Scribble Cookies and Sweet Plantain Fritters

Garabatos means “scribbles” in Spanish, and the original cookie comes from D’Elvis, a bakery shop in Mexico City. It’s owned by the Bleiers, a couple of Bulgarian origin. Mrs. Bleier has been making them since the 1950s in the front part of her house, which became the bakery. The cookies are so famous and sought after that the owners’ son started a chain of coffee shops called Garabatos, where the main attraction is these cookies: thick chocolate ganache sandwiched between round butter cookies with chocolate dribbled on top. The boys and I have a blast drizzling those scribbles.

As delicious as the cookies are when freshly made, they are even more so after being refrigerated. The cookie and the chocolate harden a little, making their melt-in-the-mouth quality even more sublime.

• Dough
• 10 ounces (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus butter for the cookie sheets
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• Pinch of kosher or coarse sea salt
•  
• Filling
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 tablespoons sugar

1. To make the dough: In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer at 
2. medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy, another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour ½ cup at a time, then add the salt, beating until thoroughly mixed.
3. Turn the dough out, gather into a ball, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F, with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Butter two cookie sheets.
5. Lightly dust your work surface and a rolling pin with flour. Roll out the dough about ¼ inch thick. Cut out the cookies with a 3-inch round cookie cutter or a glass and place them ½ inch apart on the cookie sheets.
6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are just golden. Remove the cookies from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
7. To make the filling: In a medium saucepan, combine the cream and chopped chocolate and stir constantly over low heat until the chocolate is completely melted. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Remove from the heat and let the filling cool slightly until thickened.
8. Turn half of the cookies flat side up and spread a heaping tablespoon of the chocolate on each one; reserve the remaining chocolate to make the scribbles on top. Let the chocolate settle on the bottom cookies for at least 5 minutes. Top with the remaining cookies, flat side down, sandwiching them together lightly.
9. Scrape the remaining chocolate into a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip, scrape it into a small plastic bag and snip off a bottom corner, or use a fork to drizzle the chocolate. (You can also spoon it into a squeeze bottle.) Drizzle the chocolate on top of the cookies, making your own scribble designs. Let the cookies stand until the filling is set, then store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

MEXICAN COOK’S TRICK: Be sure to let both the cookies and the filling cool before putting them together. If the filling is hot, it will be too runny. If the cookies are still warm, they will melt the filling.

Apricot-Lime-Glazed Mini Pound Cakes:

Giuseppe Garibaldi was a famous Italian who inspired and helped many Latin American countries fight for their independence in the nineteenth century, and one of Mexico’s favorite bizcocho or pan dulce (“sweet rolls”) is the Garibaldi, created in a bakery founded by Italian immigrants. The shop, El Globo, was established in Mexico City in 1884. Now it’s owned by a big food company, but luckily, the recipe for these soft and tender mini pound cakes has not been changed. With a sweet-tart lime glaze and a crunch from the nonpareils (called chochitos or grageas in Spanish) sprinkled all over them, the little cakes couldn’t look or taste more celebratory.

• Cakes
• 4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature, plus more for the pans
• 1¼ cups sugar
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• Pinch of kosher or coarse sea salt
• ¾ cup heavy cream
•  
• Glaze
• 1 cup apricot preserves
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 cup white nonpareils or other sprinkles of your choice
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F, with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Butter 24 mini-muffin cups or 12 standard muffin cups and lightly dust with flour; set aside.
2. To make the cakes: In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until creamy, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar and continue to beat with the mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 more minutes. Add the eggs one by one, beating until well blended; stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the 
4. flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the heavy cream and mixing with the mixer at low speed until well combined.
5. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, filling them no more than three-quarters full (set the remaining batter aside). Bake for about 10 minutes for mini-muffin-sized cakes, or 12 to 15 minutes for standard cupcake-sized cakes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out
6. clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and, when cool enough to handle, remove them from the tins and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat to make more batches, buttering and flouring the cooled muffin tins.
7. To make the glaze: In a medium saucepan, combine the apricot preserves and lime juice and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the preserves have melted. Pour into a small bowl.
8. Place the nonpareils in another small bowl.
9. Holding a cake by its bottom, dip as much of it as you can into the apricot glaze, then gently but swiftly roll the glazed area in the nonpareils. (If you roll too slowly or press 
10. too hard, the nonpareils will become covered with glaze and be hard to work with.) Repeat with the remaining cakes, placing the finished cakes on a platter.
11. Let the cakes cool, then cover. They taste even better the next day, when the glaze will have soaked in and the nonpareils softened a bit.
MEXICAN COOK’S TRICK: Dunk as much of each cake as possible into the glaze while it is still warm, so it will be absorbed and spread more easily, making the sprinkles stick.
• Cajeta Crepes with Toasted Pecans :
• Delicate crepes soaked in a warm milky caramel sauce and topped with toasted pecans are one of the fanciest and most classic of Mexican desserts, and the ultimate symbol of the country’s everlasting love affair with French cuisine. For a grown-up take, you can add a splash of rum to the sauce. Don’t be intimidated, crepes are easy to make. A friend used to say that preparing them is like raising kids: You wish you had had the practice of the third when you had your first.

  Cajeta, and its Argentinean counterpart, the milder dulce de leche, are both readily available in the United States. On rainy days, the kids and I slice apples in quarters and top them with the leftover cajeta from the jar.
  • Crepes
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • Pinch of kosher or coarse sea salt
  • ⅓ cup (5⅓ tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
  • ½ cup water
  •  
  • Sauce
  • 2 cups cajeta  or dulce de leche
  • 1½ cups whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon rum (optional)
  •  
  • ½ cup coarsely chopped pecans, lightly toasted, for garnish
  • Vanilla ice cream (optional)
  1. To make the crepes: Place the flour, eggs, egg yolk, milk, sugar, salt, and melted butter in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add the water and blend again until smooth. Alternatively, you can mix the ingredients by hand. Pour the batter into a container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours. (This rest makes the crepes fluffier.)
  2. When ready to make the crepes, stir the batter with a whisk or fork until well combined and smooth.
  3. Set a crepe pan over medium-high heat. Once it is hot, butter the surface: The butter should foam. Tilt the pan, ladle a scant ¼ cup batter over the lower side, and quickly tilt and turn the pan to spread the batter over the entire surface of the pan. Cook for 20 to 25 seconds, until the edges are beginning to dry and the bottom is lightly browned. With a small spatula or fork, lift up one edge of the crepe and quickly turn it over with your fingers. Cook the second side for 10 to 15 seconds, or until lightly browned. Remove the crepe from the pan and place on a plate. Repeat with the rest of the batter, stacking the crepes on top of one another, with the darker side down. (That side will become the outside of the crepe when you fill or fold them.) After making 3 or 4 crepes, you may need to butter the pan again.
  4. To make the sauce: Bring the cajeta and milk to a gentle simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring, and simmer for 2 minutes, or until the cajeta is thoroughly dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the rum, if using.
  5. To assemble the crepes: Place one crepe on a plate and spread 2 tablespoons of the cajeta sauce over the surface. Fold the crepe in half, add a couple more tablespoons of sauce, and spread it around. Fold the crepe again to make a triangle shape and pour a few more tablespoons sauce on top. Repeat with the remaining crepes and sauce.
  6. Serve 2 crepes per person, garnished with the toasted pecans and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, if desired.
  MEXICAN COOK’S TRICK: To make the crepes ahead, stack the cooked crepes as above, placing a piece of plastic wrap between every 3 to 4 crepes. (That way, they will be easy to separate when you are ready to use them.) Once they have cooled, wrap the stack in plastic wrap and place in a sealed plastic bag and refrigerate or freeze. To reheat, remove as many as you need and heat one at a time in a skillet over medium heat for 15 to 20 seconds.

Sweet Plantain Fritters :

Torrejas are a deluxe Mexican version of French toast, served covered in syrup, honey, or sugar. The most unusual version comes from the state of Campeche in southeast Mexico. Instead of bread or a pancake batter, they are made with ripe plantains and are utterly delicious.

Fluffy, with a crispy crust and soft bite, the fritters can be eaten for dessert or as a luxurious breakfast with Spiced Sweet Mexican Coffee or, if you are feeling decadent, with hot chocolate.

• 4 cups peeled and sliced ripe plantains 
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• Pinch of kosher or coarse sea salt
• Vegetable oil
• Honey, maple syrup, or additional sugar
1. Place the plantains and eggs in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Add the sugar and process again until smooth. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and add the flour, baking powder, and salt, mixing with a rubber spatula until thoroughly combined. The batter will look fluffy, with streaks from the plantains.
2. Heat ¾ inch of oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until very hot but not smoking, 5 to 6 minutes. With a ladle or large spoon, carefully drop a scant ⅓ cup batter for each fritter into the hot oil, taking care to not overcrowd the skillet. Fry the fritters, without moving them, until the bottoms turn golden brown and form a nice crust, about 2 minutes. Turn and continue to fry until the second side is golden brown and crispy, 1½ to 2 minutes more. When the fritters are ready, lift them from the oil with a slotted spoon or skimmer and place on a paper-towel-lined platter. Repeat with the remaining batter.
3. Serve the fritters hot or at room temperature with honey, maple syrup, or sugar.
MEXICAN COOK’S TRICK: As you add the batter to the hot oil, you may need to adjust the heat to keep the oil around the edges of the fritters at a happy, steady simmer. Start with medium heat and then turn it up to medium-high if need be. Depending on your stovetop, you may need to lower it to medium again. If you need to add more oil to keep it at ¾-inch deep, be sure to give the new oil a couple minutes to heat up again before you add more fritters.