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Tangerine Thyme Margaritas

February 22, 2018 by Kate Ramos Leave a Comment

Happy National Margarita Day!!! Let’s celebrate with Tangerine Thyme Margaritas!

Who knows why February 22 is the day to celebrate America’s favorite cocktail? Which president declared it to be so? Andrew Johnson? He seems like a real drinker. Calvin Coolidge? No one knows anything about that guy so maybe he was trying to make a lasting mark?

My Tangerine Thyme Margarita takes fresh-squeezed tangerine and lime juices and shakes it all around with herbal thyme syrup and tequila. A wintery margarita to celebrate the season's citrus AND National Margarita Day! #margarita #margaritarecipe #tangerinemargarita

My belief is it falls in the middle of the dreariest part of winter because it is the perfect cocktail to lift your spirits—Tequila! Sour AF! Full of vitamin C! And it hits right at the heart of citrus season when the limes (and in our case) tangerines are plentiful and sweet.

How to Make Tangerine Thyme Margaritas

I think my love for margaritas is well known, and the reason I adore them so (besides the whole tequila thing) is the way you can so easily manipulate the flavors by adding a homemade syrup.

This thyme syrup adds a lovely herbal note to an otherwise sweet and tangy drink. It smooths out the edges and brings a warm winter feel. To make this syrup (and any flavored syrup) is really simple. You combine equal parts sugar and water (in this case, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water) and bring it to a simmer in a saucepan with the flavoring ingredient (in this case, a big handful of fresh thyme sprigs). Let it cook a couple minutes, then cover and let it cool to room temperature, allowing the thyme flavor to steep into the syrup.

The second component is the summery sunshine of tangerine juice. Ideally you can find fresh tangerines and juice them for the drink but if not, a jug of tangerine juice will also work. The difference is in the intensity. Store-bought tangerine juice is thicker and heavier making the thyme syrup have to work really hard to come through. Fresh-squeezed is lighter and brighter with a punch of flavor but one that mellows to allow the other components of the drink some room.

We are going to keep the party going tomorrow too when I take over The Latin Kitchen Instagram Feed! So come check me out on Friday, February 23. I’ll be making this cocktail recipe, talking about how to blend the perfect margarita, and what you should serve with it. See you there!

Tangerine Thyme Margaritas

Yield: 1 drink

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 17 minutes

My Tangerine Thyme Margarita takes fresh-squeezed tangerine and lime juices and shakes it all around with herbal thyme syrup and tequila. A wintery margarita to celebrate the season's citrus AND National Margarita Day!

Ingredients

For the Thyme Syrup:

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
4 ounces (1/2 cup) fresh thyme sprigs

For the Margaritas:

lime wedges, for the rim
kosher salt, for the rim
crushed ice
2 ounces silver tequila
2 ounce tangerine juice (ideally fresh-pressed)
1 ounce thyme syrup
1/2 ounce lime juice
thyme sprigs, for garnish

Instructions

To Make the Syrup:

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Whisk to dissolve the sugar then add thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook, 2 minutes.
Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 1 hour. Strain and chill. Syrup will keep covered in the refrigerator for 1 month.

To Make the Margaritas:

Rub the lime wedge around the rim of a cocktail glass. Dip glass in salt to coat the edges. Fill glass with crushed ice.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, add tequila, tangerine juice, syrup, and lime juice and shake vigorously. Strain drink into prepared glass and garnish with a thyme sprig. ¡Salúd!

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Blood Orange Tart with Vanilla Mascarpone

February 7, 2017 by Kate Ramos 2 Comments

A gorgeous blood orange tart in a rich pie crust with fresh slices of blood orange and a creamy mascarpone and vanilla cream filling.

Blood Orange Tart with Vanilla Mascarpone Recipe

I’m stepping away from my typical Mexican-inspired posts today and reaching back into my pastry chef past to bring you a blood orange tart that I think would be beautiful for Valentine’s Day.

I made this blood orange tart for an Italian Polenta Party we went to a couple weeks back at Aida’s house. It was so much fun and such a great way to get together with friends to break up the winter monotony. I’ll be bringing you lots more photos and recipes from the party later this week.

Anyhoo, I was asked to bring a dessert and wanted to stick with the Italian theme which is not hard for me since I love Italian food with all my heart and soul. Did I tell you guys we are going to Italy this summer? Specifically Rome, so please send all your recommendations. I’ll be eating everything. Like Hiro says, “Gelato for breakfast!!!”

This tart is really lovely and shows off winter’s beauty, the blood orange. A vixen of a citrus, the blood orange oozes seduction, making this a perfect dessert to make for your sweetie on Valentine’s Day—chocolate, shmocolate.

Blood Orange Tart Tips

The crust is my standard pie dough, but I added an egg yolk to give it richness and an extra crisp snap which is a beautiful contrast to the silky mascarpone filling which, get this, requires no baking of any kind. Just whip the sweet, creamy cheese with a little zest from one of the blood oranges, some sugar, and vanilla and spread it into the tart shell.

The last step is to remove all the peel and white part (pith) from a few blood oranges so they can be sliced into perfect little slices, if you need a visual, watch this video here.

Blood Orange Mascarpone Tart

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

A gorgeous blood orange tart in a rich pie crust with fresh slices of blood orange and a creamy mascarpone and vanilla cream filling.

Ingredients

For the Crust:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
5-6 tablespoons ice water

For the Filling:

2 cups (1 pound) mascarpone cheese
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Zest of 1 blood orange
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
5 blood oranges
rosemary, for garnish (optional)

Equipment:

1 (10-inch) tart pan

Instructions

For the crust:

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Add butter pieces and toss to coat in flour. Using a pastry cutter, blend the blend the butter into the flour until it is in tiny pebble-like pieces.
Add egg and 5 tablespoons of ice water and work the liquid into the flour mixture with your hands, squeezing it into the flour until it is uniformly moist and the dough holds together when you squeeze some in your hand. Add more ice water, a tablespoon at a time if needed.
Gather dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Press dough into a disk and refrigerate for at least and hour and up to 2 days.
On a lightly-floured surface roll dough into a 1/4-inch thick circle. Gently press dough into a 10-inch tart pan. Trim dough flush with the top edge of pan. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 375°F. Prick bottom of dough all over with a fork. Place on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes.
Halfway through baking, remove from oven and poke any air holes that have formed, pressing gently on the crust with the back of a fork until it is flat. Do it again when the crust comes out of the oven. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Crust can be made up to a day in advance. Cover cooled crust tightly with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature.

For the Filling:

Combine mascarpone, sugar, blood orange zest, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until stiff and fluffy.
Remove all peel and white pith of the blood oranges with a pairing knife then cut into 1/4-inch thick slices.
Spread mascarpone evenly over cooled tart shell then arrange blood orange slices on top. Garnish with rosemary if you'd like. Serve immediately.

Did you love this recipe? I want to know! Leave me a comment and snap a photo for Instagram. Tag @holajalapeno so I can see your beautiful creation! Your feedback is super important to me. If you run into trouble shoot me a message on Instagram and I’ll walk you through it.

Also, don’t forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!

A big thanks to Salt+Wind for all the photos and Melissa’s Produce for the beautiful blood oranges.

Three Kings Bread {Rosca de Reyes}

January 2, 2017 by Kate Ramos Leave a Comment

Thanks to La Lechera for sponsoring this holiday post. All ideas and opinions are my own.

Three Kings Bread Recipe {Rosca de Reyes} from @holajalapeno

Rosca de Reyes or Three Kings Bread is a brioche-like buttery bread eaten in Mexico, Spain, and in many parts of Latin America on January 6 or Three Kings Day, a day which commemorates the biblical story of the arrival of the Three Kings or Wise Men.

I was fifteen the first time I had Rosca de Reyes. I was studying abroad and living in a small coastal village in the south of Spain. It had been a difficult Christmas season away from my family and adapting to new holiday traditions. Even at fifteen I was confused by the lack of gift giving on Christmas morning, those were reserved for January 6, the day the Reyes Magos or Wise Men brought gifts to Jesus. Instead of stockings children left their shoes at the foot of their beds on January 5^th, in hopes they’d find them filled with gifts in the morning. After the unwrapping of gifts the day was filled with a beautiful mid-day meal with a colorful, candied-fruit studded Rosca de Reyes as the grand finale.

In Mexico glorious, shiny Rosca de Reyes fill bakeries and markets from Christmas onward and are enjoyed with cups of steaming hot chocolate for dipping. A small porcelain or plastic baby is hidden inside the bread and whoever finds it gets the honor of throwing the season’s next celebration, Día de la Candelaria, or Candlemas on February 2 with tamales and atole and botanas or little Mexican party snacks. I couldn’t find any babies to stick in my bread but I found some foil-wrapped bubble gum coins instead (a dried bean or any foil-wrapped candies are also traditional).

This is my first year making the bread at home and it was fun for Armando and I to share our different Rosca de Reyes memories with the kids—my solitary Spanish experience and his eating Rosca de Reyes with neighbors and family every holiday.

How To Make It

This recipe turns the traditional round loaf of bread into a luxurious, grand dessert, topped with rings of homemade candied citrus and filled with fluffy whipped cream sweetened with creamy La Lechera Sweetened Condensed Milk. Filling the bread is simple; you just slice the entire loaf in half as if you were making a sandwich.

Evenly spread the sweet cream on the bottom half.

Then gently place the top back on.

The dough is flavored with more fresh citrus zest of lemon and orange and speckled throughout with anise seed. It is beautiful interpretation of a bread fit for kings.

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Candied Citrus Three Kings Bread with Sweetened Whipped Cream Recipe {Rosca de Reyes}

Yield: 12-14

Prep Time: 3 hours 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes

Homemade candied citrus and sweetened whipped cream turn this traditional bread eaten on Dia de los Reyes (January 6th) into a grand dessert.

Ingredients

For the Bread:

2/3 cup warm water (between 100˚-110˚F)
1 packet (1/4 oz. or 2 1/4 teaspoons) active-dry yeast
¾ cup granulated sugar
5 cups all-purpose flour
Zest of 2 large Navel oranges
Zest of 1 large lemon
1 teaspoon anise seed
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
A small figurine, dried bean or coin wrapped in wax paper
1 large egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon of water for egg wash

For the Candied Citrus:

1 mandarin orange
1 lime
1 lemon
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water

For the Sweetened Whipped Cream:

1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup NESTLÉ LA LECHERA Sweetened Condensed Milk

Instructions

STIR the water and yeast and let stand for 10 minutes in a warm place.
COMBINE flour, sugar, orange zest, lemon zest, anise seed and salt in large mixer bowl. Add eggs, butter, yeast mixture and vanilla extract. Mix together with dough hook or by hand until a soft, smooth dough is formed.
PLACE dough on lightly floured surface; knead gently for about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball. Place in large greased bowl; turn over. Cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise in warm place for about 2 hours or until doubled in size. (THIS IS WHEN THE CANDIED CITRUS SHOULD BE MADE)
PUNCH dough down. Form the wreath by rolling dough into a disk, and then use your hand to make a hole in the center. Place on large, parchment lined baking sheet (may need to use it upside down) and continue to shape the wreath. Lift up one area and insert the figurine, bean or coin that has been wrapped in wax paper by pushing it up through the bottom. Smooth out lumps or tears from surface of dough. Cover with greased plastic wrap. Allow to rise in warm place for another 45 minutes until almost doubled in size.
PREHEAT oven to 350º F.
BRUSH wreath with egg wash. Decorate it with candied citrus.
BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely. (AT THIS POINT PREPARE THE WHIPPED CREAM)
WHEN completely cooled, use a bread knife and carefully slice through the wreath horizontally. Spread whipped cream evenly on bottom piece of wreath. Top gently with top half. Best served immediately after adding whipped cream.
TO MAKE THE CANDIED CITRUS:
SLICE mandarin, lime and orange thinly (should have about 18 slices). Carefully remove any seeds.
PREPARE a large bowl with ice and water.
BRING a medium saucepan of water to boil. Add sliced citrus and boil for 90 seconds. Remove slices from saucepan and place in ice water for 3 minutes. Drain.
PLACE sugar and water in a medium skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add citrus slices in a single layer and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, turning occasionally, for 1 hour or until skin is translucent. Remove slices and allow to cool on a wire rack.
TO MAKE THE SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM:
BEAT cream in a chilled bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold in sweetened condensed milk.

Notes

To encourage your dough to rise, heat your oven to warm and turn off. Then place your covered dough inside.
Any citrus can be candied. Experiment with oranges or grapefruit for a flavor variation.
Bread can be made one day ahead and tightly wrapped in plastic. Add whipped cream immediately before serving.

Lime Raspberry Poppy Seed Muffins

May 8, 2014 by Kate Ramos 2 Comments

Here’s what I want for Mother’s Day……..

I want my children to shout “Hooray!” whenever I announce what’s for dinner…..no matter what’s for dinner.
I want to drink a glass of stellar red wine on a regular basis without feeling like I have a hypnotist sitting on my shoulder saying “you’re getting sllleeepppyyy”.
I want all children to calmly and without protest go to bed at 8pm every night for the rest of their lives.
I don’t want any more of those days when I look in the mirror and think My God I look old, tired, fat…you fill in the blank.
I want to be wearing no more than two layers of clothing by the end of May.
I want more compassion and less frustration.
I want to laugh more and worry less.
I want words of wisdom to freely flow from my lips when faced with questions such as “Mama, what are slaves?” and “Why do people kill each other?”
I want to listen more and critique less.
I want to have the courage to raise children who understand the world can be a brutal place but that’s okay, they should not be afraid, sometimes the struggle is the blessing.
I want more love and less guilt.
I want my kids to go through life feeling loved, protected, proud, and humble.
And I want to eat Lime Raspberry Poppy Seed Muffins, warm out of oven, slathered with butter and that is all.

Lime Raspberry Poppy Seed Muffins

Yield: 12 Muffins

Ingredients

2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for dusting
zest and juice of 1 lime
1 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup almond milk
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 ounces (1 heaping cup) raspberries

Instructions

Heat oven to 375°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper liners. Combine sugar and lime zest in a medium bowl and rub together with your fingers until the lime zest in coated in sugar and the sugar smells like limes.
Add the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt and whisk to combine.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the almond milk, vinegar, eggs, vanilla, oil, and lime juice.
Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture and combine with a rubber spatula until most of the flour is mixed in. Add the raspberries and gently fold them in, being careful not to break them up too much.
Divide the mixture between the muffin cups (they will be mostly full) and generously sprinkle the tops with sugar.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack and serve warm with butter.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 0Total Fat: 0g

Tangerine Thyme Margaritas

How to Make Tangerine Thyme Margaritas

Tangerine Thyme Margaritas

Ingredients

For the Thyme Syrup:

For the Margaritas:

Instructions

To Make the Syrup:

To Make the Margaritas:

One More Thing

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Blood Orange Tart with Vanilla Mascarpone

Blood Orange Tart Tips

Blood Orange Mascarpone Tart

Ingredients

For the Crust:

For the Filling:

Equipment:

Instructions

For the crust:

For the Filling:

Three Kings Bread {Rosca de Reyes}

How To Make It

Candied Citrus Three Kings Bread with Sweetened Whipped Cream Recipe {Rosca de Reyes}

Ingredients

For the Bread:

For the Candied Citrus:

For the Sweetened Whipped Cream:

Instructions

Notes

Lime Raspberry Poppy Seed Muffins

Lime Raspberry Poppy Seed Muffins

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition Information:

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How to Make Tangerine Thyme Margaritas

Ingredients

For the Thyme Syrup:

For the Margaritas:

Instructions

To Make the Syrup:

To Make the Margaritas:

Did you make this recipe?

One More Thing

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Blood Orange Tart Tips

Ingredients

For the Crust:

For the Filling:

Equipment:

Instructions

For the crust:

For the Filling:

Did you make this recipe?

How To Make It

Ingredients

For the Bread:

For the Candied Citrus:

For the Sweetened Whipped Cream:

Instructions

Notes

Did you make this recipe?

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition Information:

Did you make this recipe?

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