Chilean Torta de Mil Hojas, or Thousand-Layer Cake, is a beloved traditional dessert in Chile, renowned for its delicate layers of crispy puff pastry and rich dulce de leche. This indulgent cake features a harmonious balance of textures and flavors, making it a perfect treat for special occasions and celebrations.
Originating from Chilean culinary traditions, Torta de Mil Hojas has been a staple in Chilean households for generations. The name "Mil Hojas" translates to "Thousand Layers," highlighting the cake's characteristic multiple layers of flaky pastry. The use of dulce de leche, a caramelized milk product, is a favorite for Latin American sweet treats, adding a deep caramel flavor that enhances the cake’s richness.
Ingredients:
1. 3 sheets of puff pastry
2. 2 cans of dulce de leche
3. 1 cup heavy cream
4. 1 tsp vanilla extract
5. Powdered sugar for dusting
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Roll out the puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8 inch thick.
3. Cut the puff pastry sheets into rectangles (8 inches long and 4 inches wide).
4. Prick the rectangles with a fork to prevent excessive puffing during baking.
5. Bake the rectangles on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
6. Cool the puff pastry rectangles on a wire rack.
7. Spread a thick layer of dulce de leche on one puff pastry rectangle.
8. Layer Another puff pastry rectangle on top, adding more dulce de leche. Repeat layering until all pastry and dulce de leche are used, ending with a puff pastry layer on top.
9. Whip the heavy cream and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
10. Spread the whipped cream on top of the final puff pastry layer.
11. Dust with powdered sugar for decoration.
12. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.
Notes:
- Prick the puff pastry to prevent it from puffing up too much.
Dulce de leche can be store-bought or homemade by boiling sweetened condensed milk for 3-4 hours until it thickens.
- Optional: Add sliced strawberries or other fruits between layers for added flavor and texture.
Nutrition Value
1. 3 sheets of puff pastry
- Calories: Puff pastry is high in calories due to its butter content. Each sheet can have approximately 500-600 calories.
- Carbohydrates: Puff pastry is rich in carbohydrates, with around 50-60 grams per sheet.
- Protein: Puff pastry contains about 7-8 grams of protein per sheet.
- Fat: Puff pastry is high in fat, with approximately 30-40 grams per sheet, mostly from butter.
- Sodium: Puff pastry can contain around 400-500 mg of sodium per sheet.
- Cholesterol: Puff pastry has around 50-60 mg of cholesterol per sheet.
- Vitamins: Puff pastry offers small amounts of B vitamins, particularly niacin and folate, due to the flour used.
- Minerals: Puff pastry contains minerals such as iron, potassium, and calcium in small amounts.
- Nutritional Benefit: Puff pastry is a good source of energy due to its high-calorie content, but it should be consumed in moderation because of its high fat and carbohydrate content.
2. 2 cans of dulce de leche
- Calories: Dulce de leche is dense in calories, with each can containing around 1300-1400 calories.
- Carbohydrates: Dulce de leche is high in carbohydrates, with about 220-240 grams per can, mostly from sugars.
- Protein: Each can of dulce de leche contains around 12-14 grams of protein.
- Fat: Dulce de leche has around 40-50 grams of fat per can.
- Sodium: The sodium content in dulce de leche is relatively low, with around 200-250 mg per can.
- Cholesterol: Dulce de leche contains about 70-80 mg of cholesterol per can.
- Vitamins: Dulce de leche provides small amounts of vitamin A and vitamin D, which come from the milk used in its preparation.
- Minerals: It contains calcium due to the milk content, with around 500-600 mg per can, and small amounts of phosphorus.
- Nutritional Benefit: Dulce de leche is a rich source of quick energy from sugars and provides calcium for bone health, though it is high in sugar and fat.
3. 1 cup heavy cream
- Calories: Heavy cream is high in calories, with approximately 800-820 calories per cup.
- Carbohydrates: Heavy cream has a low carbohydrate content, around 6-8 grams per cup.
- Protein: Heavy cream provides about 6-8 grams of protein per cup.
- Fat: Heavy cream is very high in fat, with around 85-90 grams per cup, primarily saturated fat.
- Sodium: Heavy cream contains about 80-90 mg of sodium per cup.
- Cholesterol: Heavy cream is high in cholesterol, with around 330-340 mg per cup.
- Vitamins: Heavy cream is a good source of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A and vitamin D.
- Minerals: Heavy cream contains calcium and phosphorus, with small amounts of other minerals like magnesium and potassium.
- Nutritional Benefit: Heavy cream is an energy-dense ingredient that provides essential fat-soluble vitamins, though it should be consumed in moderation due to its high fat and cholesterol content.
4. 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Calories: Vanilla extract is low in calories, with about 12-14 calories per teaspoon.
- Carbohydrates: Vanilla extract has around 1-2 grams of carbohydrates per teaspoon.
- Protein: Vanilla extract contains negligible amounts of protein.
- Fat: Vanilla extract has almost no fat, with less than 0.1 grams per teaspoon.
- Sodium: Vanilla extract contains a very small amount of sodium, about 1 mg per teaspoon.
- Cholesterol: Vanilla extract has no cholesterol.
- Vitamins: Vanilla extract contains trace amounts of some B vitamins, particularly niacin.
- Minerals: Vanilla extract has minimal mineral content, with trace amounts of potassium and magnesium.
- Nutritional Benefit: Vanilla extract is primarily used for flavoring and provides a pleasant aroma and taste with minimal impact on the nutritional content of a dish.
5. Powdered sugar for dusting
- Calories: Powdered sugar is high in calories, with about 100-110 calories per 1/4 cup.
- Carbohydrates: Powdered sugar is pure carbohydrate, with approximately 25-28 grams per 1/4 cup, primarily from sugars.
- Protein: Powdered sugar contains negligible amounts of protein.
- Fat: Powdered sugar has no fat content.
- Sodium: Powdered sugar contains no sodium.
- Cholesterol: Powdered sugar has no cholesterol.
- Vitamins: Powdered sugar does not provide any significant vitamins.
- Minerals: Powdered sugar does not contain any significant minerals.
- Nutritional Benefit: Powdered sugar is used primarily for sweetness and decorative purposes. It provides quick energy from sugar but lacks other nutritional benefits.
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