Where there’s pink frosting, there’s gotta be donuts. I recently celebrated by son’s birthday in a big way with over 135 guests. There were lots of treats and it was a very boy driven day. I don’t think there was anything pink in sight for miles. As I stood there observing the kids at the party I realized we had a lot of little girls running around too. I watched them running with long hair and cute braids, some even had glitter in their hair. It made me miss celebrating my own girly side, and I made a small mental note when the chaos of life dies down a little I would take some time to be ultra girly again.

Yesterday I was organizing my pantry and came across some decorative colored candy sprinkles, you know the type you see on either Mexican or Italian cookies. I purchased  them a while back and still hadn’t done anything with them. That instant was the perfect time to be girly. I fancied myself eating a pink donut topped with candy sprinkles. Now to get from point A to B was going to be a bit challenging. I started thinking of everything pink. I looked in the fridge and found some fresh cherries (strawberries or blueberries would have worked fine as well), then found a box of pink cake mix flour in my pantry too. It was all coming together. I wanted my pink donuts to be a little more dense than cakey, so I thought “Hmmmm, I bet if I add Maseca to this pink party, that will definitely do the trick!” And it did. Thanks to my wonderful versatile Maseca corn flour, I had pink donuts all day long, and it felt grand to be a girl.

Ingredients for Maseca’s berry good baked donut:

• 3 – eggs
• 1 1/4 – cups water
• 1/3 – cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 – cup Maseca Corn Flour
• 1 – box pink cake mix flour
• 1 – cup fresh cherries (stems removed, pitted, and cut into pieces)
• 1 – cup powder sugar
• 1/8 – half and half
• pink food coloring
• candy sprinkles

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Spray a donut pan with a non-stick spray. Set to the side.
3. In a mixer add eggs, water, vegetable oil, Maseca, and pink cake mix flour. Mix until smooth.
4. Add in fresh cherries (or berry of your choice), and mix to combine.
5. Use a heaping 1/8 cup of batter and fill each space in donut pan. 
6. Bake for 15 minutes.
7. Remove from pan and allow to cool completely on cooling rack.
8. In a bowl whisk powdered sugar and half and half together until smooth.
9. Color with pink food coloring. Mix until the color desired is reached.
10. Dip one side of each donut into the pink frosting then place back on cooling rack to dry.
11. Sprinkle the top with candy sprinkles and allow frosting to set for about 2 hours before eating.
12. Enjoy! 

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Maseca. However, the recipe and opinions are my own.

Chilaquiles Divorciados

Some things just stand better on their own. Chilaquiles Divorciados is one of them. I heart everything about them…especially the name. Two completely different chilaquiles that decided to throw in the towel on their union and disconnect whole heartedly. One hot and spicy “Chila” stands in all her red distinction , and the other easy going and smooth “Quiles” swims in his pool of green chile. Two separate dishes plated together but each making a different statement on their own. (more…)

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Maseca. However, the recipe and all opinions are my own.

What type of effect does that crumbly little bit that sits on top of coffee cake, or fruit crisps, or crumble bars have on you? I’ve come to accept those scrumptious crumbs as my weakening kryptonite. I have zero will power or restraint when a crumbly beauty is near, especially if a fork is within hands reach. Forget about it.

I have been in a cooking frenzy the last couple of days, working on project after project. Then at a certain point, I realized I needed a reward treat for my cooking efforts. Don’t misinterpret what I’m saying… everything I’ve been creating has been lovely and delicious, it’s just that I needed a crumbly mouthwatering topping in my mouth. I had a big basket of fresh peaches on the table, and the earning desire of the taste of corn. I though how can I get all these desires into one dish, and make it fast? The answer my friend is Maseca. I used it as my base flour and built around it. I made fresh peach crumble bars from start to finish in under an hour, and I was pleased as peach punch! Give it a try. Make it for the next family function you’re attending, or make a batch and plan a picnic, they are that delicious and deliver all the crumbles you’ll ever need.

Ingredients for fresh peach crumble bars:

• 1 – cup Maseca corn flour
• 3/4 – cup almond meal
• 1/2 – cup corn meal
• 1 – cup unbleached flour
• 1/2 – teaspoon sea salt
• 1 – cup sugar
• 16 – tablespoons butter (2 sticks) (melted)
• 4 – large peaches (ripe, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges)
• 1/2 – cup brown sugar
• 1/4 – teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Line a 8×8 baking pan with wax paper allowing an inch to stick out over the edges. This will help remove the bars once baked.
3. Combine Maseca, almond meal, corn meal, flour, salt, and sugar to a mixer. Mix on low for 1 minute to combine dry ingredients.
4. Pour butter into dry ingredients, then mix on medium to combine. Mixture will be crumbly and appear like little peas.
5. Press 2/3 of mixture into the bottom of prepared 8×8 pan. 
6. Top with fresh peach slices. 
7. Then sprinkle peaches with brown sugar and cinnamon. 
8. Top peaches with remaining crumble mixture by crumbling over the top. 
9. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
10. Remove from oven, and cool for 1 hour. Cut into 9 generous servings. 
11. Enjoy!

Super Bowl is less then two weeks away…. Let the party planning begin!  Is Tom Brady your man?  Or are you Eli Manning all the way?  To be honest with you, I’m not a big football fan, but I LOVE Super Bowl.  Guess why?  You got it….. Yummy snacks all day long.  Okay, the noshing isn’t the only part I enjoy,  I take pleasure in  watching the commercials and the halftime show too.

My family is no different then all the rest of the feverish fans celebrating the big GAME! I’m sure my Tia is in a frenzy right now coming up with a perfect menu to cheer her team on with.  She asked me to bring an appetizer to her party for Super Bowl Sunday and said she wanted something slightly on the fancy side but easy to make.  I called on the help of my beloved Maseca and came up with a little nibble for people to snack on come game time.  May the best team win and I hope the commercials are good too!

Ingredients for corn blinis:

1 – cup maseca corn flour

2 – tablespoons fine ground yellow cornmeal  

4 – tablespoons corn kernels

2 – eggs

2 – tablespoons butter (melted, and cooled)

1 – cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Topping:

sour cream

smoked salmon

grated cotija cheese

chopped chives

Add Maseca corn flour and cornmeal to bowl of a stand-up mixer. Then add in corn, eggs, butter, milk, salt and pepper. Mix to combine all ingredients.

Spray a large frying pan with a non-stick cooking spray and allow to get hot.  Then take a tablespoon of batter and pour into pan.  Batter will spread.

Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side.

Repeat until all corn blinis are made. Place on a platter and top with sour cream, smoked salmon, a pinch of grated cotija cheese, and a dash of chives.

A super yummy appetizer for game day….. Easy to make!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored campaign for Maseca and Latina Bloggers Connect.  All opinions and recipe are my own.

All photos taken by: Nicole Presley

I feel like I’ve been working my way up the tamale making line my whole life.  When I was a little girl I wasn’t allowed to get my tiny hands in the tamale making process along with the other women in my family.  The spreading of the masa or filling the tamales was reserved for the adults.  I was stuck soaking the corn husks and then putting them in a strainer to dry.  When I got a little older I was then asked to label the bags so we would know which were red, green, or sweet.  It wasn’t till I became a pre-teen that I was allowed to sit at the table with the grown ups.  I remember my aunt saying to me “If you can master the spreading of the masa, then you are ready to make tamales.”  I learned quickly and never had to watch over soaking corn husks again.  I was now sitting in the prize spot with my family, listening in on all the tidbits they shared about life and days of their youth.

I am now able to make tamales from start to finish with no help or extra assistance from anyone and have somehow become the ring leader of the entire process with the ladies.  Every year, my aunts vow that they are done making tamales and are happy that they have taught me well to carry on the tradition, but the minute December rolls around they all start looking at the calendar to see if there is a day when we can all meet.  None of this unity would be possible without Maseca, and for that, I am grateful for the amazing tasting corn flour.

This year I spent the day showing my little cousins and nieces how to spread the masa on the corn husks the way my aunts showed me.  Hoping that one day down the line they too will be able to make tamales for their families and show their daughters and sons……

Photo & video by: Mando Lopez

Disclosure: This is a sponsored campaign for Maseca and Latina Bloggers Connect.

As the holidays circle around us and I start to organize my schedule counting down the days till the next celebration, the one prominent thing I have on my mind is making tamales with my family.  It’s a tradition that goes hand in hand with the holiday season.  There’s something about making the chile, preparing the meat, the smell of Maseca masa as you spread it on the husk, and the feeling of unity as my family and friends gather for this ritual.  My tribe flocks together every year at my Tia Rosie’s house to embark on 35 dozen or so tamales.  We set up an assembly line and everyone is responsible for a different task.  Red chile with beef, Green chile with pork, vegetarian, and sweet tamales for all to enjoy come Christmas eve.  We make them fresh, package them neatly, freeze them and steam them once Dec. 24th rolls around.  This is the opening of my holiday season, and I consider it one of the best gifts.  There is one difference I must share this year… I am delighted to announce I am part of a campaign for Maseca called Blog Amigas.  Can you imagine the joy it brought me to be involved with a product I whole heartedly celebrate along with my family every year already?  Now it will be something I’ll share with you too.  Hopefully you feel the same warmth it brings me.

Let me invite you over to the New Mi Maseca website. You can find all types of recipes there from tamales to tortillas and some healthy recipes for you and your family to enjoy. Click here to look around.  Or you can play “Raspa y Gana” sweepstakes for a chance to win free groceries!  Sweepstakes ends Dec. 12th so you better hurry.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored campaign between Maseca and Latina Bloggers Connect.