Famous Mexican Desserts And Some Variations

“Postres” – the sweets at the end of a meal. Although Mexicans consider these as important meal-enders, Mexican desserts remain highly unfamiliar. Perhaps, this is because they are hidden behind the shadow of the ever-present caramelized custard, known locally as “flan caramelisado”.

Among the many distinct Mexican desserts, the flan caramelisado remains to be the most classic, and is suggestively the best description of Mexican desserts in general. In fact, the most traditional dessert recipes of the Mexicans were discovered when the Spanish colonies ruled the country.

The popularity of the “flan” has spanned several countries all over the globe. Although the terms “flan” and “crème caramel” were derived from the French, the word “flan” however, is used by the French to mean custard tart. Since it is known across Europe, as well as in other parts of the world, “flan” is mostly how Spanish-speaking people call it.

The flan is known to have greatly invaded dessert menus in Europe towards the end of the 20th century because it offers restaurateurs utmost convenience. Since the crème caramel, as Europeans call it, is fairly easy to prepare, and may be made in advance before it is needed, it became one of the most prevalent desserts in restaurant menus.

The flan is not only the most well-known among Mexican desserts, but has also gained as much attention in other countries. There are now a lot of variations, including the use of almond, coconut, lemon, pistachio, and other fruits.

Another proof of its popularity is the fact that has been “imitated”. “Instant flans”, which are available in powder form, use agar as thickening, instead of eggs. “Royal” is among the popular brand name of these flan imitations.

Flan is more widely-known in Spain, as well as in the Philippines and Latin America, both of which were under Spanish rule. Flan has become a lot more common in the United States because it is always a part of Mexican menus.

The pastry ingredients of the Europeans, such as wheat flour, eggs, and milk, and the crepes of the French, were all made part of some Mexican desserts. Up to now, these contributions from other cultures can be savored in the various Mexican desserts like bread pudding, rice pudding, coconut flans, and caramel filled crepes.

Mexican desserts are interesting because they are influenced by the flavors of other cultures, and further enhanced by the Mexicans ‘fascinating tastes.

Muffins: Flavor Ideas Great For Dessert

Muffins are baked treats somewhat similar to bread or cakes. They look like cupcakes because their base is cylindrical and the top is rounded and arched. Muffins are, typically, sweet and in modern cooking, they have fillings such as fruit jams and/or toppings like chocolate chips. Muffins make great desserts, especially when served with ice cream.

Muffins are made or baked in a muffin tin or pan, which is a baking pan with depressions shaped in a cup where the muffin batter is poured. The standard size of a muffin cup is about 2 and a half inches in diameter but there are muffin tins with larger cups about 3 ¼ inches in diameter to make jumbo muffins. There are also mini muffins and to make these, you would need a miniature muffin tin, which has cups about 2 inches or less in diameter.

Muffin Flavors

Fruits are common ingredients in muffins. Some popular fruits used in making muffins are apples, banana, blueberry, cherry, lemon, pineapple, rhubarb, raspberry, and strawberry. Other food items usually mixed in muffin recipes are nuts, chocolate, cinnamon, peanut butter, pumpkin, vanilla, and mint. Muffins also typically combine two or more flavors such as apple cinnamon, blueberry chocolate and walnut maple. The flavor combinations are practically limitless so feel free to experiment in making your dessert muffins.

There are also many ways to dress up your dessert muffins. You can simply sprinkle sugar, chopped nuts or grated cheese on top and your dessert muffins would be extra tasty.
Some other delicious muffin toppings are shredded coconut, crushed graham crackers, oats, poppy seeds, and orange glaze. You can also try these combinations for your muffin toppings: fruit and preserves, cinnamon hazelnut, cinnamon sugar, and oat almonds. To add some texture and flavor to your dessert muffins, sprinkle any of these topping combinations over your muffin batter before you bake them.

Here are some more muffin baking tips:

• Do not forget use non stick cooking spray in each muffin cup so you can easily remove your muffins without damaging it
• Place paper liners in the muffin cups so they will be easier to clean
• When pouring the batter onto the muffin cups, leave sufficient space for the muffins to expand so you will get a nice rounded top instead of a flat one. The cups should not be more than three fourths full.
• If after baking, the muffins stuck to the bottom of the cups, place the hot muffin pan down on a damp towel and after 2 minutes, you should be able to take your muffins out.

Muffins are always popular desserts. The perfect ones are moist on the inside with a brown thin crust on the outside. They are easy to make whether you want to use a muffin mix or mix your own ingredients. Try some of the flavor and topping ideas above and you will be sure to have mouth-watering muffins for dessert.

Petits Fours: Delectable And Dainty Desserts

Petits fours are small bite-sized cakes or pastries that are generally served as a dessert after or as part of a large buffet meal. Petits fours are also often served with afternoon tea.

The French term petits fours when literally translated means “small oven”, which came from the cooking method use to make these cakes. In the past, the French baked cakes in ovens fueled by coal, which reached high temperatures, and after large cakes are baked the ovens would still be hot enough to bake smaller cakes. These small cakes are what are known today as petits fourss.

Generally, petits fours are about an inch square and 2 inches high. They are made with layers of cake and frosting, usually, butter cream but you can also use other flavors such As chocolate, coffee, almond or vanilla extract, orange, or cream cheese. The layers then are coated with fondant, often in pastel colors. Because petits fours are basically small cakes, you can decorate them with candy embellishments much like you would regular sized cakes although sugar roses are typically used.

These dessert treats have two basic types, which are called sec and glacé. Sec means dry so petits fours sec are the ones that do not require any embellishments once baked. You can serve them for dessert as is and these confections include puff pastries, ladyfingers, baked meringues and macaroons.

Glacé, on the other hand, means iced so petits fours glace need icing, glaze or some other decoration after they are baked. Petits fours glacé may also be filled with jam, chocolate, cream or other sweet filling. A good base for petits fours glace is a mini sponge cake or angel food cake. Examples of petits fours glacé are tarts, eclairs and mini fondant or frosted cakes.

As an afternoon snack, petits fours are traditionally served with tea accompanies by ice cream or any sweet frozen dessert. As a dessert after a large meal, petits fours are served with a dessert beverage such as coffee, tea, dessert wine or liquor.

Some excellent flavor combinations for petits fours are vanilla with marzipan and raspberry filling, orange chocolate petits fours, and fudge mint petits fours. Of course, the variety of flavors that you can use as well as the shapes and decoration are practically endless. That is why you can petits fours make delightful desserts in any occasion from baby or bridal showers to a formal business dinner or luncheon or a wedding reception.

Pies: Everybody Wants A Slice

Pies are baked foods consisting of a baked pastry shell that completely covers a filling. Pies for desserts contain sweet fillings such as fruits, creams, and chocolates and other food items that add flavor or texture such as cheeses and nuts. There are also pies that have only a top crust covering a filling, usually fruits, placed on a dish. These pie versions are known as cobbler, crumble or crisps. Pies with a crust only at the bottom have sweet fillings that often do not have to be cooked. These are better known as tarts.

Popular pies for dessert include apple pies, apricot pies, blueberry pies, cherry pies, cream pies, peach pies, strawberry pies and, of course, pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving dessert. It is also common for pie desserts to combine more than one fruit. Some examples are cherry lemon pies and cranberry apple pies. Aside from fruit pies, pies that also make wonderful desserts make use of other sweet and savory ingredients such as peanut butter, meringue, sour cream, flavored creams, coconut, and ice cream.

Ice cream pies are delightful and easy-to-make frozen desserts. Simply spread ice cream and sherbet into the pie crust, freeze, and top with whipped cream and then freeze again. Remove the ice cream pie from your freezer about 30 minutes before you serve it. Lastly, top with fruit slices and coconut flakes. You can use vanilla ice cream and orange sherbet and orange slices for toppings or choose your flavors. Fruit pies that are served with a scoop or scoops of ice cream are known in the United States as “à la mode”, the most popular kind is apple pie à la mode.

Here are some tips in making fruit pies:

Make two-crust pies on the night before you will use them. Refrigerate them overnight and you will have perfect crusts to bake with in the morning. Brush some milk over a two-crust pie to get a pleasant browned look.

Make pumpkin pie topping sweeter by layering marshmallows in the bottom of the pie. When baked, the marshmallows will expand to the top. Prevent fruit juice from oozing from the pie into the oven by inserting short drinking straws into the openings in the crust to let steam out when baking.

With the thousands of pie recipes available from classic fruit pies to modern cream pies and gourmet pies, you will surely the find the perfect pie dessert to make for simple family gatherings to special occasions.