Eva's Kitchen - Eva Longoria Parker [50]
MAKES ABOUT 3 DOZEN
1 cup smooth or chunky peanut butter (not natural)
½ cup honey
½ cup powdered sugar
2 cups finely crushed salted peanuts
Special equipment: 3 dozen small paper candy cups
1. In a medium mixing bowl, place the peanut butter, honey, and powdered sugar. Stir until well blended and smooth.
2. Place the crushed peanuts in a shallow dish. Wet your hands and shake off the excess water. Scoop out a heaping teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture and roll it into a 1-inch ball. Place the ball in the crushed peanuts and gently roll until coated. Place the ball in a candy cup and continue with the remaining peanut mixture and peanuts. When all the balls are formed, refrigerate them until firm, about 1 hour. Serve.
3. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
FROM AUNT ELSA’S KITCHEN When hand-rolling sticky doughs like this one, rinsing your hands in cool running water helps keep the mixture from sticking to them. Rinse several times as you work, and shake off the excess water each time.
EVA’S HEROES My sister Elizabeth, who was born with a mental disability, is the oldest of my mom and dad’s four daughters, so when my other two sisters and I came along, we were truly born into Liza’s world. I am not exaggerating when I say Liza is my hero. Because of her, I co-founded Eva’s Heroes, an organization based in San Antonio, Texas, that is dedicated to enriching the lives of those with developmental challenges by providing an inclusive setting so they can integrate and flourish in society. Eva’s Heroes offers unique opportunities for these young men and women to experience what they may not be able to do elsewhere.
beso’s churros
Churros are basically Mexican doughnuts: a lighter, fluffier version of the fried dough served at county fairs all over the country. We serve this to great acclaim at the Beso restaurants and they are heavenly eaten warm.
MAKES ABOUT 20
¹⁄³ cup unsalted butter
Pinch of table salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
½ cup sugar, for rolling the churros
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, for rolling the churros
Vegetable oil, for frying
1. In a medium saucepan, place the butter, 1 cup of water, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the flour and stir over the heat until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pot and comes together to form a cohesive dough, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
2. Transfer the flour mixture to the work bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beating on low speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, and then continue to beat until they are thoroughly blended, about 2 minutes.
3. Fit a piping bag with a large star (number 7) tip. Place it in a tall drinking glass tip-end down and open the bag. Transfer the batter to the bag, filling it no more than halfway. Twist the top to push the batter down and into the tip. Set aside.
4. In a shallow bowl, place the sugar and cinnamon and stir with a fork until well blended. Set aside.
5. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Pour the oil into a large skillet to 1 inch deep. Heat the oil over medium heat to 350°F.
6. Pipe 4-inch lengths of the dough directly into the hot oil. To release the dough from the piping bag, scrape the tip against the side of the pan or use a butter knife. Fry 3 or 4 pieces of dough at a time, turning once, until golden brown, about 4 minutes total. Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the oil temperature at 350°F. Use tongs to transfer the churros to the paper towels to drain. As soon as they are cool enough to handle, roll them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until well coated. Serve warm.
pan de polvo
One year when I was very young I wanted to give pan de polvo, also called Mexican wedding cookies, as Christmas presents