Eva Longoria Heats Things Up In The Kitchen

Actress Eva Longoria has a new cookbook out and she appeared on Good Day to tell us about it and whip up a few of her favorite dishes!  And she's sharing her recipes mint lemonade, chunky guacamole and Aunt Elsa's Devil's Food Cake!!

Mint Lemonade
We had lemon trees and mint all over our ranch when I was a kid. I don't remember when I tasted the two together for the first time, but since then I've never liked lemonade any other way. For kids or anyone not drinking alcohol, it's a fabulously festive and beautiful nonalcoholic treat. Or add a shot of rum or vodka to each glass and make a cocktail out of it!
 
Makes 3 cups; about 4 servings
 

For the lemonade
½ cup sugar
¼ cup hot water
½ cup fresh lemon juice (from 4 lemons)

For mint lemonade
(2 servings)
About 12 (3½ cups) ice cubes
1½ cups lemonade, plus more if needed
6 to 7 sprigs of fresh mint, plus more for garnish
1. To prepare the lemonade, place the sugar and hot water in a 2-quart
container. Close tightly and shake until the sugar is dissolved. Add
the lemon juice and enough cold water to make 3 cups total. Shake
until well combined.
2. To make 2 servings of mint lemonade, place the ice in a blender---it
should fill the blender about halfway. Pour over the lemonade. Pull
the leaves off the mint and add to the blender. Puree until well
blended and slushy. If too liquidy, add more ice and puree; if too
slushy, add a little more lemonade and puree until well blended.
3. Pour into two 12-ounce glasses. Garnish each with a mint sprig and
serve immediately.

Chunky Guacamole with Serrano Peppers
Among all the dishes I make, this one is definitely a favorite. This is why the batch is so big---no one can stop eating it! I have a few tricks that give my guacamole great flavor and texture. First and most important, I use lemon, not lime, juice. Lemon has a little sweetness that brings out all the other flavors. Also key is that I never skimp on the lemon or the kosher
salt. I sometimes laugh that I basically make a salty lemonade for the avocado and other ingredients to swim in---trust me, it makes all the difference! Serrano peppers give it a great kick, much better than jalapeños. And finally, never stir as you add each ingredient to the bowl or the guacamole will become too watery. This is especially beautiful served in a dish that shows off the guacamole's green, white, and red, such as a molcajete---a Mexican mortar and pestle---or a bright and fun serving bowl. Serve with tortilla chips for an appetizer or on top of steak, such as in Chili-Rubbed Skirt Steak Tacos (page 102).
 
Makes about 8 cups
 

     6      ripe avocados, cut into ½-inch dice
     4      medium ripe tomatoes, cut into ½-inch dice
     1      large white onion, finely chopped
     ½      bunch of fresh cilantro, leaves chopped
     1      serrano pepper, finely minced
           Juice from 4 small lemons (about 8 tablespoons)
     2      teaspoons kosher salt or to taste
 
1. In a large bowl, place the avocados, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, serrano, lemon juice, and salt. Stir gently until well combined.
 
2. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.
 
 
FROM AUNT ELSE'S KITCHEN
To keep the guacamole from turning brown, press a pit from one of the avocados into the center of the dish. Remove it before serving.
 

Aunt  Elsa's Devil's Food Cake
This is everything you want a chocolate cake to be. A simply prepared batter bakes up into a
delicious cake with layers that have a tender crumb and good chocolate flavor. The frosting is
beaten into billowy clouds of shiny chocolate goodness that spreads like silk.
Makes 8 to 10 servings;
frosting makes 4 1⁄2 to 5 cups

For the cake
3 ounces unsweetened
chocolate, chopped
2½ cups cake flour, plus
more for the pans
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick)
unsalted butter, at
room temperature
2½ cups lightly packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ cup buttermilk
1 cup boiling water
For the frosting

4 ounces unsweetened
chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 cups (1 pound)
confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 large egg
8 tablespoons (1 stick)
unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1. In the top of a double boiler or in a stainless-steel mixing bowl set
over a pan of simmering water so that the bottom of the bowl does
not touch the water, melt the chocolate. Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 8-inch cake pans.
3. In a large bowl, sift the flour with the baking soda and salt; set aside.
4. In the work bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the with
paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a handheld
mixer, place the butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla and beat on
high speed until lightened in color, about 3 minutes, scraping
down the sides occasionally.
5. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the chocolate. Add the flour
mixture in 3 parts alternately with the buttermilk in 2 parts,
starting and ending with the flour. Beat in the water until smooth.
6. Pour into the prepared pans. Bake until the cake pulls away from
the sides and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean,
30 to 35 minutes.
7. Let the cake layers cool in the pans on wire racks for 5 minutes.
Run a thin knife around the outside and turn out onto racks. Peel
off the paper. Flip them over to completely cool right-side up on
the racks. If not assembling right away, cover the layers in plastic
wrap and store at room temperature for 1 day
8. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting: In the top of a double boiler or
in a stainless-steel mixing bowl set over a pan of simmering water
so that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water, melt the
chocolate. Set aside to cool.
9. In the work bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle
attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer, place
the cooled, melted chocolate, the sugar, and the cup of hot water.
Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the egg, butter, and
vanilla. Continue beating until the frosting is thick and fluffy and
mounds beautifully on a spoon, 2 to 3 minutes.
10. When ready to fill and frost the cake, hold a serrated knife
horizontally and use a gentle sawing motion to shave the domed
top off each layer. Fill and frost the cake, using a crumb coat (page
000) if you have time.
11. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to
2 days; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
 
From Aunt Elsa 's Kitchen
If the percentages you sometimes see on bars of chocolate seem baffling, just
know this: They refer to the percentage of cocoa solids and cocoa butter in the
chocolate. This varies from brand to brand, but generally semisweet chocolate
is about 50 percent cocoa, and bittersweet is 60 to 70 percent cocoa. Always
use a good-quality chocolate in chocolate desserts---it will usually determine
how good your end result is!