The Mexican Slow Cooker: Recipes for Mole, Enchiladas, Carnitas, Chile Verde Pork, and More Favorites (23 page)

Using half of the shortening, grease the bottom, corners, and halfway up the sides of the slow cooker insert. Line the insert with an 18-inch piece of aluminum foil, smoothing it carefully into the corners and against the sides. Grease the foil with the remaining shortening.

In a 2-quart saucepan over low heat, heat the milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until the milk is steaming, but do not allow it to boil. Turn off the heat and stir in the Ibarra chocolate and 1½ cups of the chocolate chips. Stir with a whisk until the chocolate has melted. Let cool to lukewarm, then whisk in the beaten eggs.

While the milk cools, melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the bananas and brown sugar and sauté for several minutes, until the bananas are glazed.

Place the bread in a large mixing bowl. Add the chocolate mixture, the sautéed bananas, and the remaining ½ cup chocolate chips. Stir well.

Pour the bread pudding into the cooker, cover, and cook on low 4 to 4½ hours, or until puffed and firm. For the last 30 minutes, open the lid a small crack to let excess steam escape. Uncover and let cool in the insert for 30 minutes. Serve from the cooker, or unmold onto a plate: Run a rubber spatula around the edges to loosen. Grasp the ends of the foil and lift out of the insert. Turn upside down, peel off the foil, and turn right side up onto a serving plate. Serve warm or cold, with a scoop of gelato on top and the strawberries alongside.

Like magic, sweetened condensed milk is transformed into a thick, luscious caramel while still in the unopened can. Of course, the slow cooker is ideal for this preparation, which must cook for several hours. If you like having dulce de leche around (and who doesn’t?), you can cook as many as 3 or 4 cans at a time, depending on the shape and size of your slow cooker. Unopened and refrigerated, it keeps indefinitely. Just make sure the water can circulate freely between the cans and that the cans are always covered by an inch of boiling water. The longer you cook it, the darker and more delicious it becomes.

Place the can in a slow cooker and cover with hot tap water by at least 1 inch (or more, if you plan on leaving it unattended for more than a few hours). Cook on high for 10 hours, checking the water level occasionally and topping off with boiling water from a kettle to keep the cans covered, if necessary. Tuck the corner of a kitchen towel under the edge of the lid to keep the lid from knocking as it boils. After 10 hours, turn the cooker off and let the can cool in the water. Store unopened in the refrigerator. After opening the can, transfer to a sealed storage container and use within several days. The dulce de leche may also be frozen in a freezer bag or plastic storage container.

By finding a mold that will fit into your slow cooker and rigging up something to keep the bottom of the mold off the bottom of the slow cooker (I use chopsticks), you can use your slow cooker in place of an oven with a bain-marie. This darkly delicious flan is truly decadent. The secret to the depth of flavor and color is a long-cooked, deeply caramelized dulce de leche, which you should prepare the day before assembling this dessert. Serve with whipped cream and fresh seasonal berries.

Using the vegetable shortening, thoroughly grease a heatproof 6-cup mold that will fit in your 5 or 6-quart slow cooker. Place a rack or a few chopsticks in the bottom of the slow cooker to prevent the mold from resting on the bottom.

Place the sugar in a heavy saucepan and heat over medium heat until the sugar begins to melt. Swirl the sugar to combine the melted and unmelted portions, or stir with a wooden spoon, until the sugar is a dark golden brown, but not in danger of burning. Immediately pour the caramel into the bottom of the mold.

In a blender, combine the eggs, evaporated milk, dulce de leche, cream cheese, vanilla, and salt and blend until smooth. Pour into the mold. Set the mold on the rack in the slow cooker. Carefully pour boiling water into the slow cooker insert until it comes halfway up the sides of the mold.

Lay a clean kitchen towel tightly across the top of the cooker and hold snugly in place with the lid. This will prevent excess moisture from dripping into the flan as it cooks.

Cook on high until just firm and a skewer inserted comes out clean, about 2 hours. Remove the mold from the slow cooker and let cool on a rack, then chill, covered, for several hours or overnight.

Serve from the mold or unmold upside down on a plate. Serve cold garnished with the whipped cream and berries.

This unusual apple cake comes from the Mennonite country, near Chihuahua, in northern Mexico. The small amount of cheese makes the cake taste richer, and of course the combination of apples, nuts, and cheese is a classic. Use any mild firm white cheese, such as
asadero,
Chihuahua cheese, Muenster, mild Gouda, or Monterey jack. What makes this cake really special is the final drizzle of piloncillo-sweetened spiced coffee
(café de olla)
after cooking. The light molasses flavor and subtle hints of cinnamon and clove are the perfect finishing touch. This cake may also be made with pears, peaches, pineapple, ripe persimmons, or quince.

To prepare the insert, use half of the shortening to grease the bottom, corners, and halfway up the sides. Line the insert with an 18-inch piece of aluminum foil, smoothing it carefully into the corners and against the sides. Grease the foil with the remaining shortening, using most of the shortening on the corners and sides.

Smear 3 tablespoons of the softened butter in a layer across the bottom of the insert. Scatter the walnuts over the butter.

Peel and core the apples and cut into thin slices. Arrange the sliced apples in overlapping slices on top of the butter. Pour the lemon juice and water over the apples. Sprinkle the apples lightly with 2 tablespoons of the piloncillo sugar.

In a mixing bowl, with an electric hand mixer, beat the remaining 6 tablespoons of the butter until creamy. Add the granulated sugar a little at a time, beating after each addition.

In a separate bowl, stir together the eggs, vanilla, and sour cream. Add the egg mixture to the butter mixture and beat until smooth.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in two parts, stirring to combine after each addition. Fold in the cheese.

Spoon the batter evenly over the apples and carefully spread into an even layer. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the piloncillo over the top of the batter.

Set the insert in the cooker and turn on high. Lay a clean kitchen towel tightly across the top of the cooker and hold snugly in place with the lid. This will prevent excess moisture from dripping into the cake as it cooks. Cook for 2½ to 3 hours, or until the cake is firm.

When the cake is almost done cooking, make the coffee syrup. In a bowl, stir together the coffee, the remaining 3 tablespoons piloncillo, the cinnamon stick, and clove. Set aside.

When the cake is done, uncover and let cool for 10 minutes. Grabbing the ends of the foil, carefully lift the cake out of the cooker. Set a serving plate upside down over the cake. Slide your hand under the cake, hold the plate with the other hand, and flip the cake upside down, so the apples are on top. Spoon the coffee syrup over and around the cake.

Serve warm or cold, topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if you like.