I'm in need of a "Mexican" dessert

Cafe Society
1

I’ve got a Seis de Mayo party this Wednesday, and I’m bringing dessert. I don’t know of anything Mexican other than Churros, but I don’t want to fry anything, so that’s out. I need something easy I can make the same day. And I say “Mexican” because I live in the Midwest, so no one has ever tasted authentic Mexican food before. If it seems Mexican, that’s good enough.

2

Flan is a traditional Mexican dessert.

3

Every Mexican restaurant that I go to here serves flan, sopapillas, and possibly Tres Leches cake. Flan is a custard, and might be your best bet. Sopapillas are deepfried and covered in sugar, cinnamon, and possibly honey. They need to be served hot, so they are probably right out for you. Tres Leches means Three Milks, and as the name implies, there’s three milks in the cake.

I’m not linking to recipes because you can probably Google as well as I can, and I haven’t used any of the recipes, I just go out when I want to eat Mexican food.

Why is it the sixth of May? Nobody wanted to do a real Cinco de Mayo party?

4

Flan?. Tres delicioso.

5

Well, they’re big on pan dulce in Mexico, although honestly much of it isn’t that good. Sometimes it is though, if you look around. If you have any Mexican markets near you they always have it, but I don’t know if you can find those in the Midwest.

6

I’d go with Tres Leches cake.

7

Flan, otherwise known as caramel custard. Sometimes they are made as individual servings, sometimes one big flan that people scoop servings out of.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/The-Perfect-Flan-1902
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Classic-Flan-241128

Mexican Wedding Cookies
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1182839

Tres Leches Cake

Mexican Chocolate Pudding
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mexican-Chocolate-Pudding-351307

8

I vote for Arroz con Leche. Basically, it’s rice pudding. Usually it’s milkier than the American version. It’s probably the easiest thing to make of all things suggested so far, although I cast a vote for Mexican Wedding Cookies as a second tasty option.

Also, I know you don’t want to fry anything, but deep-fried flour tortillas dusted with cinnamon and sugar are a piece of cake to make and very good.

9

When I was in Mexico once I went to a small restaurant and for desert we had sliced bananas drizzled with cinnamon (and maybe sugar, can’t recall). Don’t know if it was traditional but it was but perfect after a filling meal.
Of course, I loves me some flan. mmm

10

Which part of the Midwest? (I bet you can find authentic Mexican somewhere nearby)

11

Then just go to the store and grab a few dozen sugar cookies and sprinkle some cinnamon on them. Close enough.

12

I doubt its authenticity, but most Mexican restaurants have something called Deep Fried Ice Cream. Roll the scoops around in cereal crumbs, deep fry briefly, drizzle with Hershey’s.

13

Also, divinity shaped into skulls. Dia de la Muerte.

14

Maybe, Baked Apples and Pecans with Cajeta or possibly Baked Plantains and Pecans (or walnuts) with Cajeta.

Cajeta is a popular Mexican caramel made with goat and cows milk and although it can be homemade, I have seen good jarred cajeta in places as unassuming as a Dollar Store (Dollar General). And since it is a time consuming process and a bit technical to make (And where the hell are you going to find Goat’s milk, anyways?), I suggest checking the ethnic aisle of your grocery store and picking up a jar. The Baked Apple and Plantain Recipes can both easily be converted to a large casserole, to serve family or potluck style.

Or maybe try baking fresh pineapple chunks and ripe plantains together in a casserole with a bit of lemon and/or orange juice, jarred cajeta, and some real mexican cinnamon- cover with a pecan, butter, and brown sugar (piloncillo) streusel or crumble. Drizzle more cajeta over and serve with some vanilla ice cream… Sort of like a Mexican, Apple Brown Betty.

15

Deep fried flour tortillas with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a bit of chocolate syrup.

16

I also doubt the authenticity of fried ice cream. I do not doubt its tastiness, however.

I did this without frying*, and it was quite popular. I made balls of vanilla ice cream, rolled them in a cinnamon sugar mixture, and then rolled them in cornflakes (I didn’t bother crushing them). I then refroze. I served with a choice of strawberry topping, chocolate topping, and honey.

*I’ve actually never been to a restaurant where they fried the ice cream. It’s always been a mystery to me why they’d call it fried.

17

Tres Leches cake is one of my favorite desserts of all time. It’s a bit time-consuming, though.

18

I have a recipe that I’m making for a Cinco de Maya party tomorrow. It’s not truly authentic, but fits into the Mexican theme because it looks like tortilla chips and salsa:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Annies-Fruit-Salsa-and-Cinnamon-Chips/Detail.aspx

I’ve made it twice and it’s delicious.