temper the yolk mixture. Stir back into the pan.

3. Bate levamente as gemas. Coloque meio copo dos leites aquecidos nas gemas. Devolve tudo na panela. 

4. Add the vanilla and cornstarch slush.

4. Aumente a baunilha e leite com maisena.

5. Raise the heat to medium. Stir continuously until the mixture thickens, 8 to 10 minutes.

5. Acresente o fogo. Mexa até engrossar, 8 à 10 minutos.

6. Remove from heat.

6. Desligue o fogo.

7. Place twelve cookies in a greased 8x8 dish, staggering to cover the bottom of the dish. Add one cup of strawberries followed by half of the milk mixture. Repeat the layers (reserving a handful of strawberries), ending with the cream.

7. Em um refratário quadrado, coloque na seguinte ordem: uma camada de bolacha, uma camada de morangos picados, metade do creme. Repita as camadas, terminando com o creme.

8. Refrigerate for at least four hours.

8. Congele na geladeira por quatro horas.

9. Decorate with strawberries and whipped cream before serving.

9. Decore a seu gosto com morangos e creme.

  ,astef,

  ,amaa

I'm in Rio!

I'm researching for my Brazilian cookbook (among other things)! So no recipes this week! Or next! Though I might post pictures of yummy food!

Enjoy your June!

The best Beans (Feijão) and Rice you ever had (with tomato and onion salad)

Do not turn your nose up at this dish until you've tried it. It gives new meaning to the "beans and rice." This is my family's go-to dish and one of the only things I know how to make from heart. When we have company, chances are beans and rice might make an appearance. 

The beauty of this dish is in its flexibility. Really all you need is a pound of beans and some meat. It can be leftover barbecue, leftover steak, bacon, sausage, whatever. The more meat you have, the better it will taste (and the less salt you'll need). If you have an onion to add, even better. 

But most importantly, you need that orange. You won't even believe what that orange juice does to the beans.

This recipe is adapted from my collection of Brazilian recipes. Today I made it with leftover beef brisket from our Cinco de Mayo party last week. So here's what you need:

Ingredients:

1 lb. of beans, soaked overnight

1 lb. meat such as brisket, smoked sausage (sliced), ham hock

1/4 lb. bacon, diced

1 onion, diced

2 oranges, juiced (I had a really big one so I only used one)

2-3 beef bouillon cubes

I have a pressure cooker from Brazil that I use to cook my beans, but I still always give them an overnight soak. If you have a pressure cooker, this would be the time to use it. If you don't, pull out a nice heavy pot that has a good seal on it. The better the seal and the younger your beans, the sooner they'll cook.

These are my beans after soaking all night.

And this is my pressure cooker! Nothing fancy, but it gets the job done.

If you're using a pressure cooker, you only need half an hour to cook those beans (make sure you leave time for the pressure to drop or you won't be able to open the lid). If you use a pot, give yourself between 3-4 hours. The last thing you want is hard beans.

Draining off the water is optional. I don't. Some people say the bean water is what gives you gas. I haven't noticed and I'm lazy. Easy is good. :)

Put the beans and meat in your desired pot. For the pressure cooker, I'm assuming you know how to use it. Bring it up to pressure and then let it come down. For a regular pot, bring it to a boil. Put the lid on and lower the heat to medium-low. Feel free to check your beans after 2-3 hours, but bring it back to a boil each time before you put the lid on.

While the beans cook, make your tomato and onion salad. This is so good and the tartness compliments the beans perfectly! I sometimes throw in a cucumber but I didn't have any today. 

Ingredients:

1/2 large onion, diced (you can add more if you like)

2 C tomato, diced (I used grape tomatoes because that's what I had, but it can be any)

1/4 C vinegar (I used white)

1/4 C olive oil

Dice your onion and tomatoes. Toss them together in a bowl. Add the vinegar and oil. Yep, it's really that easy.

Beautiful. 

Make sure you start your rice, too, whether in a rice cooker or on the stovetop.

While the beans finish cooking, toss your bacon into a frying pan. Let it cook up crispy and add your onions. Saute them in the bacon grease. Juice your orange. Add the juice and beef bouillon to the beans (start with two cubes. Add the third after tasting, if it's needed). When the onions are translucent, add the bacon and onions to the beans.

 Let everything simmer for about ten minutes so the flavors blend. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with rice and the tomato and onion salad.

You can thank me later. :)

Tastefully,

Tamara