The Broke Baker

Blog

Mango Tres Leches
Traditionally, a tres leches cake is a sponge cake that is soaked with a syrup made of three types of milk and then topped with either whipped cream or meringue. I “mango-fied” the recipe by replacing some of the milk with mango juice, adding mango puree to the topping, and then topping it with some fresh mango chunks.

This recipe is a bit of an impromptu recipe post. My boss is in town this entire week and had requested a belated birthday cake. Although she originally had a specific cake in mind, I convinced her to allow me to make something with mango, as I have been getting a generous supply of mangoes this season from my usual sources. After remembering that she loves tres leches, I decided to try making a mango tres leches again this year. If you may recall, it was featured in last year’s Mango Madness post, but there were a few issues with that recipe that I hoped to work through this time around. Thankfully, I think I got the kinks worked out for this version of the mango tres leches, as it was so well-received at the office that I got a few requests for the recipe. So, here it is. Since I didn’t anticipate actually posting this to the blog, I didn’t take pictures of the step-by-step process as I normally do. Hopefully, the directions are clear enough.

Mango Tres Leches

Ingredients

For the Cake
- 6 eggs, separated
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 6 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Milk Syrup
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1 cup mango juice (or mango nectar)
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 can evaporated milk
For the Mango Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp confectioners’ sugar
- 2 1/2 tbsp piping gel
- 1/3 cup mango puree
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-3 cups chopped mango
Directions

Make the cake:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 13” x 9” rectangular baking pan

In the large bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the sugar and increase the speed.

While the eggs are beating, sift the dry ingredients into a medium bowl.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, and then add the yolks one by one. Add the vanilla extract.

Remove bowl from mixer and fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry mixture. Pour into prepared baking pan

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Combine all of the ingredients for the milk syrup in a blender. Slowly pour mixture over the hot cake, pausing as needed to allow the cake to absorb the liquid. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Make the Mango Whipped Cream:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the cream and sugar until soft peaks form. Add the piping gel and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Add the vanilla extract.

Gently fold in the mango puree until no streaks remain, then spread evenly over the top of the cooled cake. Top with mango chunks.

Refrigerate until ready to serve, preferably overnight.

Makes about 24 servings
July 18, 2016
Mango and Cheese Pastries (Pastelitos)
Skip to Recipe
This is my third Mango Season working in a place that affords me access to a large supply of mangoes during this time of the year in Miami. I had been racking my brain for ideas on what to make with mango that I had never made before, and my brain reserves were getting low. Then, during a conversation with one of my sisters, she asks “Why not make mango pastelitos?” Mango pastries!? My head exploded.

For those of you that are not “in the know,” a pastelito is a Cuban pastry that is typically made with puff-pastry type of dough and can be filled with sweet or savory fillings. Pretty much any Latin bakery or cafeteria worth its salt in South Florida will sell them, so it’s completely mind-boggling as to why it never even occurred to me to try a mango spin on these popular treats. The most popular fillings are guava, guava and cheese, cheese, and ground beef. My absolute favorite is the guava and cheese, which is the one that inspired this recipe. Since guava is super-sweet, just like mango, it seemed to make sense to just swap out the guava with mango. It sounded crazy at first, but it WORKED. The sweetness of the mango was offset by the cream cheese, which also gave a creamy richness to complement the buttery flakiness of the puff pastry. Best of all, they’re super-easy to make.

Start by cooking some diced mango with brown sugar and a little bit of lemon juice. Simmer the mango mixture for 25-30 minutes, until the liquid thickens and becomes syrupy in consistency. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. You can even make this a day or two ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to use.

After that, the only other things you need are some puff pastry and a brick of cream cheese. Make your life easier by using cold cream cheese.

Defrost the puff pastry per the package directions. Lay the sheets of puff pastry out on your pan lined with parchment, a baking mat, or a floured surface. Cut each sheet it into thirds, then add three small pieces of cream cheese evenly spaced apart on 3 of the thirds. Leave room around the sides to close the pastry.

Add a spoonful of mango filling on top of each piece of cream cheese. If you didn’t cook your mango filling long enough, you might get some runoff. Don’t worry, it won’t impact the pastries much. Brush the edges and between the filling with egg wash or water.

Place the other three pieces of puff pastry over the ones that have the filling.

Cut them into squares and pinch them closed. The egg wash should help the tops and bottoms stick together. Brush them with additional egg wash or simple syrup, if desired.

Then, into a preheated oven they go!

Please resist the urge to dig in as soon as they come out of the oven. The filling is HOT, and you might hurt yourself. They do taste best when they are warm, though.

Simple, right? But, so delicious. These pastries just scream “Miami” in so many ways. The recipe for the mango filling makes enough to fill about 27 pastries, so scale up or down accordingly. You can easily find other uses for any leftover filling, but I bet you’ll simply wind up making more pastries once these disappear in mere moments. I bet it would be great on pancakes or waffles, too.

Mango and Cheese Pastries (Pastelitos de Mango y Queso)

Ingredients

For the Mango Filling:
- 2 1/2 cups mango, diced small
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
For the pastries:
- 1 package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
- 4oz cream cheese, cold
- Egg wash (optional)
Directions

Make the mango filling:

In a small saucepan, heat mango, brown sugar, and lemon juice over medium to medium-high heat until mixture is about to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until the liquid has thickened to a syrupy consistency.

Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before using.

Make the pastries:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Lay out the puff pastry sheets on a flat, nonstick surface and cut each sheet into thirds. Set three of the thirds aside.

Cut small rectangles of cream cheese and add three to each third of puff pastry sheet, spacing them out evenly on the strip and leaving room around the edges of the dough. Add a spoonful of mango on top of each piece of cream cheese.

Brush the edges of dough and between each mound of filling with egg wash or water, then top with the remaining 3 sheets of puff pastry dough. Cut each strip into thirds so that one mound of filling is at the center of each square, then pinch the sides down to seal. Place the squares on the baking sheet lined with parchment, leaving space between the pastries. Brush the tops with additional egg wash or simple syrup.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool at least 20 minutes before eating. Any leftover mango pastries can be stored in an airtight container after they cool completely.

Makes 9 pastries
July 13, 2016
Olivos (A Review)

I’m not sure how it works in other parts of the country, but Miami has a penchant for hiding snazzy little restaurants in place where you would least expect them to be. That’s where Olivos comes in. It’s a small Argentinian-fusion type restaurant located in a shopping plaza that contains one a very poorly organized grocery store and several hole-in-the-wall type restaurants. We had dinner here after work one day, and I definitely felt underdressed when I walked in. Fortunately, Olivos is in Doral, not South Beach. So, they don’t turn you away if you’re not dressed the part.

They started the table off with bread, which I dug into right away because I was hungry, and also because I was in a group and can never be sure who does and does not wash their hands. It was bread. Not much else to say about it.

Since it was a group of us, we ordered some appetizers. The empanadas were traditional Argentinian-style, which means they were full of things that I didn’t like. The calamari was gigantic rings of crispy, tender goodness. They didn’t even need any of the sauces that it came with, so I didn’t try them.

We also ordered some scallops, which were paired with a fruity sweet sauce that actually complemented the scallops quite well. Plus, the scallops themselves were cooked perfectly. I forgot what the black stuff was, except that it was something mixed with squid ink. At the other diners’ insistence, I gave it a taste, and immediately regretted it. Not a fan.

My first entree (grilled short ribs that were very bland and not very tender) was a bust, but I sent it back and got the NY Strip steak at the server’s recommendation. It was a definite improvement, and I really enjoyed it. It was cooked to the perfect Medium, and the homemade steak sauce was superb.

I didn’t try the dessert that was ordered for the table because it was a coconut panna cotta, but I had to take a picture because they made it look like an egg! The “bowl” was made of white chocolate and the “yolk” was a passion fruit jelly. Very creative!

The prices are pretty high, so I wouldn’t go back unless I just got paid and had something nice to celebrate, but it’s definitely worth checking out!

For more information on Olivos, visit http://olivosrestaurant.com/.

June 30, 2016
Taste of the Islands 2016

Taste of the Caribbean, a culinary showcase and demonstration with various countries represented, returned this year. With it, Taste of the Islands also returned, a culinary display of tapas-style small bites from all of the competing teams. I missed last year’s event on account of going to a wedding, but I credit their 2014 event for making me realize that I don’t hate all Caribbean food. I was excited to come back and sample some more eats, and possibly discover new things to add to my cravings rotation. Sadly, I had to skipped the “signature cocktail” for each team, as I have given up alcohol. I bet they were delicious, though!

In total, 13 islands participated in Taste of the Islands 2016, each bringing the unique style and flavors of their culture to the forefront. The pictures don’t do it justice, especially with a camerawoman that is trying to balance a tray of food while taking pictures. But, you get the idea.

Anguilla

Bahamas

Barbados

Bonaire

Curacao

Jamaica

Puerto Rico

St. Lucia

St. Martin

Suriname

Trinidad and Tobago

Turks and Caicos

Virgin Islands (USVI)

My favorites were the sancocho (root vegetable stew) from Team Puerto Rico and the shrimp corn dogs from Team Bahamas. This was a great event with lots of great food, great music, and good times. I will be back next year!

June 15, 2016
Snickers Cheesecake Cake
Skip to Recipe
I honestly don’t think that I need to say anything about this cake. The name says it all. But, I’ll say something anyway. You take three things that make the world a better place (chocolate cake, cheesecake, and Snickers bars), put them together, and create magic. This cake is one of a few of the “cheesecake cake” cakes that I have made, and I am sure that it won’t be the last.

I found this recipe for Snickers cheesecake cake when I was looking for things to do with the bags of Halloween candy that I had amassed during the post-holiday clearance sales. I have made it twice since then, and both times it got rave reviews. I did have to tweak the recipe a bit, but I almost always do that anyway.

Start by making your cheesecake. Beat the cream cheese and sugar until it’s smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then the sour cream. Add the vanilla extract, then fold in the chopped Snickers pieces. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake until almost set. Let cool completely on a wire rack, then chill. You will want to do this at least a few hours in advance, but preferably a day before. Cheesecake actually freezes very well, so you could even make it a week in advance and freeze it. The more firm the cheesecake is, the easier it will be to handle when assembling your cake.

Bake two chocolate cake layers in pans of the same size as the cheesecake. Let them cool completely, then place one layer on a cake tray or serving dish. Spread a thin layer of chocolate ganache over it, and then place the cheesecake layer on top. Spread some ganache over the cheesecake and then place the second cake layer over it. Pour the remaining chocolate ganache over the cake, letting it run over the sides.

One of the things that sets this cake apart is the Snickers frosting. It’s made by melting Snickers and butter together, and then adding this melted Snickers mixture into powdered sugar with a little bit of milk. This is where I made the biggest change to the original recipe, I think. Following the Snickers frosting recipe exactly gave me a cake that looked like this…

The frosting was just a runny mess. Refrigeration didn’t help much, and neither did the whipped cream that I tried to use to hide the unsightliness of the cake. However, halving the Snickers frosting recipe, and reducing the amount of milk added, let to my second attempt looking like THIS…

What a difference, right?!!

This Snickers cheesecake cake is definitely a lot of work to make, but the end-result is a piece of heaven in every bite. I suggest trying to make it at least once. You won’t be disappointed.

Snickers Cheesecake Cake

(adapted from recipe on IAmBaker.net)

Ingredients

For the Cake
- 1 recipe for 2-layer chocolate cake (recommended recipe here)
For the Cheesecake
- 2 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups chopped Snickers pieces (about 16 Fun Size bars)
For the Ganache
- 4.5oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tbsp coffee liqueur (optional)
For the Snickers Frosting
- 5 Fun Size Snickers bars
- 1/2 stick butter
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp milk
Directions

Make the cheesecake

Pre-heat the oven to 350° F. Grease your round baking pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and sour cream, then fold in the chopped Snickers. Pour into the prepared baking pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the center is set. Allow to cool completely, then refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

Make the cake

Bake your chocolate cake according to recipe indications, then allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the Ganache

Place the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the cream until it is just about to boil. Pour the heated cream over the chopped chocolate, then gently stir until all of the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the coffee liqueur, if using.

Make the Snickers Frosting

Sift the powdered sugar into a medium bowl. In small saucepan, melt the Snickers and butter over low heat, stirring often. Pour the melted Snickers mixture over the powdered sugar, then stir until the sugar dissolves. Add 1 tbsp of milk and stir. If your frosting is still too thick, add the second tbsp of milk.

Assembly

Place one chocolate cake layer on a cake board or cake platter. Spread a thin layer of chocolate ganache over the top of the cake, then remove the Snickers cheesecake from the milk and place it on top. Spread another thin layer of chocolate ganache over the cheesecake layer, then quickly place the second chocolate cake layer on top (if you don’t work quickly, the ganache might harden before you can place the cake on top, and then the layers won’t stick together as well). Pour the remaining ganache over the top of the cake, allowing it to run over the sides, and then pour the Snickers frosting over that. Garnish with whipped cream and additional Snickers pieces, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve, preferably overnight.
June 6, 2016
Burger Battle 2016
The time finally came for one of my most anticipated events of the year! Burger Battle returns for the 7th year in a row, and Burger Battle 2016 definitely did not disappoint. Plenty of burgers and beverages galore, and a chance to see which burgers come out on top.

Naturally, I arrived extra early to make sure that I had plenty of time to eat my fill and taste every burger.

Can’t you just smell them already?

In my haste, some of my pictures did not come out as well as I would have liked, so I must apologize for that. Lines get pretty long, and no one wants to wait behind someone taking their time snapping photos when they want to taste a burger. Which were my favorites, and which should have stayed home? Let’s find out!
- Burger #1: Hard Rock Cafe (Winner Best Bar and Grill Burger)
  - Hickory BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger: A burger with cheddar cheese, bacon, caramelized onions, house-made BBQ sauce, and Hard Rock Seasoning
  - This was one of my favorite burgers of the night. It had my “Burger Holy Trinity”: BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, and bacon. Practically any burger that has these ingredients will be a favorite for me. The house-made BBQ sauce had the perfect blend of sweetness and tang to offset the smokey bacon. Fantastic.
- Burger #2: Chef’s Palette at the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale
  - Grilled Brie and Short Rib Burger: Black pepper bacon, Brie cheese, grilled mushrooms, grilled onions, bread and butter pickles, Miso aioli, and topped with a yuca and pepper jack fritter
  - The best part of the burger for me was the yuca fritter. The burger itself had too many conflicting flavors. It was like a bunch of people at a table trying to talk over each other, but instead of being heard it becomes just a garbled cacophony.
- Burger #3: The Downtowner
  - Jameson Bleu Cheeseburger: A burger with Guinness cheese sauce and Jameson glaze
  - I probably could have taken a bath in a tub filled with that cheese sauce, I kid you not. It was a perfectly smooth blend of cheeses with the bite of stout finishing it off. The burger patty itself was kind of dry, though. The sauce helped with that, though.
- Burger #4: Brgr:Stop (Fan Favorite Winner)
  - The PB&J Burger: A burger with cheddar cheese, peanut butter, candied bacon, and tomato jam
  - This burger scared the hell out of me. Peanut butter and jelly burger?? A small bit of bravery returned when I saw that the “jelly” was represented by tomato jam. The first bite blew me away. It was sweet, salty, and bacon-y all at the same time. This was in my top 3 of the evening, so it doesn’t surprise me at all that they got a prize.
- Burger #5: Timpano
  - A burger with Teriyaki glazed onions, mango salsa, red chili aioli, cilantro cabbage slaw, and crispy shoe string potatoes
  - I never have high hopes for burgers that feature fruit or Asian-inspired flavors, as they almost always end up too sweet. Think that, for this burger, the sweetness of the mango salsa and Teriyaki met evenly with the salty potato strings and tangy slaw. It actually worked.
- Burger #6: Shake Shack
  - The ShackBurger: same as always
  - Shake Shack rarely strays from their formula, so it’s hard to say anything about this burger that I haven’t said before. One of my friends voted for this burger specifically because it was the most straightforward burger.
- Burger #7: Funky Buddha Craft Food Counter and Kitchen
  - Southern Smash Burger: Charcoal grilled patty with secret spices, roasted jalapeño, pimento cheese, ginger candied bacon, and cider soaked Vidalia onions
  - This burger didn’t really work for me. It was too heavy on the onion and pimento cheese, and the ginger in the bacon clashed with the rest of the flavors
- Burger #8: M.E.A.T. Eatery and Taproom
  - Dr. Jelly Finger Burger: same burger as at Hamburger House Party
  - I didn’t try this burger here because I had already tasted it at last week’s event.
- Burger #9: Ten Palms
  - A burger with diced shallots, Bibb lettuce, tomato aioli, candied bacon, jalapeño cheese, roasted tomato jelly, and fried onions
  - This burger was WAY too sweet.
- Burger #10: Burger Craze
  - Sushi Surf and Turf: Angus chuck burger with Ahi tuna, bleu cheese crumbles, Wasabi Mayo, Asian Coleslaw, and fresh ginger
  - Seared tuna, beef, and funky cheese do not belong together. Ever.
- Burger #11: Shooters Waterfront (Winner Best Knife and Fork Burger)
  - The Sunset Burger: Smoked guajillo glazed beef burger with romaine lettuce, ugly black tomato, sweet & spicy pickles, fried onion nest, and served on a red poppy seed bun
  - Maybe it was because of the strange color, but the bun didn’t taste quite right to me. Other than that, this burger was okay.
- Burger #12: Tucker Duke’s Lunchbox
  - The Umami Burger: A burger with bone marrow and red onion jam, aged Gruyere cheese, umami brined Shitake mushrooms, Black garlic aioli, crispy onions, roma tomatoes, and bacon on an onion brioche roll
  - Tucker Duke’s consistently had the longest line of the evening, so I was sure that I was in for a treat. Unfortunately, this burger failed to deliver. The shitake mushrooms just took over everything else.
- Burger #13: Duffy’s Sports Grill
  - Katsu Burger: a breaded and fried burger patty served with Poke Slaw, Hibachi Yum Sauce, and a side of lobster fried rice
  - I took one look at this burger and concluded that I probably wasn’t going to like it. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The panko crust surrounding the patty lent for a great crunch, while the beef inside was still moist and juicy. The slaw on the burger was a tart and refreshing complement to the heaviness of the fried patty. It ended up getting my vote for the night. The lobster fried rice that it was served it was also pretty good.
- Burger #14: Shula Burger (Winner Judge’s Choice, Best Burger Joint, AND Burger Nirvana)
  - The Heater: A burger with four pepper relish, red onion, shaved lettuce, pepper jack cheese, crispy jalapeños, and chipotle spread
  - One bite and I was assaulted by flavors that just didn’t sit well with me. But, considering how many awards they took home that night, I guess they did something right. The judges must like heat.
- Burger #15: Bamboo Beach
  - A burger with hot sauce, American cheese, guacamole, and jalapeño
  - I think that they played it kind of safe and wound up with a burger that was a little too bland. Not a bad burger, though.
- Burger #16: Beauty and the Feast
  - They were announced as one of the participating restaurants this year, but I didn’t see them anywhere. It’s possible that I missed them.
Most of the people that know me will know that a burger like Hard Rock’s would have been my vote for sure. So, why did I go with Duffy’s Katsu burger? At the end of the day, Hard Rock Cafe’s BBQ burger was everything I want in a burger, and that’s the problem. Duffy’s took the concept of a burger and transformed it in such a way that it created an inventive new twist on a burger. This is a hard thing to do successfully, yet they completely took everything that I know about burgers, turned it upside down, and STILL produced a delicious and succulent product. Since it was the choice between meeting my expectations and completely blowing my expectations, but impressing me anyway, then I had to go with Duffy’s.

As with every year before it, there was a french fry bar! I didn’t have any this year. I was too distracted by burgers. I wasn’t even able to catch the name of the restaurant that provided the fries. I must be losing my touch.

Aaaand, there were sweets available from a local bakery! Check out those beautiful red velvet cake pops and the adorable shortcake sliders!

Once again, Burger Battle came and went too quickly, but there’s always next year. Thank you to all of the restaurants that participated and let us eat our fill at Burger Battle 2016. See you next year!
May 20, 2016
Hamburger House Party 2016
Burger Beast’s answer to Burger Battle returns to Miami for the third year in a row. Best of all, they appear to have fixed the logistical issues that plagued last year’s event. This time around, the theme was 80’s, and it was a nostalgic travel back in time while enjoying some delicious bites.

Twenty restaurants. Twenty burgers. One winner. Well, two if you count People’s Choice, but you get the idea. Anyway, as usual, I sampled all of the burgers that were being showcased that evening. Well, at least I thought I did. I ended up missing one, even though I walked through the area twice after tasting 19 to make sure that I didn’t miss any. Shame on me.
- Burger #1: Gilbert’s 17th Street Grill
  - The Mofongo – Certified Angus Beef Stuffed with Mofongo and topped with Swiss Cheese & Homemade Sofrito
  - I’m in love. Mofongo in a burger is just plain genius. Since plantains are a starchy, they absorb the juices of the meat as it is being cooked, and you don’t end up with that dry crumbly mofongo that some places have. The kicker was that they even included a side of their version of a red sauce, which is my favorite mofongo dipping sauce. The was the first burger that I tasted that night, and it was definitely my favorite. They got my vote.
- Burger #2: Chefs on the Run
  - The Beastie Boys Burger – Angus 80/20 (Churrasco, Chuck, Brisket blend) topped with Herb de Provence Bacon, Provolone Cheese, Gorgonzola Bleu Cheese Mousse, & Ghost Chili-Habanero Butter
  - This burger was actually very good. I have only recently grown to appreciate “stinky cheeses” on my burgers, and this was a good balance of high-brow ingredients on low-brow food.
- Burger #3: Crackers Casual Dining
  - Southern Hospitality – Signature Burger Patty topped with Spicy BBQ Mayo, deep fried Pickle Spears, Pulled Pork Cheese Crisp, Smoked Gouda, & Sweet Potato Frizzles
  - All I tasted was pickle.That about says it all.
- Burger #4: Hate Mondays Tavern
  - Warehouse Burger – Sirloin/Brisket/Smoked Rib Patty topped with Pesto blend with dry Slaw, Maple Bacon, Gouda Cheese, & a little Homemade BBQ sweetness
  - This tasted too much like just a regular burger. It was a decent burger, but it was simply overshadowed by all of the GREAT burgers that were there.
- Burger #5: Jr’s Gourmet Burgers (People’s Choice Winner)
  - It’s a Wrap – Burger Patty, Fried Egg, Cheddar & Swiss Cheeses between 2 slices of Bread, all wrapped up in Bacon
  - This burger might have been very close to getting my vote if it hadn’t been for the presence of the fried egg. Everything else about this burger screamed “Winner!” I mean, where have YOU seen a bacon wrapped burger before?? Plus, the cheddar cheese that they used was great quality. I just took a bite and got that cheese stretch that I love so much to go along with my crispy, salty bacon shell.
- Burger #6: Wholesome Rollers (2nd Place Judge’s Choice)
  - The Wisconsin Butter Burger – Cheddar Cheese, Bacon, Bacon-fat Caramelized Onions, & Chuck’s Jalapeño Ketchup on a Pretzilla Pretzel Bun
  - I can see why this burger ranked highly. It had three of the things that I LOVE on burgers: cheddar cheese, bacon, and pretzel buns. The ketchup was a little too spicy for my liking, though.
- Burger #7: Latin House
  - The Steamed Champ – Butter Steamed Beef, Five Cheese Fondue, Candied Bacon, Butter Lettuce, Heirloom Tomatoes & Roasted Aioli on a Brioche Bun
  - I was very underwhelmed by this burger. I think the steaming of the patty, butter or not, really didn’t do the meat any favors. Not much depth of flavor, not even with the other toppings.
- Burger #8: M.E.A.T. Eatery and Taproom
  - Dr Jelly Finger – Burger topped with Bacon, Bananas, an Onion Ring, Jack Cheese & Blueberry Chipotle Jam
  - At first glance, this is an absurdly weird combination. Yet, it almost worked. The sweet undertone was just a little too strong for the burger to be successful.
- Burger #9: Norman Brothers
  - The B&B Burger – A 50% Wagyu Beef & 50% Applewood Smoked Bacon Burger Patty topped with Avocado, Tomato, Red Leaf Lettuce, Pepper Jack Cheese, House-made Chipotle Aioli, & even more Bacon on a Toasted Bun
  - I think that this would have been a very good burger if there had been less greens on it.
- Burger #10: Tucker Duke’s Lunchbox
  - Ari 2.0 – Pastrami seasoned Burger with House-made Kimchi, Bacon & Honey Crisp Apple Chutney & Salted Caramel Honey Yogurt
  - Word has it that this was one of the most popular burgers of the night. I wouldn’t get past my first bite. Kimchi…yuck.
- Burger #11: Orange Bear Restaurant
  - Double Bacon Cheddar Bourbon Burger – 75/25 Chuck/Short Rib/Brisket Burger Patty topped with Roasted Garlic Aioli, Habanero Bacon Jam, Sautéed Bourbon Onions, Crispy Bacon, & Bourbon Sauce on a Butter Toasted Roll
  - This was a good burger, but nothing really stood out about it
- Burger #12: Fat Moe’s
  - Miami Burger – Fat Moe’s Secret Blend Burger Patty topped with Fried Plantains, Pepper Jack Jalapeño Cheese, Candied Onions & Moe’s Secret Sauce and Loose Meat Burger: Layer of Sharp Cheddar torched, layer of Burger Meat,
    layer of Cream Cheese torched litely, layer of Burger Meat, layer of Jalapeño Jack Cheese torched & wrapped with Bacon
  - For all of the things that were supposedly on this burger, it really didn’t taste like anything but a plain burger. I didn’t even taste any plaintain in mine. The burger itself tasted good, but it just didn’t taste like what I expected from the description.
- Burger #13: Pincho Factory
  - The Backyard Burger – Short Rib/Brisket/Chuck Patty topped with American Cheese, Caramelized Onions, Papitas & Pink sauce on a Brioche Slider Bun
  - I really missed the Tostones burger that they presented at Burger Brawl 2014. This burger didn’t have that same “WOW” factor.
- Burger #14: Shake Shack
  - ShackBurger – 100% All-Natural Angus Beef Cheeseburger topped with Lettuce, Tomato, & ShackSauce
  - In my many years of coming to these burger competitions, I believe I have only seen Shake Shack offer something besides the ShackBurger maybe once. I guess they have enough confidence in their product that they don’t feel the need to be creative. And, while it is a tasty burger, it just can’t hold its own against these competitors.
- Burger #15: Woody’s Burgers
  - Tokyo Burger – Teriyaki Beef (Sirloin/Chuck/Brisket) Patty topped with Caramelized Bacon & Onions, Wasabi Mayo & Pickled Ginger
  - Woody’s attempt at incorporating Asian flavors in a burger was definitely more successful than Tucker Duke’s, but it was still overly sweet for a burger
- Burger #16: The Local
  - “The Death of Disco” a.k.a. “The Ronald Reagan” – Slider topped with a House-made Ham Croqueta smothered in House-made American Cheez Whiz & Bacon Gravy
  - As with the kimchi burger, one bite of this burger was enough. Croquetas are not my thing, and this one featured them prominently.
- Burger #17: Jersey Dawg (3rd Place Judge’s Choice)
  - Classic Slider – Ground Beef cooked on a bed of Steamed Onions, topped with American Cheese & served on a Martin’s Potato Roll
  - They must have done something right, because they were close to taking the price. For me, however, they were just too ordinary. Delicious, but boring.
- Burger #18: Doce Provisions
  - Doce Burger – Short Rib Blend Burger Patty topped with Queso Frito, Truffle Aioli, Pickles, Tomato, & Frisee
  - The flavors of this burger were actually pretty darn good, but my patty was waaay undercooked
- Burger #19: Burbowl (1st Place Judge’s Choice)
  - Juicy Smashed Burger – 100% Never Frozen Angus Beef, Melted Cheddar, Bacon, Grilled Onion and Mushrooms topped with our signature Garlic Chipotle Sauce, our Secret Sauce & our Cilantro Sauce on the side
  - This burger merely LOOKS simple and unimpressive, but was actually quite succulent. I didn’t even need any of the sauces that it came with. Fresh meat really does make a difference.
- Burger #20: 109 Burger Joint (not sampled)
  - Morning in Havana – Two 1.5 oz smashed Coffee rub seasoned Angus Beef Patties, Espresso & Brown Sugar-cured Bacon, Swiss Cheese, Cortadito Sauce, Duck fried Yuca & Croqueta de Congri on a Honey Garlic Glazed Bun
  - I knew that 109 Burger Joint was supposed to be there that evening. However, after walking around the venue multiple times looking for them, I assumed that they bailed at the last minute. Thanks to some posters on Yelp, I discovered that they WERE there, and I’m just a blind idiot. That is unfortunate, because I really would have liked to taste that burger.
In addition to burgers, Burger Beast was kind enough to arrange to have some other tastings available. There was beer and other spirits, but I don’t drink and largely ignored those tables. However…

There were some great tastings to be had from other stations at Hamburger House Party 2016. Sweetness Bakeshop offered samples of variety of dessert shots. I tried the Death by Chocolate and Tiramisu shots, which were both good. Hip Pop, a regular at Burger Beast events, paid homage to the 80’s with their homemade pudding pops. They were offering chocolate and bourbon vanilla. The chocolate one was, by far, my favorite. Magic City Casino handed out samples of chicken alfredo sliders. I won’t lie, I enjoyed those sliders more than I enjoyed some of the burgers. The breaded chicken was delicious and crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. There were also cookies from Night Owl Cookie Co, which I did not taste because I was just too full by then.

Hamburger House Party 2016 was a great event, and I am glad that last year’s unpleasant experience did not deter me from coming this year. I will definitely be back next year. Thank you to all of the restaurants that participated, and keep up the good work!
May 10, 2016
Mocha Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches
Skip to Recipe
Do you ever think that you have a great idea, and then Google it to find out that your idea has been done repeatedly already? Well, ice cream and macarons are both things that leave me with the same problem. I made ice cream and am stuck with leftover egg whites after using the yolks for the custard base. I make macarons, and now I’m stuck with egg yolks that I need to find a use for. For a while, macarons were the direct result of having recently made ice cream, and vice versa. Then, it occurs to me “Hey, why not combine the macarons and ice cream TOGETHER!?” After all, it’s no secret that macaron shells are very freezer-friendly, so being part of a frozen dessert would not diminish the quality of this cookie. Lo and behold, it had already been done, and there was plenty of online research material to prepare me for my own efforts. And, after reading up on it, and a few YouTube videos, I finally decided to try it out. The results were so spectacular that these quickly became one of my most requested desserts. Chocolate macaron shells are still the only macaron shells that I can get to turn out well a reliably. So, all of my flavor combinations were always based around a chocolate macaron shell. To date, one of the favorite combinations among my friends is the chocolate macaron shells with coffee ice cream. So, mocha!

I have had many requests for the recipe, and it’s been sitting on the shelf for a while. Truth be told, I kept making the macaron ice cream sandwiches with the intention of photographing the process for the blog post. But, I somehow always end up forgetting to take pictures. Macarons and ice cream are both fairly time-sensitive recipes that require use of both hands, which makes photographing difficult.

Be warned, these aren’t really something that you can make on a whim or spur of the moment. This requires some planning, since the ice cream has to be sufficiently set before you can begin. The good thing is that, since it’s ice cream, you can make it way in advance and plan to make the macarons up to a few days afterwards. Or, you can use store-bought ice cream, like a chump. But, you’re not a chump. You are all about doing everything from scratch, or you wouldn’t even be here, right!?

So, here we go! You start by making the ice cream, preferably at least a day in advance.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk some egg yolks and sugar until light in color. Set aside.

Heat the milk and coffee granules in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the milk starts to simmer, remove from the heat and slowly add the hot milk mixture to the egg yolk and sugar mixture, about ¼ cup at a time, whisking constantly. Once about half of the hot liquid had been added to the egg yolks, pour the egg mixture into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture, whisking the entire time.

Return to the stove and continue cooking, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Pour through a fine mesh strainer (this ensures a perfectly smooth mixture) into a medium bowl with the heavy cream. Add the vanilla extract and stir until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely chilled. You can help the ice cream along by putting the bowl into another bowl filled with ice water and stirring the mixture every 30 minutes or so.

Once the custard has chilled, freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Pour the frozen ice cream into a 13″ x 9″ lined with aluminum foil (heavy-duty if you have it), cover, then freeze until the ice cream hardens.

You can make any chocolate macaron batter that you like, but Chowhound’s recipe has given me great results. The important thing here is the size of your macaron shells. Take whatever cookie/biscuit cutter that you are going to use for your ice cream sandwiches and trace out circles on a piece of parchment big enough to fit your baking pan. I went one step further and made a template sized for my baking pan, then took it to Kinkos to have it printed and laminated to use over and over again. Considering how often I have been making these, it was definitely a worthwhile investment. A 2 ¼” circle is a pretty good size for an ice cream sandwich, but you can choose whatever size you wish. I find that the baking time is the same for ice cream sandwich sized macaron shells as it is for standard sized macaron shells, but do check them for doneness and adjust baking time as needed.

When the macaron shells are baked and cooled, you can start assembling your ice cream sandwiches. Pair up your macaron shells and place them on a tray. Take your cookie or biscuit cutter and cut a circle of ice cream out of the pan, then place it over a flat side of a macaron shell and top with another macaron shell to form a sandwich. Repeat the process until you run out of macaron shells, working quickly so that the ice cream doesn’t get too soft to work with. Scoop the leftover ice cream into an airtight container and store in the freezer. Or, just eat it right out of the pan. Your choice.

Store them in an airtight container and freeze until ready to consume. I normally let them sit at least overnight, but a few hours should be enough. I also rarely have any left more than a week or so.

Next stop: heaven.

It seems like a lot of work, but the hardest part is getting your macarons to come out properly. If you’ve already mastered macaron-making, then this should be no problem. Don’t be afraid. If I can do it, anyone can!

Mocha Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ingredients
- 1 batch of chocolate macaron batter (recommended recipe here)
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 heaping tablespoons instant coffee granules
- 6 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions

In a small mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture is light in color. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the milk and coffee granules over medium heat until the coffee has dissolved and the mixture is about to come to a boil. Remove from heat and slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, whisking constantly. Once about 1/3 of the mixture has been added, pour the egg yolk mixture into the remaining hot milk mixture in the saucepan. Make sure you keep stirring!

Pour the heavy cream into a medium-sized bowl, then return the milk mixture to the heat. Continue cooking the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and pour through a fine mesh strainer into the bowl that contains the cream. Add the vanilla extract and stir gently until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until the mixture is cold.

Remove the bowl with the custard mixture from the refrigerator and freeze the custard according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. Pour the soft ice cream into a foil lined 13″ x 9″ pan and spread evenly. Cover and freeze for 4 hours or until the ice cream is firm.

While the ice cream is freezing, take the macaron batter and transfer it to a piping bag. Pipe the macaron batter into circles of the size that you wish your ice cream sandwiches to be (I recommend 2 ¼”), then rest and bake according to the recipe’s directions. Allow to cool completely before beginning the assembly process.

To assemble the ice cream sandwiches, pair up the macaron shells, then remove the pan of ice cream from the freezer. Place one macaron per pair flat side up. Using a biscuit cutter that is the same size as the macaron shells, cut out a round of ice cream. Place a round of ice cream on the flat side of the macaron shell, then top with the other macaron shell. Repeat the process until you are either out of macaron shells or out of ice cream, working quickly to keep the ice cream from getting too soft (if this happens, put the pan back in the freezer until the ice cream firms up again). Transfer the ice cream sandwiches to an airtight container and freeze for 4 hours or until ready to serve.
May 4, 2016
Super Arepa (A Review)

Super Arepa, located around Kendale Lakes, is a counter-service joint that serves Venezuelan-style casual fare. As the name implies, their signature offering is the Super Arepa, an arepa (you remember what an arepa is, don’t you?) stuffed with your choice of meat, pico de gallo, grated cheese and special house sauce. I had heard Super Arepa name-dropped several times by several different people for quite some time. It has been one of those places that is on my list of places to try, but I just never got around to it. What finally got me to go there was a phone call from a friend who was nearby and wanted to meet for dinner, and me being too broke to afford a sit-down restaurant.

Super Arepa definitely seems to be one of those places that you have to be “in the know” for. It’s located in the back part of a strip mall, and isn’t even visible from the street. I went to that strip mall once to eat at another place and never even noticed that it was there.

You order at a counter, and the counter attendant is more than happy to answer any questions. Thanks to her, I found out that the special sauce that they serve on the Super Arepas contains mayonnaise, so I asked them to leave it off of mine. I got a steak Super Arepa combo, which comes with fries and a drink. If you’re eating it there, you can have a seat after you’ve paid for your food and they will bring it out to your table.

First, let’s start with the fries, which were kind of bland and boring. You can skip those when you pay this place a visit. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s go to the arepa. This was definitely unlike anything I have ever eaten. I’m used to arepas that are kind of firm and have a slight crunch to their exterior. This arepa was soft and flexible, like a fat tortilla. Stuffed arepas are normally an arepa opened up like a clamshell and filled that way. The meat that it was filled with was flavorful, but a little bit on the dry side. I imagine that the “special sauce” fixes the moisture issue, but we all know how I feel about mayo. The cheese didn’t taste like it was your standard “queso blanco.” It had a bit of a sharpness and tang to it that was closer to like a parmesan cheese. The pico de gallo was made with green tomatoes. Not sure if this is intentional, or if they were just out of ripe tomatoes. Either way, it stopped the arepa from tasting more Mexican than Venezuelan.

I am curious to go back and try some of their other offerings, but I’m in no hurry.

You can visit Super Arepa at 14417 SW 42nd St, Miami, FL 33175. They also have a Pembroke Pines location.

April 15, 2016
Caramel Macchiato Cupcakes

Skip to Recipe
I have a love/hate relationship with coffee. While I like coffee-flavored things, I don’t actually like to drink coffee. Some people like that black, unsweetened concoction to just punch them in the face with caffeine. I, on the other hand, prefer to add enough sweeteners and flavorings that I almost forget that I am drinking coffee. My favorite “coffee additive” is caramel, because caramel is awesome. So, it’s no wonder that caramel macchiatos are my favorite coffee beverage. This cupcake is an homage to this beverage. As an added bonus, the presentation of these caramel macciato cupcakes makes so you can fool people into thinking that they’re actual drinks. Pretty neat for an April Fool’s Day post, no?

(more…)

April 1, 2016