Carlota de Limón

This Mexican Lime Icebox Cake, known as a carlota in Spanish, is a cool, creamy no-bake treat that layers a cream filling with crisp GOYA® Maria Cookies. Here, we whisk together cream cheese, condensed and evaporated milk with lime juice and zest to make a refreshing citrus filling that’s set between the cookies. Once assembled, we simply chill the cake in the refrigerator overnight until the cookies absorb the flavors of the filling and soften into a sliceable, cake-like consistency.

This is usually made without the cream cheese, but doesn't cream cheese make everything better???  Just delete it if you don't agree.  

You may also add diced peaches, strawberries or bananas to each layer if desired. 

Ingredients

4 oz cream cheese - room temp

4 limes, juiced (1/2 c)

2 tsp freshly grated lime zest, plus more for the garnish

1 14oz sweetened condensed milk

1 12oz evaporated milk

1 7oz pkg Maria's cookies

(shortbread type cookie) 

Directions

1

 

In large bowl, stir together cream cheese and 2 tsp. lime zest until blended. Using whisk, gradually whisk in condensed milk until blended. Whisk in evaporated milk and lime juice until smooth and thick. Using spoon, spread ½ cup cream cheese mixture on bottom of 8” glass baking dish.

2

 

Top cream cheese mixture with 9 Maria cookies, arranging in single layer. Gently spread cookies with about ¾ cup cream cheese mixture. Repeat layering 3 times more, using ¾ cup cream cheese mixture and 9 cookies per layer, ending with remaining cream cheese mixture. Cover cake with plastic wrap; transfer to refrigerator. Chill at least 8 hours, or overnight. Garnish cake with lime zest, if desired, before serving.

Grandma Barbara's Christmas Toffee

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter

1 cup pecans or other nuts

3 hershey bars (symphony)

1. Place nuts on a sheet of foil
2. Cook butter and sugar on medium heat until the color of peanut butter. Stir constantly. Pour over pecans in a zig zag fashion. 
3. Lay chocolate bars on top. Allow to melt, and spread if necessary.

Grandma Barbara's Chocolate Balls (Bon Bons)

Grandma Barbara's Christmas Chocolate balls!

2 7oz hershey almond bars (Symphony bars)
8oz cool whip
crushed nilla wafers

1. Barely melt chocolate.
2. Cool and fold in cool whip
3. Roll in crushed wafers and freeze

Frijoles de la Olla (Beans in a Pot)

Beans from scratch which serve as a delicous meal with some queso fresco, salsa, and tortillas; or as the basis for refried beans, enfrijoladas, crema de frijol, frijoles charros, and to eat straight out of the pot and lick your fingers ;)

Our favorite frijoles de la olla are made with black beans or Peruvian beans (peruanos). The only change is that you only use epazote when making black beans - not in any other type of bean.

For the best flavor, it's recommended to cook your beans in a clay pot.

1 kg (approx 4 cups) of dried beans

1/4 onion

1-2 cloves of garlic

1 litre or more chicken broth

1-2 branches of epazote

Salt to taste (2+ Tbsp)

1. Cover the beans with at least 3 inches of water over the top, and soak overnight or
   Quick Soak: Bring to a boil, then immediately remove from heat and let simmer in covered pot for 1.5 hrs 
2. Drain and rinse the beans well
3. Add chicken broth, onion, garlic and water to cover the beans - again with at least 2-3 inches of liquid above the top of the beans - you want plenty of liquid because the "caldo"/soup is what makes these beans delish.
4. Cook on low heat for 2 hours, then add epazote and salt. Continue cooking on low heat for 1-2 hours, or until soft.  Add salt to taste

Cream of Black Bean Soup (Crema de Frijol)

When we lived in Mexico City one of our favorite dishes at one of our favorite restaurants, Anderson's, was a Crema de Frijol - so delicious! Sadly they closed the restaurant this year (and we also live in another country...)

I found this super easy recipe on http://www.mexican-authentic-recipes.com. This only makes enough for about 5-6 servings. This is considered a side dish in Mexico.

Ingredients

1 kg (dry) (about 5 cups cooked) black beans with their water (see recipe of Frijoles de la olla)

2 Tbsp Olive oil

1Tbsp salt

1/2 onion, finely chopped

2 little branches with leaves of Epazote

3/4 cup Evaporated Milk (125 ml)

Toppings - optional

1/2 cup of Mexican Sour Cream (this is less thick than American sour cream, but if you can use regular sour cream if you don't want to go to a Mexican grocery) (60 ml) - also this is optional

1/2 cup of crumbled Queso Fresco

Chips or tortillas strips

Chopped avocado

 

Instructions:

1. Blend your beans (with their liquid!) until you've got a cream and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a soup pot, and sautee your finely chopped onion until it is softened/a little transparent. Stir frequently.
3. Strain your blener full of beans into the soup pot (add to the onions)
4. Add epazote and salt, mix and bring to a boil on high
5. When it boils, turn to low heat, and add evaporated milk
6. Cook on low heat for about 5 minutes to thicken the soup. Remove the epazote
7. Top each serving with a little cream, queso fresco, and avocado

Cerviche

3 kilos (8 cups) white fish- diced ( uncooked fresh tuna, talapia, robalo, shrimp etc)

2 cups lime juice

Diced red onion

Salt & Pepper

Cilantro

Mix fish & lime juice & allow to sit for 20-40 minutes

Add onion, salt & pepper.

Mix & serve on Saltine crackers.
Garnish with avocado slices.


as a side if you like it HOT!!! :
Diced red onion,  habanero chilies diced, cilantro, salt & pepper.

This was served with cucumber wedges,  Tajin,   Rice with a little corn in it.

Our next door neighbors in Xalapa had us over for an impromptu lunch which included this & Carlotta dessert.

CARLOTTA DESSERT

9X13 PAN 

2 Cans evaporated milk

2 cans sweetened condensed milk

Blend in blender. Slowly add lime juice until thickened. 

4-6 limes juiced

1 can 820 grams peaches- Drained & diced (Other fruits such as strawberries can be substituted) 

Add 1/3 cup of peach juice to the milk mixture just for flavor.

3+ packages of Marias galletas

Dip each cookie in peach juice & line the bottom of 9x13

Drizzle milk mixture & spread thinly over cookies.

Sprinkle diced peaches

REPEAT several times until the 9x13 is filled. 

Chill & serve.