Polvorones

Posted on November 6, 2017 by jpcoronado

Polvorones by Holly Basaldu

Videography and Production by John Paul Coronado

Holly Basaldu, a Speech Communication major at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas tells her story behind her favorite Mexican pastry dish, polvorones. She describes the recipe, her origins of baking and the unspoken bridge between culture and food.

Ingredients 

  • 2 sticks (16 tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temp
  • 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup of confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup of walnuts (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Put the confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl. Roll the dough by two teaspoonfuls between your palms into balls. Arrange the balls on a large baking sheet, spacing them 1/2 inch apart.

Bake the cookies until golden brown or for 18 minutes. Cool cookies down for 5 minutes. Toss the cookies in the powdered sugar. Transfer the sugar-coated cookies on a separate plate.

 

 

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Flan De Queso

Posted on August 1, 2017 by hbasaldu

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Flan de Queso
Story and photos by Holly Basaldu

Johanna Magee, a child of both Mexico and New York, shares with us her favorite dishes, some imprinted cooking experiences and an insight into why cooking is a part of her identity. A sophomore international relations and political science double-major at St. Mary’s University, Magee embraces cooking as a way to feel at home.

Studying far from home, Magee explains her aunt’s friend, an alumnus of St. Mary’s, recommended her to the university’s English program to assist her in bridging the gap between English and Spanish.

She also loves the home environment that St. Mary’s provides. Geography plays into another big part being close to Mexico—she’s never too far from her Mother.

“My mom’s food led me into the kitchen…I wouldn’t like the way she cooked something so I would end up going into the kitchen to see if I could redo it my own way,” she says.

My mother “is my inspiration. She is why I started into the kitchen in the first place,” Magee explains.

Influenced by the Italian family environment, Magee’s favorite type of dishes are pasta-dependent, which include lasagna and Penne de Vodka—a penne pasta with a tomato vodka sauce that has a creamy, rich taste.

Cooking helps her distress and results in having a delicious treat in the end. Enjoying time in the kitchen, she shows how to make Flan.

“This is the dish my mom taught me when I was young, and this is my favorite dessert,” she says.

 

Tools

Aluminum Foil

Baking Pan 9″x9″

Blender

Can Opener

Knife

Measuring Cups (½ cup)

Oven Mitten

Wisk

Ingredients

Condensed Milk- 1 Can (14oz)

Cream Cheese- 1 Bar (4oz)

Eggs- 4 (large)

Evaporated Milk- 1 Can (12oz)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil- 2tsp or Non-stick cooking spray

Milk- ½ Cup

Sugar- ½ Cup

Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350°F .Drizzle EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) or spray with non-stick cooking spray and Sugar on the bottom of the Baking Pan. Heat the pan over the stove top on medium (this makes a sugary glaze on top) or put into oven for 3-5 minutes (till golden brown). Combine the rest of the ingredients into the blender and blend on high till you get a thick consistency. Pour the mixture into the pan over the sugary glaze. Cover the pan with Aluminum Foil. Bake at 350°F for 35m-45m, till golden brown (it will puff up and rise during the baking). Let cool at room temperature for 35m. Carefully in a knife along the edges, then flip the Pan onto a serving plate.

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