Is There a Favorite Cookie or Sweet Hispanics Like?!
Answers: I have lived in Mexico for over thiry years. Churros, bu?uelos, flan, flan napolitano, pan dulce, pastel tres leches, dedos de reina, cocada and capirotada are favorites, although American pastries have earned their place as well. Pan dulce alone should be more than enough because there are over 3,000 recorded varieties. Yes, they do have a serious sweet tooth.
why?
I'm Hispanic, and I know that my family and I....as well as the vast majority of the Hispanic community where I live loooooove cookies that are called Pan de Polvo. It's basically a shortbread cookie with a cinnamon sugar coating. They're yummy! Here's a link with a recipe:
http://www.recipezaar.com/27623
Mexican Wedding Ring Cookies
1 c Butter
1 ts Vanilla
1/2 c Chopped pecans
1/2 c confectioner's sugar
2 c Flour, sifted
1 c confectioners sugar set aside on plate or small paper bag
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar, add vanilla, flour and nuts.
Blend well.
Form in balls the size of a quarter by rolling.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet until just slightly browned.
When cool roll in confectioners sugar or shake a few at a time in a sack of powdered sugar.
Makes about 4 to 5 dozen.
SOPAPILLAS (LITTLE PILLOWS)
1 pkg. dry yeast
1/4 c. lukewarm water
3/4 c. milk
6 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. butter
1 beaten egg
3 c. flour
Dissolve yeast in water. Bring milk, sugar, and salt to a boil. Stir in butter. Cool to lukewarm. Stir in yeast mixture, then egg. Beat in flour. Cover dough and let rest for 1-1 1/2 hours. Knead and let rest 15 minutes. Roll dough 1/4 inch thick; cut into 2 x 3 inch strips (or diamond shape).
Fry in deep fat at 350 degrees until golden brown, turning only once. Drain on paper towel. Serve with honey-butter (beat 1/2 pound butter and 1/4 cup honey) or just honey is good too. Tear open corner of sopapillas and put honey-butter inside. This is much easier than it sounds and will be worth it.
Flan
? cup plus 2/3 cup sugar
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
3 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Have ready an ungreased 9-inch round or square 1 ? to 2 quart baking dish.
2. Cook ? cup of the sugar over medium heat in a heavy medium-sized saucepan, stirring almost constantly with a long-handled wooden spoon, until it is melted and turns first golden and then very dark brown, about 5 minutes. (Use extreme caution! Cooked sugar is very hot and can burn the skin if it spatters.) Immediately pour the hot caramel syrup into the baking dish and swirl the pan until it coats the bottom. The caramel will harden at this point and melt again later as the flan bakes.
3. Gently but thoroughly whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and the remaining 2/3 cup sugar in a mixing bowl until smooth. Gradually whisk in the milk and vanilla. Pour the custard mixture into the prepared dish. Set the dish in a larger baking pan and fill the larger pan with hot water to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish.
4. Bake until a knife inserted two-thirds of the way to the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. The center should still be slightly soft, as the flan will finish cooking after it is removed from the oven. Cool in the water bath, then remove baking dish from water bath and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
5. Before serving, run a sharp knife around the edge of the flan to release it. Place a large rimmed serving plate over the baking dish and, using both hands, invert both dishes so that the flan and the liquid sauce unmold onto the platter. Refrigerate again until serving time.
Serves 8.
HELPFUL HINTS: You can also make this flan in individual 8-ounce ramekins, in which case the baking time would be reduced by about 10 minutes.
CHURROS
1 c. water
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 c. all-purpose flour
2 eggs
Peel of 1/2 lemon
Fat for deep-fat frying
Granulated sugar or powdered sugar
In saucepan, bring water, sugar, and salt to boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in flour, all at once, and beat until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until mixture is smooth. Spoon batter into pastry bag fitted with large star point. Pipe 3 inch strips onto waxed paper or floured surface. Add lemon peel to deep fat and heat to 375 degrees. Fry churros, a few at a time, for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown, turning as necessary. Drain on paper toweling. Roll in granulated sugar or powdered sugar. Makes 24.
I like bunuelos, they're a thin fried tortilla with cinnamon sugar sprinkled on it. They are great.
Guava paste (& cheese)
Guava, canned in syrup.
Turron - hard or soft almond candy eaten mostly during the Christmas holidays.
"Dulce de coco" - coconut candy
"Dulce de leche - sweet caramel candy
Pan Dulce, sweet bread. Try looking it up on FoodTv.com
EVERYBODY likes flan!!
My Hispanic friends always talk about Flans it's the only desert I've seen them eat.