Raeanna Banana: Paula Dean's Reese's Cheesecake Minis, Saveur Magazine's Tres Leches Cake
It's never to late to name a Hero of the Year, so without further ado: I nominate Rae Anne. I met her thirty-six years ago on Vashon Island while varnishing stools in the soon-to-be-open Sound Food. If I remember correctly, back in the day she wore two long braids and overhalls. She became my friend, my sister Ginny's best friend, my mother's fourth daughter, my sister Nikki's friend and employer, and my realtor—I can't remember life before RA.
She was a baker, a waitress, a dental office manager, and a realtor/broker. Not one to languish in a job she didn't like (her record short stay was four hours), she spent a fair amount of time interviewing for her next position. I dreaded job interviews until she told me, "I love them! I get to meet new people, talk about myself, make a great impression, and interview them." (Or words to that effect.)
After the end of a Sound Food relationship, she bought a Greyhound bus ticket and bumped along on local roads coast-to-coast for three months, visiting old friends. When she felt that her two kids were better suited to a private school, she sold her house, changed jobs, and moved from Vashon to University Place to be close to Charles Wright. When she couldn't see the point in spending one more day as an office manager, she studied, took tests, became a realtor and then a broker.
Two and a half years ago, after a routine mammogram, she got the call from her doctor that no one deserves. After putting down the phone, she started making calls and developing a plan. First, face the bad news head on; next, construct a plan using your best resources; then, research and learn until you know the foe; and finally— follow through with a brutal routine always putting your best face forward. She accepted offers for help, receiving unlimited support from her church, her old friend Ginny, her daughter Anna, and many close friends. She faced the music with grace, courage, and a cheerful attitude. I'm sure there were bad days, but she always napped, rallied, focused on the positive, and made her friends and family feel better.
Anyways, last Sunday she hosted a baseball barbeque birthday on a idylic Northwestern summer's day, complete with tailgate snacks, a Rainer's baseball game, and a backyard Sunset Magazine-worthy sit down dinner complete with barbequed tri-tips and lip-smacking desserts. For those of us just partying, the day seemed effortless. But behind the curtain, there was RA scrounging for chairs, arranging for a fifth inning "Happy Birthday Ginny and Frida" readerboard, setting up a group picture in the dugout, making pasta with pesto, filling coolers with ice, popping champagne corks for mimosas, making second and sixth inning hot dog runs, and enjoying the day along with us. She refused help with the cleanup—thanks for that—waving us into our cars and on our way home.
So here's to RA—a kind heart, full of good cheer and generosity.
Paula Dean's Reese's Cheesecake Minis
Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
4 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
12 bite-size peanut butter cups
Filling:
2 packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or almond extract
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place a paper cupcake liner in each cup of a standard muffin pan.
To make crust: In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter until crumbs are moistened. Press crust into bottom of each muffin cup. Put 1 peanut butter cup into the center of each crust.
To make the filling: Beat cream cheese with a handheld electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar, flour, and vanilla, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Spoon cream cheese mixture over peanut butter cups and graham cracker crusts. Bake until just set, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely before serving.
Tres Leches from Saveur Magazine
• 2 tsp. butter
• 1 Tbs. flour
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp. fine salt
• 6 eggs at room temperature, separated
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 Tbs. rum flavoring (optional)
• 1 Tbs. vanilla
• 1 14 oz. can evaporated milk
• 1 cup heavy cream or 1 can coconut milk
• 1 can sweet condensed milk
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan with butter and dust with 1 tsp. flour. Invert dish, tap out excess flour.
Sift the remaining flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl, set aside.
Put the egg whites into a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. While mixer is running, add the sugar in a gradual stream and continue beating until soft peaks. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add the reserved flour mixture and the whole milk in 3 parts, beating until smooth after each addition. Add rum and vanilla and beat again briefly.
Pour batter into reserved baking pan and bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.
Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream or coconut milk in a bowl. Using a knife, poke the cake with holes all over, penetrating to the bottom of the pan. Pour the milk mixture over the warm cake and cool completely. Cover cooled cake and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
Frost with 1 pint whipped heavy cream sweetened with sugar and flavored with vanilla. Serve with berries or mango chunks.
What a touching tribute to a friend. I too was moved by all that RA did that day. I liked the sitting in the dugout together, like a team, of old friends.
Thank you for putting into words what I also felt that day....oh, and I feel like I still wear your Tres Leches Cake.
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