Amercian Desserts–TOP 5

1.Alfajores – Caramel Sandwich Cookies

Alfajores come in many sizes and flavors. Each region of South America has its own version. I like alfajores best when they are freshly made, so that the crisp cookies contrast the soft filling, but many people prefer to wait a couple of days for the cookies to soften, so that the cookie and the filling have the same texture.

This traditional recipe calls for a touch of Pisco, a South American brandy, in the cookie dough. It’s optional, but adds a nice flavor. You can substitute any brandy for the Pisco.

For an extra special cookie, make your own dulce de leche.

Ingredients:

1 cup cornstarch
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon Pisco or Brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup dulce de leche
1/2 cup toasted coconut, finely chopped

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the cornstarch, flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and mix briefly.

Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture, blending with your fingers until the mixture is smooth.

Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and Pisco, and mix with your hands until the dough is homogeneous and smooth. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Roll out dough to 3/8″ thickness, and cut into 2 inch circles.

Place cookies on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake cookies for 10-15 minutes, until they are barely golden brown. Let cookies cook 5 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool completely.

To fill the cookies, spread one cookie with dulce de leche and top with second cookie. Roll the edges in the coconut.

Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 25 cookies.

Variation:

To make chocolate-dipped alfajores, heat 8 ounces chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon shortening and 1 teaspoon corn syrup in the microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring after each 30 seconds, until the chocolate is melted. Dip half of the cookie (sandwiched with its filling) into the chocolate. Lift the cookie out and scrape along the edge of the bowl to remove the excess chocolate. Place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and let cool. When the chocolate has mostly set, roll the edges in the toasted coconut.

2.Cocadas–Coconut Macaroons

Coconut macaroons are probably more a universal treat (or at least a Western hemisphere treat) than a Bolivian one, but that can be said about most of the Bolivian desserts I found, they definitely seem to have European or at least pan-American origins. The appeal of this recipe was that it was extremely easy and quick to make and that my 4 year-old could help me. The results were delicious, less sweet than the macaroons we buy at the farmer’s market, with a fresh taste of toasted coconut. I’ll certainly make them again, specially for pot-lucks and cookie exchanges.
One note, I neglected to grease the wax paper I put them on while baking. Big mistake, they complete stuck to it. The recipe below makes 24 largish macaroons

Ingredients
1 package sweetened coconut flakes (14 oz)

1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)

1 egg

1/2 tsp. almond extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300 F. Grease two baking sheets. Mix all the ingredients together. Drop the dough by the spoonfull onto the prepared baking sheets and bake until golden – about 20 minutes.

3.Tres Leches Cake – Pastel de Tres Leches

There are several ways that you can simplify tres leches cake while still enjoying it’s rich deliciousness. It’s an ideal cake for shortcuts, actually. The rich milk mixture that is poured over the baked cake is what gives tres leches it’s distinctive flavor, so it’s easy to sneak a cake mix in as the base. I always make an italian meringue for the topping (it’s quick once you get the hang of it), but it would be even quicker to top it with whipped cream.
Give this cake time to soak up the milk mixture (overnight is best), and serve chilled. The texture and flavor are even better the second day.
Prep Time: 1 hours
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

Yellow butter-flavored cake mix

2 eggs

½ cup water

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

4 ounces (1/2 cup) sour cream

1/3 cup melted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon butter rum flavoring

3 teaspoons vanilla

3 tablespoons rum (optional)

1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 5 ounce can evaporated milk

1 cup whipping cream

pinch of salt

3 egg whites

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon corn syrup

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degress.
Add the cake mix to the mixing bowl of a standing mixer. (Or a large bowl, if you are going to mix it by hand with a whisk). Add the eggs and ½ cup water, and mix on low speed for 30 seconds.
Add the softened cream cheese, melted butter, butter rum flavoring, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 2 tablespoons rum (optional) and mix on medium speed for 1 – 2 minutes, until well-blended.
Pour into a 9 x 13 inch cake pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, just until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Let cake cool for 15 minutes.
While cake cools, make the milk ‘syrup’ that will soak into the cooled cake. In a bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, the evaporated milk, and the whipping cream (the three kinds of milk, or ‘tres leches’), 1 teaspoon vanilla, pinch of salt, and 1 tablespoon rum (optional).
With a fork or small skewer, poke lots of holes in the cooled cake, and then slowly pour the milk mixture over the entire cake. The milk mixture will not soak in immediately, and may pool in the sides and the bottom at first. Tilt pan around some to help distribute the milk mixture.
Cover cake with saran wrap and chill for 3-4 hours or overnight.
To make the meringue topping, place egg whites in the (very clean) bowl of an electric mixer, and attach the wire whisk.
Place the sugar, 1/3 cup water, corn syrup, and pinch of salt in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil.
When the temperature of the sugar syrup reaches about 238 degrees Fahrenheit (after about 3 minutes), turn on the mixer and start beating the egg whites. When the temperature reaches 242 degrees Fahrenheit (117 degrees Celsius), remove the syrup from the heat. (The total cooking time is about 4 minutes, and the sugar syrup should make thin threads if you drizzle it off of a fork, and will have thickened.)
The egg whites should be forming stiff peaks. Slowly and carefully pour the syrup down the side of the mixer bowl, into the beaten egg whites. Continue to beat the meringue until it cools, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon rum if desired.
Spread meringue over cake, and use the back of a spoon to make decorative peaks. Sprinkle cake with powdered cinnamon.
A note about baking pans: Tres Leches is often served out right of the pan, but there are certain occasions like birthdays where you might want a more attractive presentation. You can bake the cake in 2 round cake layer pans, but once they are out of the oven, give them at least 12 hours to soak up the milk while the cakes are still in the pans, in the refrigerator. Once they have soaked up all the milk and are very well chilled, you can unmold them, and ice them with the italian meringue or whipped cream. It helps to line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. Another possibility is to bake the cake in a 10 inch springform pan, and then remove the band around the cake once it is well chilled and has absorbed the milk.
Coconut Tres Leches Variation: Replace the water in the cake mix with ½ cup coconut milk. Replace ½ of the whipping cream with coconut milk. Add 1 teaspoon coconut flavoring to cake. Sprinkle finished cake with toasted coconut.

4.Passion Fruit Mousse – Mousse de Maracuyá

Passion fruit (maracuyá) is very popular in South America, especially in desserts. Mousse de maracuyá is one of the best ways to enjoy its distinctive tropical flavor. This mousse can simply be served in parfait glasses and topped with whip cream. Or serve it as a mousse cake, using a mold, with a coconut macadamia crust and a raspberry sauce.

Prep Time: 5 hours, 00 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup water

1 packet of unflavored gelatin (about 1 tablespoon)

3/4 cup passion fruit juice (from 3 -4 passion fruits)

2 tablespoons rum or orange liqueur

3 egg whites

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1 cup whipping cream

Crust

1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts

3/4 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup butter, melted

Whipped cream for garnish

Fresh fruit for garnish

Raspberry Sauce (see “Related Recipes”)

Preparation:

Slice passion fruits in half, and scrape pulp into a sauce pan.
Heat pulp on low heat, stirring, until it dissolves slightly and becomes more liquid (do not boil). Strain into measuring cup and let cool (you will need 3/4 cup). Reserve a few seeds for decoration.
Place 1/4 cup water in a small glass bowl and sprinkle gelatin over the water. Heat in the microwave for 15 seconds and stir. Repeat until gelatin is melted and dissolved. Do not boil.

Add gelatin and the liqueur to the passion fruit juice and mix well. Chill for 10 minutes while you prepare the meringue.

Place egg white in a standing mixer bowl. Mix 1/3 cup sugar and 1/4 water in a saucepan and heat to boiling. When sugar mixture reaches 240 degrees, turn on the mixer to start beating the egg whites.

When the sugar mixture reaches 250 degrees, remove from heat. The egg whites should be forming peaks. Slowly add the hot sugar mixture to the egg whites, letting it run down the side of the bowl, while continuing to beat the egg whites. The meringue should form stiff peaks.

Continue to beat meringue on low speed until it cools.

In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form.

Fold the passion fruit/gelatin mix gently into the egg whites. Do not overmix.

Mix a small amount of the meringue/passion fruit mixture into the whipped cream, then fold all of the whipped cream back into the meringue mixture.

At this point, if you are not going to use a mold, you can spoon the mousse into individual serving bowls, chill until set, and serve with whipped cream and fresh fruit.

To use a mold with a smooth surface, such as a glass bowl, lightly grease the mold with a small amount of vegetable oil. If using a loaf pan, line the pan with wax paper and then lightly grease the paper.
Pour the mousse into the mold.
Mix the chopped macadamia nuts, coconut and melted butter together. Sprinkle on top of mousse.
Chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until mousse is well set.
Turn mousse out onto serving plate. Garnish with whipped cream, sliced fruit, passion fruit seeds, and raspberry sauce.

5.Picarones – Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Doughnuts

Picarones are addictive, and not just because they are fried dough. They have an intriguing spicy sweet flavor, kind of like a spice cake, but they are crispy and warm and dripping with syrup. The runny dough is shaped into lopsided rings and deep fried. Experienced picarone makers use only one hand to throw perfect rings of dough into the oil, but don’t worry if it takes some practice before your doughnuts are rings. The practice doughnuts will taste just as good.

Ingredients:

1 pound uncooked pumpkin, or 3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1 pound sweet potatoes

3 Cinnamon sticks

2 teaspoons whole anise seed

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1 tablespoon instant yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup Pisco or other brandy

3 cups flour

1 quart vegetable oil

1/4 cup molasses

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

1 orange

2 limes

1/2 cup water

Preparation:
Fill a large pot with water, and bring to a boil. Add 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 teaspoons anise seed, and 1 teaspoon cloves to the water.
Peel the sweet potatoes, and cut into large chunks. Cut the fresh pumpkin (if you are not using canned) in large chunks as well.
Add the sweet potatoes and fresh pumpkin to the boiling water and cook until soft. You will need to remove the pumpkin first, as it will cook faster. Strain and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water and let cool.
When the pumpkin and potatoes are cool enough to handle, mash them or run them through a food mill. Let cool. You will need 3/4 cup sweet potato purée and 3/4 cup pumpkin purée.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the 1/2 cup of cooled (slightly warm, not hot) reserved cooking water. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Add the eggs, salt, cooled sweet potato purée, cooled pumpkin purée, and the Pisco and mix with the dough hook attachment until well mixed.
Add the flour gradually, and mix with the dough hook until smooth, about 5 minutes. The dough should be stretchy and smooth, but sticky. If it is very liquid, you can add up to 1/2 cup more flour.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, or about 2 hours.
Juice the orange and limes and reserve juice. Place the molasses, sugar, orange rind, lime rinds, orange juice, lime juice, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon cloves, and 1/2 cup water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring.
Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until mixture thickens slightly. The consistency should be similar to pancake syrup, and it will thicken more as it cools. Strain to remove the orange and lime rind and spices.
When the dough has risen, heat the oil in a pot to 350.
Wet your fingers in salted water. Form the doughnuts by grabbing a small handful of dough and stretching it into a ring around around a couple of fingers, then tossing the dough quickly into the oil. Cook briefly, 20 seconds or so, and then flip the doughnuts using the handle of a long wooden spoon.
Cook the doughnuts in the oil until they are golden brown (about 30 seconds longer), then remove them to a paper towel lined plate.
Serve immediately, drizzled with the warm syrup.

Tip: Doughnuts can be kept warm in a 200 degree oven for up to 1 hour.

New Mango Dessert Recipe

DELICIOUS MANGO DESSERT

Looking for a delicious fruity dessert recipe that will impress your friends and family? Try serving fresh mango fruit salad, mango sorbet, or even make a delicious tropical mango dessert recipe from scratch.Mangoes are a great choice because they are readily available year-round, they taste great, and are full of essential nutrients such as antioxidants and vitamins A and C. Additionally, the exotic flavor of mango appeals to just about everyone.

Fresh Mango Favorite: Tropical Fruit Salad Recipe

One of my favorite light desserts is a simple tropical fruit salad. I probably never make it the same way twice, because I simply shop for a variety of my favorite tropical fruits, cut them up, and mix them up in a bowl. I always start with mango, and then add in other fruits based on availability.

My tropical fruit salads usually feature:

Mango

Papaya

Banana

Pineapple

Kiwi

To get ideas for other types of tropical fruits that you can use to create your own version of tropical fruit salad, see the Tradewinds Fruit Database.

Mango Sorbet Recipe

Mango sorbet is sweet and fruity treat that can be for dessert or a snack any time of day. It is tasty, refreshing, and simple to make. My favorite recipe doesn’t even require an ice cream freezer.

4 mangoes

2 cups sugar

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups ice

Peel mangoes, cut into cubes, and remove seeds. Place half of each ingredient into your blender and puree until the texture is smooth. Pour into a large bowl that has a lid. Repeat with the other half. Add to the same large bowl if you are going to use the entire batch and once, or place in a separate bowl if you are going to save half for later. Seal the bowl and freeze for at least an hour. Scoop into bowls and serve. Makes 10 servings.