Showing posts with label mexican snow cones. Show all posts
Homemade snow cone (shaved ice) syrup made with fresh mango and a hint of cinnamon.
The temps are heating up here in Mexico, so it's time to keep cool with one of our favorite summer treats... Nieves Raspadas (aka raspados/raspas/snow cones)! Making your own snow cones at home is a fun summer activity for kids of all ages. And since mangos are one of our favorite summer fruits, I decided to combine the two for a sweet and delicious frozen treat. I like to add a dash of ground cinnamon to my mango syrup to enhance the flavor of the mango, but if cinnamon isn't your thing you can leave it out and still have a delicious raspado de mango. And if like me (Hubby & our kiddies) you like to spice things up a bit, sprinkle a little Tajin (dried chile & lime fruit seasoning) on top for an extra kick.

What's your favorite raspado (snow cone) flavor?

Nieve Raspada de Mango (Mango Shaved Ice) - lacocinadeleslie.com

Almíbar de Mango (Mango Syrup for Shaved Ice)

Read more »

Before we continue on with this #RaspadosWeek celebration, I need to let you in on a little secret...One can not simply make just one flavor of almíbar (syrup) for raspados.  If you make one flavor syrup, then you have to make another flavor too, because you can't imagine the one flavor syrup without the other.  And if you make those two flavored syrups, you're also going to have to make that other flavor syrup, because really if you're going to make raspados, you might as well make everyone's favorite.  Then before you know it, you're fridge is filled with at least 8 different kinds of syrup because once you start craving one flavor of raspado, you want them all.

That's exactly what happened to me last week.  I started with just the Flor de Jamaica (hibiscus flower) syrup.  When Hubby saw what I was making he said, "Ooohhh!  You're going to make nieves raspadas!  Well, if you make Almíbar de Jamaica, you HAVE to make Almíbar de Coco too."  This from the man who claims he doesn't like coconut.  (Unless it's Coconut Pie!)

I happen to love Coconut Syrup as much as Hubby, so it wasn't a problem.  Unlike the hibiscus flower and coffee syrups, Almíbar de Coco is milk based, which adds an extra creaminess to the syrup.  Seriously, this syrup is so rich and creamy, you want to eat it with a spoon as if it were a pudding.

What are your favorite raspado flavors?


Almíbar de Coco para Raspados
(Coconut Syrup)

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 cups granulated sugar

Directions:
Combine the coconut, milk, and sugar in a medium saucepan.  Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture starts to bubble.  Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Spoon about 4 tablespoons of the coconut syrup over 1 cup of shaved/crushed ice.  Enjoy!!! 


Don't forget to tune in tomorrow for another #RaspadosWeek recipe.  I'll give you a hint...it's just for grown-ups!

Photobucket








Coconut Raspado #RaspadosWeek

Read more »
To celebrate that summer is officially here, I am dedicating this week to one of my favorite summertime desserts...Raspados (aka Nieves Raspadas/Raspas/Snowcones).  And because I love a party, I'm turning #RaspadosWeek into a Linky Party.  If you have a blog and have posted (or will be posting) a raspado recipe, I'd love for you to share it in the Linky located below this post.  Also feel free to share your raspado recipes on your favorite Social Media sites using the hashtag #RaspadosWeek.

Now onto the first recipe for #RaspadosWeek...

Because it's Monday and because we could all use a little boost to help us get through the day, the first recipe I'm sharing for #RaspadosWeek is Nieve Raspada de Cafe (Coffee Raspado).  Made with coffee and cinnamon, the coffee syrup tastes like Cafe de Olla (Mexican coffee).  And with a little sweetened condensed milk drizzled on top, it tastes just like Cafe con Leche.   



Almíbar de Cafe for Nieve Raspada(Coffee Syrup)

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cups granulated sugar 
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons instant coffee granules (regular or decaf) 
  • 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
  • Sweetened condensed milk

Directions:
Dissolve the instant coffee granules and sugar in the cup of water in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Immediately reduce heat to very low and continue simmering, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes.  (Do NOT leave syrup on stove unattended! It will spill over creating a hot, sticky mess on your stove.) Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.  Spoon 4 to 5 tablespoons of coffee syrup over 1 cup of shaved/crushed ice.  Drizzle top with sweetened condensed milk.  Enjoy!!!


Photobucket











Nieve Raspada de Cafe (Coffee Raspado) #RaspadosWeek w/ Linky

Read more »
Will Smith (famous actor/rapper) once said, "It's summer, summer, summertime!  Time to sit back and unwind."  Well, I can't think of  better way to unwind (with the kiddies) on a hot summer afternoon than with a cool and refreshing icy treat .   My good friend and partner-in-crime Girlichef couldn't agree more, because she chose Nieves as our theme for this month's edition of She Made/Ella Hace.  

Heather (girlichef) made us a grown-up treat...a Lemon Drop Granita made with vodka!  But whenever I think of summer and icy treats, I think of the summers I spent when I was 4, 5, and 6 years old in San Luis, Sonora and Nieves Raspadas (snow cones), also known as Raspados.  I don't remember eating much else, besides my beloved Huevos con Chorizo, all summer long.  I must've eaten at least 3 nieves raspadas a day.  And who could blame me?  Nieves Raspadas are sweet, cool, and refreshing, and they were just the thing to help a little kid beat the glaring heat of the Sonoran desert.

Back then my favorite almíbares (syrups) for nieves raspadas were strawberry and tamarindo.  To this day, I still love those two flavors, but now that I'm all grown up I have a new favorite...Almíbar de Jamaica (Hibiscus Flower syrup).  It's sweet and kind of tart, with subtle floral undertones.  And it's such a pretty shade of bright magenta.

I love Nieves Raspadas SO much, I'm going to be dedicating a full week to them on the blog starting this Monday, June 24th.


Almíbar de Jamaica para Nieve Raspada
(Hibiscus Flower Syrup)

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup dried hibiscus flowers
  • 2 cups water
  • 4 cups sugar

Directions:
Combine the dried hibiscus flowers with the water and sugar in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to low and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.  Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of syrup over a cup of shaved or crushed ice.  Enjoy!!! 


Don't forget to visit Girlichef's blog to check out her Lemon Drop Granita.  And be sure to tune into my Cocina next week, as I'll be sharing more recipes for Nieves Raspadas.



Photobucket








Almíbar de Jamaica (Hibiscus Flower Syrup) for Raspados {She Made/Ella Hace}

Read more »
Do I have a special treat for you today!

Yesterday I spent the morning at my suegra's house helping her prepare one of our favorite warm weather treats: Nieve Raspada!

Nieve raspada is the Mexican version of the snow cone.  But instead of using bottled sugary, high fructose syrups, we make our own almibar (syrup) with real fruit and sugar.  They're not as thick, but oh so delicious and packed with lots of natural flavor.

The almibares that I will be sharing with you today are Fresa de leche (Creamy Strawberry), Tamarindo (Tamarind), and Guayaba (Guava).  And as the warm weather continues, I'll be sharing even more almibares like Strawberry, Limón (lime), Piña (pineapple), Vanilla, Coconut, and my personal favorite Jamaica (hibiscus flower).

Making Nieve Raspada is very easy to do. The first thing you will need is ice.  Crushing a few ice cubes in a blender will work just fine.  But if you want a more authentic raspado and you happen to have a handy-dandy cepillo (ice shaver), make your own block of ice by freezing a 10x3-inch (or larger) baking pan filled with water.  Or you could do what we do and order a 1/4 block of ice from you local ice shop.

Before you start to shave the ice, be sure to place a kitchen towel underneath, to prevent the block of ice from slipping.

Scrape the cepillo in a forward motion over the block of ice. 



The inside of the cepillo will be filled with shaved ice.



Place it in a cup and top with your favorie almíbar. 


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And now for the best part...the almíbar (syrup)!


Almibar de Tamarindo (Tamarind syrup)

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound Tamarind Pods (peeled)
  • 3 cups water
  • 6 cups sugar

Directions:
Place the tamarind pods, water and sugar in a large saucepan. 



Simmer over medium heat until the tamarind pods are cooked and tender.  Using a potato masher or the back of a spoon, crush the tamarind pods lightly.  Remove the tamarind seeds with a spoon.



Let almibar de tamarindo cool to room temperature.  Serve over crushed ice or refrigerate until ready to use.  Enjoy!!!


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Almibar de Guayaba (Guava Syrup)

Ingredients:
  • 1-1/2 pounds guavas (cut in quarters)
  • 2 cups water
  • 6 cups sugar

Directions:
Fill a medium saucepan with the guavas, water and sugar.



Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens.



Let cool to room temperature.  Pour desired amount of almibar de guayaba over crushed ice or refrigerate until ready to use.  Enjoy!!!




---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Almibar de Fresa de Leche (Creamy Strawberry Syrup)

Ingredients:
  • 4 cups milk
  • 2 pounds strawberries (stems removed)
  • 1 cup water 
  • 5 cups sugar
  • lime zest (optional) 


Directions:
In a 2quart saucepan, heat the milk over medium-high heat until very hot.  Set aside and let cool to room temperature.  (You could skip this step, but you run the risk of the milk curdling when adding to the strawberry mixture.)  

Fill a medium saucepan with the strawberries, water, sugar and lime zest.  Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens.



Remove the strawberries from heat and let cool slightly.  Add enough milk (2 to 4 cups) to the strawberry mixture to reach desired consistency.  Pour desired amount of almibar de fresa de leche over crushed ice.  Enjoy!!!


*Keep all almibares refrigerated when not in use. 


Photobucket

We All Scream for Mexican Ice Cream!

Read more »
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)