Granizado De Queso Con Manzanas Y Piloncillo Food

GRANIZADO DE QUESO CON MANZANAS Y PILONCILLO

Steps:

• Combine the water and honey in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the honey is dissolved and the mixture reaches 160°F. Let cool for at least 3 hours or overnight.
• Put the honey mixture and queso fresco in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a shallow nonreactive pan and put it in the freezer.
• Once the edges start to freeze (about 1 hour), scrape lightly with a fork, bringing the ice crystals from the edges to the center. Return to the freezer and continue scraping every 30 minutes or so, until the mixture is completely frozen and looks like small ice flakes.
• Meanwhile, peel the apples and dice finely. Combine the cider, piloncillo, and cinnamon in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil and the sugar has dissolved. Lower the heat and simmer until the syrup has thickened and has a consistency like maple syrup. Whisk in the butter and salt. Remove from the heat and stir in the apples. Let chill to room temperature.
• For each serving, mound about 1/2 cup of the cheese granita into a glass or cup. Drizzle about 4 tablespoons of the apple syrup over the granita and top with 1 tablespoon of the pecans. Serve immediately.

GORDITAS DE PILONCILLO (SWEET FRIED MASA CAKES)

Steps:

• Combine the piloncillo, cheese, and canela in a bowl and knead in the masa until uniformly distributed. Add a bit of water if it feels too dry or a little masa harina if it's too sticky. Shape the dough into 12 even balls.
• Place enough lard in a heavy pot to reach a depth of least 3 inches and heat to about 365°F. (You can check the temperature by dipping a wooden spoon in the fat; once it steadily bubbles, it's ready.) While this heats, flatten the masa rounds between your hands (you can dampen your hands very lightly so they don't stick or press down on top with a piece of plastic wrap) to about ⅛ inch thick. Slide them into the hot fat and bathe them with a spoon so they are covered with fat at all times, and turn often, frying until they are golden on all sides and make sure not to overcrowd the pan. Drain on paper bags or towels and enjoy warm. (You can keep them in a warming oven for 15 minutes.)