Wendy w
08-21-2006, 12:59 PM
On Saturday night we had a party celebrating my best friend and her DH's 25th wedding anniversary. Instead of gifts, we asked that people bring their favorite ethnic dish. We had a musician who played classic rock, the backyard was lit up with candles, and to top it all off, we had a very handsome Hawaiian fire dancer who added additional heat to the evening. ;)
I made the Cuban pork with mojo sauce from the last Cook's Illustrated and OMG, it was awesome. We made the oven version in the electric roaster because it needed to do so for 6 hours and needed to be brined overnight. CI likes "picnic loaf" (an inexpensive pork roast) and it had been on sale for $.88/lb, so we made a double batch. My roomie (she's half Cuban) made beans and we made a large pot of rice. Other items included: sushi, fried rice, noodle salads, Persian chicken and yogurt salad, cherry pie, taquitos and guacamole, mojitos, and rum punch. At the request of my friend, I made the bundt cake (cream cheese frosting version) that Erin posted awhile back. It was a hit! Thanks again. I want to try it again with glaze and try some of the cheesecakes.
Rum-Kissed Key Lime Coconut Cake
¾ cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tbsp grated lime peel
1 1/3 cup lemon or key lime flavoured lowfat yogourt
2 tbsp fresh key lime juice
3 cups flour
¾ tsp salt
1 ¼ tsp baking powder
¾ baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground coriander
1 ½ cups fresh coconut, finely chopped in processor
2 tbsp dark rum
1 tsp lemon extract
1 cup chopped pistachios or pecans
Preheat oven to 325 F. Spray two 6-cup Bundt pans or one 12-cup bundt pan with Baker’s Joy. Combine the coconut with 2 tbsp rum and stir to mix. Set aside. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, coriander, and ginger. In large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, and then add the lime peel and lime juice. Add the flour mixture alternately with the yogourt, blending well after each addition. Stir in the lemon extract, coconut and nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pans and bake for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert onto serving plate and cool to room temperature. Frost or glaze with one of the following. Refrigerate several hours to let flavours blend.
Lime Cream Cheese Frosting
2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
¼ cup butter, softened
3 tbsp cream cheese, softened (half of a 3 oz. package)
1 ½ tsp grated key lime zest
½ tbsp dark rum
1 tbsp fresh key lime juice
Combine all ingredients in medium deep bowl and beat until smooth. You can omit the rum and increase the lime juice to 2 ½ tbsp. When cake is cool to the touch, frost as desired.
Lime Rum Glaze
1/3 cup butter
2 cup confectioner’s sugar
½ tsp grated key lime zest
2 tbsp dark rum
1-2 tbsp key lime juice
In medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium low heat. Blend in the sugar and lime zest and stir to blend. Stir in the rum and add lime juice until the right thickness – do not let the glaze become to watery. Heat for another minute, stirring until smooth. Let cool until lukewarm. ***** cake all over with a fork or ice pick. Spoon glaze over the top of the cake and let it trickle down the sides.
If anyone wants the pork recipe, I will be happy to fax it to you as it is very lengthy to type, unless some wonderful CI online subscriber can post it.
I made the Cuban pork with mojo sauce from the last Cook's Illustrated and OMG, it was awesome. We made the oven version in the electric roaster because it needed to do so for 6 hours and needed to be brined overnight. CI likes "picnic loaf" (an inexpensive pork roast) and it had been on sale for $.88/lb, so we made a double batch. My roomie (she's half Cuban) made beans and we made a large pot of rice. Other items included: sushi, fried rice, noodle salads, Persian chicken and yogurt salad, cherry pie, taquitos and guacamole, mojitos, and rum punch. At the request of my friend, I made the bundt cake (cream cheese frosting version) that Erin posted awhile back. It was a hit! Thanks again. I want to try it again with glaze and try some of the cheesecakes.
Rum-Kissed Key Lime Coconut Cake
¾ cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tbsp grated lime peel
1 1/3 cup lemon or key lime flavoured lowfat yogourt
2 tbsp fresh key lime juice
3 cups flour
¾ tsp salt
1 ¼ tsp baking powder
¾ baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground coriander
1 ½ cups fresh coconut, finely chopped in processor
2 tbsp dark rum
1 tsp lemon extract
1 cup chopped pistachios or pecans
Preheat oven to 325 F. Spray two 6-cup Bundt pans or one 12-cup bundt pan with Baker’s Joy. Combine the coconut with 2 tbsp rum and stir to mix. Set aside. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, coriander, and ginger. In large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, and then add the lime peel and lime juice. Add the flour mixture alternately with the yogourt, blending well after each addition. Stir in the lemon extract, coconut and nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pans and bake for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert onto serving plate and cool to room temperature. Frost or glaze with one of the following. Refrigerate several hours to let flavours blend.
Lime Cream Cheese Frosting
2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
¼ cup butter, softened
3 tbsp cream cheese, softened (half of a 3 oz. package)
1 ½ tsp grated key lime zest
½ tbsp dark rum
1 tbsp fresh key lime juice
Combine all ingredients in medium deep bowl and beat until smooth. You can omit the rum and increase the lime juice to 2 ½ tbsp. When cake is cool to the touch, frost as desired.
Lime Rum Glaze
1/3 cup butter
2 cup confectioner’s sugar
½ tsp grated key lime zest
2 tbsp dark rum
1-2 tbsp key lime juice
In medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium low heat. Blend in the sugar and lime zest and stir to blend. Stir in the rum and add lime juice until the right thickness – do not let the glaze become to watery. Heat for another minute, stirring until smooth. Let cool until lukewarm. ***** cake all over with a fork or ice pick. Spoon glaze over the top of the cake and let it trickle down the sides.
If anyone wants the pork recipe, I will be happy to fax it to you as it is very lengthy to type, unless some wonderful CI online subscriber can post it.