It's El Torito, ChiChis & Every Other Mexican Restaurant At Once!

I grew up in northern CA and going to El Torito was probably a weekly occasion in our household. From a very young age, I was infatuated with the sweet little scoop of corn cake they used to give you on your plate - so much so I'd hurry and eat them off every plate I could on the table. When we moved from CA to the Midwest, finding a place that served these was quite a challenge. I didn't come across these little golden nuggets of deliciousness until college when we used to go to ChiChis.

Since then, I've tried the prepackaged kit in the supermarket from ChiChis and it just wasn't quite the same.

Today, let's be real, I was bored out of my mind at home. So I played around online to see if I could find a recipe for my beloved golden corn-y goodness. I found a couple, one was a little more baking work than I cared to deal with, so the other recipe won out.

And oh my gosh it's like being a child all over again! I ate 4 small cookie scoops full of the deliciousness alone tonight (and it's not even 7 pm and don't judge, I just may go back for more later on!).

I was so infatuated as a matter of fact, I didn't even bother to photograph this- but let's face it, we all know what these little scoops of sweet golden corn goodness look like.

Found this recipe on Food.Com and am quite pleased with the results - do try it if you're like me and love these little sweet corn cakes!

Recipe as is here. Recipe as I made it below.

Mexican Sweet Corn Cake

• 1/4 cup + 2 T butter
• 1/2 cup masa harina
• 5 tablespoons cold water
• 1 Can of Creamed Style Corn
• 3 tablespoons cornmeal
• 2 T sugar
• 3 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a square pan (you can also use an 8x10 for a thinner cake) with cooking spray.

In a bowl, whip the butter with an electric mixer. Then add in the masa and the water. Blend this mixture with your electric mixer and you'll get a crumbly dough - like cookie dough. Instead of getting another bowl all dirty - just add the rest of the ingredients in to this bowl and then stir to combine with a wooden spoon. Place mixture in your baking dish, cover with aluminum foil (or bake it in a Corningware Pan and use the lid). Bake for 40-50 minutes until set. Serve warm.

For real authenticity - serve with an ice cream or cookie scooper!