Espresso Buttercream

I'm the type of person that likes to make things at home. So whenever I make a meal or dessert for my family, I like it to be handmade. This is especially true for birthday cakes. I make a birthday cake for my brother every year, but it does get challenging trying to think of something new and different to make that he and my family would enjoy. And, well, the people in my family love coffee, particularly café con leche and espresso, so I figured a coffee-oriented cake would be perfect. 

My espresso buttercream recipe derives from a basic buttercream recipe I created to be low in sugar, light in texture, and accepting of whatever flavor you want to add. In this case, the espresso flavor is very prominent in the buttercream, which allows it to pair well with chocolate or vanilla cakes. This is a simple recipe that tastes amazing, so have fun giving the recipe a try and enjoy!

Espresso Buttercream Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup of salted butter
• ½  cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup of shortening
• 1 cup of white granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons of heavy cream (or milk)
• 1 cup of espresso, cooled

TOOLS NEEDED:

• A standard or handheld mixer
• A spatula, large mixing bowl, and measuring utensils

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION / INSTRUCTIONS     

    

                                                                  

BRIEF DIRECTIONS (See the video demonstration for detailed instructions):

1. Collect the ingredients and set up your mixer. Make the espresso and let it cool completely (you can put it in the refrigerator or freezer to accelerate the cooling process). Also, take the butter and shortening out of the refrigerator beforehand so that it softens.
2. Cut the butter (both salted and unsalted) into roughly 1-inch chunks, and place in a large mixing bowl along with the shortening. Then mix on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until the butter is creamed and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl and beater, and mix for an additional 30 seconds.
3. Next, add the granulated sugar and mix on high speed for 1 minute. Then scape down the bowl and beater.
4. Now, add in the heavy cream and mix on high speed for 2 minutes. Scape down the bowl and beater. Then mix on high for 4 minutes. 
5. Next, incrementally add the espresso a few tablespoons at a time along with a few tablespoons of powdered sugar, mixing for 1 minute between each addition. Repeat this process until all of the espresso and powdered sugar is added (Note: if the buttercream separates due to the espresso you can add a bit more powdered sugar to the mixture to bring the buttercream back together).
6. Once finished you can use the buttercream immediately or refrigerate it to use at a later time. If you refrigerate the buttercream, make sure you take it out of the refrigerator to soften at room temperature before using it. You may also need to use a mixer to loosen up the buttercream so that it can be easily spread on a cake, cupcake, etc.

Cuban-Style Chicken Croquettes

Another great recipe for using pre-cooked or leftover chicken is to make croquettes! I absolutely love the Cuban chicken croquettes my abuela and mother make, especially with a side of chicken soup loaded with fideos. Actually, my nephews and niece go crazy for my mom’s chicken croquettes, which they adorably dubbed “chicken nutties,” because they taste that good! So, it should be no surprise that the chicken croquette recipe I am sharing is a family recipe. There are actually different ways to make Cuban-style croquettes as there are various ingredient combinations that can be used for the filling.  However, this recipe will focus on a basic chicken croquette. In my family, the croquettes are made alongside sopa de pollo (recipe for Cuban chicken soup here), because the chicken used to make the soup is taken out and converted into croquettes. My family’s croquette and soup recipe is very economical as 3 lbs of chicken makes a large quantity of soup and a dozen relatively large croquettes (or even more if made smaller). This is a typical cooking strategy in Cuban cuisine as it helps get the most out of a minimal amount of ingredients, particularly if your access to food is limited. The croquettes are quite simple to make, and provide a different way to eat chicken that is delicious! The crunchiness of the coating of the croquettes offers the perfect textural contrast to the soft, moist, and smoothness of the chicken filling. So have fun trying out this recipe and enjoy! 

Cuban-Style Chicken Croquette Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 pounds of chicken, cooked and then ground 
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• ½ tablespoon of onion powder
• 1 cup of homemade soup broth (recipe found here) or you can use premade canned or cartooned soup broth
• 1 cup breadcrumbs plain, unseasoned (you can use seasoned if you want)
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup of milk

TOOLS NEEDED:

• A frying pan
• A food processor
• 1 medium-sized mixing bowl, 2 dishes at least 1 ½ inches deep, and 1 dish or tray to place the croquettes
• A wire rack
• Utensils (e.g., forks, spoon, tongs)

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION / INSTRUCTIONS     

    

                                                                  

BRIEF DIRECTIONS (See the video demonstration for detailed instructions):

1. Collect ingredients. First, take the cooked chicken, and remove the bones, skin, and any cartilage. Then finely grind the chicken meat with a food processor.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, put the ground chicken and add the garlic powder, salt, and onion powder. Give it a quick mix. Then add the chicken broth and mix until the chicken mixture has a smooth (not pasty) consistency. (Note: You can add additional broth if needed, but you don’t want the chicken mixture to be too wet, or the croquettes won’t hold their shape or stay crispy once fried.
3. Next, set up a breading station with the chicken mixture, breadcrumbs, egg mixture, and a tray or dish to place the croquettes.
4. First, take a few (3 or 4 tablespoons) of chicken mixture and use your hands to form it into a small log/cylinder about 2 ½ inches long by 1 inch in diameter. Then coat the croquette thoroughly, on all sides with the breadcrumb, and place on a tray or plate. Repeat the process for the rest of the chicken mixture.
5. Now, coat the croquettes a second time. First, use a fork and a spoon to fully coat the croquette in the egg-milk mixture. Next, move the croquette to the breadcrumb and coat thoroughly on all sides. Then place the croquette on your tray or dish. Repeat the process for the rest of the croquettes.
6. Let the croquettes rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before frying (Note: This is an important step, as it helps dry out some of the moisture from the egg in the coating of the croquettes, and make the croquettes crispy once fried).
7. Put oil about a ½ inch deep in a frying pan and heat on high heat. Use a few breadcrumbs to test if the oil is hot enough. If you see bubbles, the oil is ready, and you can begin frying the croquettes.
8. Reduce the heat to medium-high (about a setting of 8), then place the croquettes in the oil. Don’t overcrowd the pan as you need room to roll the croquettes to fry them on all sides. Cook the croquettes on each side for about 20 to 25 seconds or until golden brown (Note: the first croquettes put in the frying pan may take longer to brown on the first side, about for 35 to 40 seconds). Continue rotating the croquettes until all sides are golden brown or brown. For the small ends, you can either spoon some oil over the ends or stand the croquettes up using utensils, and hold it in the oil for 20 seconds. Once finished frying, remove the croquettes from the oil and place them on a wire rack. Repeat the process for all of the croquettes. Then place on a plate and serve.

Cuban-Style Chicken Soup (Sopa de Pollo)

Whenever it’s a cold day or I’m sick, I love to have a bowl of chicken soup with white rice. For me, chicken soup is the Cuban chicken soup my mother makes that has lots of fideos, tender chicken, and is packed with flavor. The chicken soup is really simple to make and can be served in a number of ways: as a plain broth without fideos/noodles, with fideos, or with fideos and a scoop of white rice in the soup.  The chicken can also be left in the soup as is or taken out of the soup and made into croquettes or Cuban fried chicken.  This chicken soup recipe is really versatile and has lots of other recipes that go along with it! For now, this recipe focuses on making Cuban chicken soup and is based on my mother’s recipe. The recipe is incredibly simple to make but will result in a flavorful soup with tender chicken that is very satisfying to eat. So have fun giving this recipe a try and enjoy!

Cuban-Style Chicken Soup (Sopa de Pollo) Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 pounds of chicken (I use chicken leg quarters, but you can include chicken breast as well; Note: if you use all chicken breast the soup will have a very weak flavor, so it’s best to include some chicken legs or thighs as well)  
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 packet of sazon con asafran or teaspoon of saffron
• ½ of a medium-sized green pepper
• ½ of a medium sized red pepper
• 2 medium-sized onions
• 12 cups of water
• ½ of a 10 oz bag of fideos (I use angel hair fideos; you can also exclude the fideos if you just want a chicken broth)

TOOLS NEEDED:

• 1 large pot
• Cutting board, knife, and measuring utensils

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION / INSTRUCTIONS         

                                                                           

BRIEF DIRECTIONS (See the video demonstration for detailed instructions):

1. Collect and prepare a few of the ingredients. Cut the onions in half and then cut each half into ¹/₈ inch slices. Cut the red and green pepper into ¹/₈ inch slices.
2. Now, in a large pot, add the water, chicken, garlic powder, cumin, sazon con asafran (saffron), red pepper, green pepper, and onions. Cover the pot and bring the pot to a boil on high heat. Once boiling, let the soup cook for 7 minutes on high heat. Then lower to medium heat and cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
3. Next, crush the fideo nests with your hands. They should look like 1 inch pieces.  Then add the fideos to the soup and cook the soup for another 10 minutes or until the fideos are tender. Then turn off the heat and serve the soup.