Nothing conveys the spirit of the holidays like sharing with family and friends. Whether you’re entertaining at home during Posadas or celebrating more potluck-style, this is your time to shine with your cooking abilities. This season is a time when guests gather to celebrate with music, the smashing of a piñata, rich savory foods, sweets, and tasty beverages. When coming up with the menu, the savory dishes usually take most of the attention leaving behind everyone’s favorites: dessert and drinks. But these fun, creative and deliciously sweet recipes inspired by this distinctively Latin American holiday will sure have everyone praise you for your cooking!
The Dulce De Leche Cheesecake and Mexican Hot Chocolate Cocoa Pebbles Crunch Cookies are made with cereal, giving them a unique crunchiness and flavor that everyone will love! And the combination of warm apple cider and ginger syrup of El Canelaso cocktail, created by mixologist J.D. Marin, is sure to keep guests cozy, while spicing up the celebration.
Dulce de Leche Cheesecake
Ingredients:
3 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 cup dulce de leche
1/2 cup sour cream
3 eggs
1 cup Honey Bunches of Oats
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Beat cream cheese and 1/4 of the cup sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add dulce de leche and sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour into 9-inch springform pan.
- Bake 50 to 55 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around side of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing side of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining 1/4 cup sugar in medium saucepan on medium heat 4 min. or until melted and golden brown. Remove from heat; toss in cereal. Spread cereal mixture in single layer in baking pan to cool. Top with dulce de leche just before serving.
Mexican Hot Chocolate Cocoa Pebbles Crunch Cookies
Makes about 52 cookies.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup ground Cocoa Pebbles, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, crush cereal. (About 1 cup of Cocoa Pebbles will yield 1/2 cup of ground cereal).
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, ground cereal, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down side of bowl. Add eggs and vanilla and beat to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined.
- Chill dough for 1-2 hours.
- In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup ground cereal, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, and chili powder (if using). Using a tablespoon to measure, form balls of dough and roll in cinnamon-sugar cereal mixture.
- Place, about 2 inches apart, on parchment-lined baking sheets. Press down lightly with a glass. Bake until cookies are set about 8-10 minutes.
- Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. Store in airtight container, up to 1 week.
El Canelaso Cocktail
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Buchanan’s Special Reserve
4 oz. apple cider
3/4 of ginger syrup
1 cinnamons stick and cloves for garnish
1 lemon wheel for garnish
Directions:
- Heat the apple cider
- Add the hot apple cider into a coffee mug
- Add the Buchanan’s Special Reserve and wait for at least 2 minutes
- Garnish with the cinnamon stick, the lemon wheel and the cloves
Ideal Serving Glass:
Mule mug
Yield:
1 drink, no drink contains more than 0.6 fluid ounces of alcohol
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