Happy 4th of July!

Happy Birthday America!

We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate our nation than with dessert. Our Tres Leches Cake gets transformed into an American flag with the help of our kids and some fresh fruit. Tres Leches is not traditionally on 4th of July menus, but it’s refreshing, delicious and looks very patriotic once it’s decorated. Check out the tips and tricks we list in “Recipe of the Month” that will help you put together this festive dessert.

We’ve put together three sample menus depending on when and how you celebrate America’s B-day. Our “Backyard BBQ menu” is centered around the grill from the apps to the main dishes and perfect for a pool party. If you plan to picnic at the beach or watch the fireworks from a park then our “On the Go” menu is for you. “Fireworks & Dinner” is a menu you can prep in advance then finish off at home after a beach day.

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Backyard BBQ Menu:

​Sriracha Wings

​Grilled Avocado​

​Cuban Frita

​Guava bbq thighs​

​Spring Salad​

​Papas Fritas

​Tres Leches Cake

On the Go Menu:

​Cuban sandwich

​Pan con Lechon​

​Codito Salad​

​Mini Peppers​

​Cuban Fruit Salad ​

​Pound Cake​

Fireworks & Dinner Menu:

​Pastelito Sandwich​

​Cuban Fried Chicken ​

​Roasted Guava Ribs​

​Chopped salad​

​Mac N Cheese​

​Abuela's Apple Pie

Feel free to mix and match these menus to include what you like. We always recommend supplementing with some store bought appetizers or sides. Use the days leading up to the holiday to lessen the prep load. Marinate recipes like the fried chicken or the wings, pre-make sauces and dressings like our Guava BBQ Sauce and Olive Salsa Verde for topping anything that is on the grill. Some recipes taste better when they sit a few days like Black bean dip, Mango Salsa, Tomato salsa. Most of our desserts can be made ahead and really do taste better once they’ve had a chance to setup in the fridge like our No bake key lime pie, Granizado de Mango, Passion Fruit Mousse, Chocolate Brigadeiros and arroz con leche.

Recipe of the Month

Our Tres Leches Cake is our standout recipe this month. We love taking something very traditional we grew up with like Tres Leches and transforming it. Here are some tips on how we made it into a flag cake:

• We baked our recipe in a large sheet pan that is 17 ¾ by 12 ¾ and at least 1 to 1 ½ inches high. Baking it in a large sheet pan allows you to have the space to decorate.
• Line the sheet pan with parchment paper or a silpat.
• You need A LOT of berries. We used 24 oz of raspberries and about 20 oz of blue berries. It’s a good idea to buy more especially if the kids are helping. If you prefer to use strawberries you can or serve them on the side.
• We added 8 oz of softened cream cheese to the whipped cream recipe. We like how the cream cheese gives the cream more heft and body, plus its tames the sweetness of the cake.
• Use a pipping bag fitted with a large star tip to make the stars over the blueberries
• It’s a good idea to double the soaking liquid because the larger surface area of the cake allows for the liquid to get soaked up even quicker.
• Like with any Tres leches it tastes best when it is made a day before. But it’s best to decorate the day you will serve the cake.

You can also use our Rum Cake Recipe to create a flag cake. Just pour the batter into the same large sheet pan instead of the round molds.

What’s going on our Social

We are always posting on our Instagram, Pinterest, and sometimes on our TikTok when we can figure it out. Make sure you are following if you haven't already.

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Our YouTube Channel is growing!! Check out our latest videos featuring some of our favorite Classic Cuban Dishes! Checkout our first video where we breakdown Abuela's Cuban Picadillo step by step!

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See you next month!!

xx

Ani and Cristy
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