How To Have An Epic Cinco De Mayo Taco Tuesday!
Sure, lots of things have been a little crazy this year, but did you know that Cinco de mayo falls on a Tuesday this year? Taco Tuesday??? If there was ever anything to celebrate, I feel that this totally qualifies. And right now, couldn’t we all use as much celebration as we can get?
First, let’s talk food. You just can’t celebrate Cinco de mayo without some delicious food! Chips and salsa are a basic- but a delicious basic! I love a good guacamole dip as well.
If you’re a nacho fan you could serve a big plate of nachos for lunch or dinner. Enchiladas, quesadillas, tacos (steak street tacos are my favorite!), tostadas, tamales- the hardest part will be deciding which delicious meal to serve! With all the extra time we have on hand right now, it’s the perfect time to try your hand at something different. Make homemade spanish rice, instead of the boxed pre-mix. Try your hand at homemade refried beans instead of opening a can. Make it a family ordeal and get everyone in the kitchen! You can totally wear sombreros too- nobody’s judging ;).
There are a lot of basic meals- but maybe you’re looking for something more! One of my all-time favorite recipes is Tres Leches Cake, hands-down. Something about that soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture, and the sweet cool whipping cream- you could make this one recipe by itself and your whole day will feel like a happy celebration!
Three Milk Cake
This traditional Tres Leches Cake is a cross between cake and pudding and is absolutely amazing!
Yield: 12-15 servings
Serving size: 15
Calories per serving: 471
Ingredients:
Serving size: 15
Calories per serving: 471
6 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon almond extract (or coconut extract)
Topping
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup light corn syrup
7 tablespoons evaporated milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp coconut extract)
Icing
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar until stiff peaks form. Add yolks, one at a time, beating until combined. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to egg mixture alternately with water. Stir in extract. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Poke holes in cake with a fork. Chill overnight.
In a saucepan, combine condensed milk, cream, corn syrup and evaporated milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Slowly pour over cold cake, letting milk absorb into cake. Cover and refrigerate.
In a mixing bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar until stiff peaks form. Stir in vanilla. In a bowl, combine the sour cream, confectioner's sugar and extract. Fold in whipped cream. Spread over topping. Refrigerate until serving.
*If doubling, be sure to make the topping in a 5 qt pan- it boils almost to the top of it! Otherwise use a 3 qt pan.
In a saucepan, combine condensed milk, cream, corn syrup and evaporated milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Slowly pour over cold cake, letting milk absorb into cake. Cover and refrigerate.
In a mixing bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar until stiff peaks form. Stir in vanilla. In a bowl, combine the sour cream, confectioner's sugar and extract. Fold in whipped cream. Spread over topping. Refrigerate until serving.
*If doubling, be sure to make the topping in a 5 qt pan- it boils almost to the top of it! Otherwise use a 3 qt pan.
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
But dessert can be as simple as a tortilla wrapped up in butter and cinnamon. We’re not saying you have to eat authentic Mexican food on Cinco de mayo ;). Just delicious ones!
Once you’ve got the fun food taken care of, add one or two fun activities to complete the day! An easy thing to do would be to watch a movie that gives you all the Mexican vibes. Coco would be my personal favorite choice, but The Three Amigos would be another hilarious movie to enjoy- and who doesn’t need some extra laughter right now?
If you feel like you’ve spent too much time in front of the TV recently, there’s other ways to celebrate too! We all know those colored streamers that automatically make us think of Coco- grab some construction paper and make your own version with your kids!
Another fun activity would be to put together a homemade pinata! Paper mache is a simple, messy FUN craft, and whether you’re a kid or an adult, this could be a fun and relaxing activity! And then of course, it’s a blast trying to get all the candy out of it later, too ;). 2 fun activities in one!
We may not all live in Mexico, but why not let yourself have a little extra celebration this year? Life is too short to not have some fun! I’d love to hear your ideas on how to make this day more special than your average Tuesday! Share your ideas in the comments below!
Picture Source:
Camille Hoffmann
Monthly Newsletter Contributor since 2014
Email the author! camille@dvo.com
