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By Root 325 0

pieces. You can keep it old-school and do that, but I suggest you go with a very sharp knife: it makes cleanup easier. For a sweet finish, do as Gloria does and drizzle the squash with chilled evaporated milk before serving. The cold milk is the perfect counterpoint to the extravagantly sweet, melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon-scented squash.

Stir 6 cups water, the brown sugar, and the cinnamon sticks in a large heavy pot until the sugar dissolves. Add the squash and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2½ hours, or until almost all of the liquid has evaporated, the mixture has thickened, and the squash is very tender. Remove the cinnamon sticks, let the squash cool slightly, and serve warm or at room temperature.

CHOCOFLAN

MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS

CARAMEL

1 cup granulated sugar

CHOCOLATE CAKE

½ cup boiling water

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

⅓ cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan

1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar 3 large eggs

FLAN

½ cup evaporated milk

½ cup sweetened condensed milk

2 large eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Made in a Bundt cake pan, this half flan, half chocolate cake is a decadent marriage of two dessert classics. The batter for the chocolate cake is made first, then poured into the Bundt pan, followed by the flan batter. The batters may appear to mix but they completely separate while baking, with the flan ending up on the bottom. I like to eat the cake warm, but traditionally it is chilled for 24 hours before serving.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 10-inch nonstick Bundt pan (12-cup capacity).

To make the caramel, stir together the granulated sugar and ¼ cup water in a large heavy saucepan set over medium-high heat. Cook, brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming, until the sugar melts and the mixture becomes a dark amber caramel. Working quickly and carefully, immediately pour the hot caramel into the prepared Bundt pan, tilting it to cover the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan. Let the caramel cool completely for 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Place the caramel-coated Bundt pan in a roasting pan, and fill the roasting pan halfway with water.

To make the chocolate cake, whisk the boiling water and the cocoa powder in a medium bowl to blend. Whisk in the milk and the vanilla extract. In another medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together.

Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the flour and cocoa mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with the flour (the batter may separate; do not worry). Pour the batter into the Bundt pan.

To make the flan, combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, eggs, and vanilla in a blender. Blend for 30 seconds on high speed, until smooth. Pour the mixture gently over the chocolate batter in the Bundt pan. Cover the pan with foil, and carefully transfer it, in the water-filled roasting pan, to the oven. Bake for 15 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F, and continue baking until a tester inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then carefully run a small knife around the edge of the cake, and invert the cake onto a platter. Cool for 1 hour. Cover, and refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled.

TAMARIND MARTINIS

SERVES 6

12 ounces shelled fresh tamarind pods, rinsed with cold water

1 cup sugar

¼ cup Mexican chile-lime powder

1 lime wedge 6 salted plums

2 to 2½ cups vodka

There’s no beating fresh tamarind pods (as opposed to the pulp) for making the tamarind water for this recipe. Fresh tamarind should look a little moist (and be sure to buy unsweetened tamarind—sometimes it is sold coated with sugar to