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Coca de pasas y nueces, Mama Ía blog

Coca de Pasas y Nueces, Raisins and Walnuts Cake —and David, our High School Graduate and Salutatorian

Coca de pasas y nueces, Mama Ía blogWhat a whirlwind the last few months have been. There’s been travel (a lot of it!), for celebrations, for vacation and for soccer. But most importantly, there have been milestones and “the last of” for my son David. I’ve been able to prepare a few recipes to share on the blog, but for this post, I wanted a sweet one, coca de pasas y nueces, raisins and walnuts cake, because sweet always means celebration.

Pasas y nueces, Mama Ía blog

David graduate, Mama Ía blogI will tell you about some of the trips in future posts, but for now, I want to celebrate David. Because my youngest, the “baby,” is wrapping up his life as a minor (he turned 18 this month!) as a high school student (he just graduated!), and (more…)

Lemon coconut mini tarts with passion fruit frosting, Mama Ía blog

Lemon coconut mini tarts with passion fruit frosting —and the Saint Valentines

Lemon coconut mini tarts with passion fruit frosting, Mama Ía blogValentine’s Day or, as it is called in Spain, el Día de los Enamorados or Día de San Valentín, is fast approaching, and as the feast demands, I like to make a beautiful dessert that will entice any sweet tooth. These lemon coconut mini tarts with passion fruit frosting spell love, even if they stray away from the customary red and pink. 

Saint Valentine, Mama Ía blog

German XV century Saint Valentine

Valentine’s Day is the first excuse for gift giving since Christmas. But in this case, and in most countries that celebrate the day, the gifts (more…)

Pears poached in wine, Mama Ía blog

Pears poached in red wine, the link to the Spice Islands and Miami 2022

Pears poached in wine, Mama Ía blog

If there was a dessert that my mom made very often when I was a young girl, that was peras al vino, pears poached in red wine. And I know what you’re thinking, and yes, drinking age is lower in Spain that it is in the US, but no, these pears have essentially no alcohol because all of it is evaporated in the making. 

Phew! Now that we have cleared that up, let’s move forward.

Pears poached in red wine, Mama Ía blogJuan Sebastián Elcano in Miami, Mama Ía blogPears poached in red wine are one of the easiest desserts to make, and now that I mention it, maybe that’s why (more…)

Blackberry tiramisu, Mama Ía blog

Blackberry tiramisu to celebrate the publication of my novel “I Was the First”

Blackberry tiramisu, Mama Ía blogIf you follow Mama Ía blog you may have noticed I’ve been away from this space for a while, but this post hopefully explains why. It’s a good reason, but to make up for my absence, I’ll treat you to a really sweet, beautiful recipe: blackberry tiramisu.

I Was the First, Mama Ía blogAnd I know, too, that this is not a Spanish dessert. But I was looking for a beautiful dessert, not only sweet and tasty but pleasing to the eyes, and this one checked all the boxes—and my current taste buds.

As you probably know —because I’ve posted about it before and it shows in my blog—, I have a second gig (or is that the first?) as a writer. Sure, I write for this blog, but (more…)

lemon tart with strawberry cream frosting, Mama Ía blog

Lemon tart with strawberry cream frosting, and Madrid’s Naval Museum

lemon tart with strawberry cream frosting, Mama Ía blogA layover of a few hours in Madrid can be very well invested, particularly if, as it happened to me, it was in April and not in June. News has it the wait time for passport control at Madrid airport this summer will not allow me to do this again. Or… it will have to be a shorter, but still sweet visit —just like the lemon tart with strawberry cream frosting (or more specifically, the mini tarts) that accompany this post: small and sweet. 

Museo Naval, Mama Ía blogStrawberries, Mama Ía blogI have been wanting to visit the Naval Museum in Madrid for a long time, and more so following the investigation that led me to write my novel Yo fui el primero, about the first circumnavigation of the world completed by Spanish navigator Juan Sebastián Elcano, and (more…)

Triple cheesecake with amaretti crust, Mama ía blog

Triple cheesecake with Amaretti crust and Caramelized Blood Oranges ––a glimpse into confinement

Triple cheesecake with amaretti crust, Mama ía blogHave you noticed something different in this post? Okay, you will have to scroll all the way down to the recipe. Which by the way, you’re going to love. It’s a triple cheesecake with amaretti crust and caramelized blood oranges. What a combination of flavors! One bite and you’ll realize how they were made to be together. For the amaretti crust —or almond cookie crust—, you’ll be able to use the recipe of my previous post. Those almond cookies are good on their own and they are outstanding for this crust.

Garden 2020, Mama Ía blog

But I’m digressing. Let’s go back to my first sentence: if you scroll down, you will see the look of the recipe has changed. I’ve incorporated a new format that will make it easier for you to (more…)

Almond cookies, amaretti, Mama Ía blog

Almond Cookies (amaretti-like), and a trip to Perugia

Almond cookies, amaretti, Mama Ía blogAlmond cookies, amaretti-like, to sweeten up this very odd situation. It’s hard to believe what’s happening right now in the world. When I remember the times, not that long ago, when we could travel, I can’t help but think that we are living in a dystopian movie, and that, like in the movies, it will have a happy ending.

Perugia, Mama Ía blog

Temple of Sant’Angelo

My flight to Spain this summer has been canceled by the airline due to the pandemic and the closing of borders in many parts of the world (certainly the borders of Spain). I can now only travel in (more…)

Cranberry and lime tartelets, Mama ía blog

Cranberry and Lime Tartelets, and a One Day Visit with Matthew at Purdue

Cranberry and lime tartelets, Mama ía blogWhen I saw this recipe I thought I had to make it. The sugared cranberries, the beautiful creamy pink filling, and the crumbling crust, had my name written on them. But I was a bit weary: sometimes beautiful recipes don’t end up tasting as great as they look.

Purdue University, Mama ía blog

This one, in fact, was no exception, and I had to tweak it to turn it into something quite dazzling, not just in looks but in taste. Cranberry and lime tartelets will be (more…)