favorite desserts in Spain

Hi everyone...
In school a few days ago, we had to write down a dessert that is part of our culture. I was beginning to write flan, but then I thought that maybe I could be a little more creative (even though flan IS amazing!)
Does anyone have any ideas?
thanx ~Marisa~

CREMA CATALANA !!!!! Yummmmm... Had this the first time in Barcelona's Barrio Gótico in some little, old place which was famous for this, had won many many awards for it, and was in all the guide books too, I think. Good stuff. (see link with recipe)

There's nothing more delicious and simple as fresa con nata. (sweet cream over strawberries) :p

Saludos, MadridMan

During the (Christmas) Holiday season, Turrónes are very popular desserts. There are 'hard' turrónes that are like peanut brittle and there are turrónes that are like halavah (i.e., almond paste). Most are almendra (almond). In summer, the people from Alicante who make the Turrónes distribute some fabulous Ice Cream flavors (Turrón, for example; and (would you believe?) Irish Coffee and Bailey's Irish Cream) in Andalucia. One ice cream store I know in Mazagon (Huelva) is called la Alicantina. After (midday) dinner (or in early evening), it's customary for vacationers to take a stroll and stop for an ice cream dessert.

I have also found such outlets in beach resorts in Cadiz: el Puerto de Santa Maria (on Avda. de Bajamar) and in Rota.

I love arroz con leche and natillas! YMMMMMMMM! :p

Marisa: forget all that has been said in this thread :p The ultimate dessert, which is typical for this day in Spain (día de Todos los Santos) is ¡¡buñuelos de viento!!

I was something bored and I have tried to make them at home successfully I've filled them with cream, chocolate cream and with blackberry marmalade... my family are still sucking their fingers hehehe

Fernando

FERNANDO!!! You beat me to it! My ladyfriend in Madrid surprised me here at work this morning with a telephone call. (she, like many Spaniards, have today off from work)

I told her about this thread and she said I should suggest Buñuelos. Also, she suggested Los Huesos de Santo for today's holiday. I don't know what these are but she says they're sweet.

Fernando, I'm so impressed by your cooking skills!!! ; you've made buñuelos, WOW! I'm not too familiar with them, but they seem quite hard to make without the proper equipment and know-how, congrats!
Nevadita, I agree, a good arroz con leche is....mmmmmmm!, and some nice torrijas, and both things are very easy to make!

You can always go with Brazo Gitano, or Tarta de Santiago.

While I really really like flan (only if its casera -- home made), I LOVE arroz con leche. That is the best! Torrijas are yummy, but nothing spectacular in my opinion (as a desert) as they are much like the American breakfast food of French toast!

Chica, someday you'll have to try some torrijas that are creamy and delicious for dessert (or my own 'caseras' ones ). I remember they made great ones at I restaurant I used to go often, Samarkanda.

Natillas!!!!!! Yum! :p Anybody have a good recipe, or know where I could find one?

Chica, is arroz con leche a bit like the British "rice pudding", which is basically rice with cream, baked in an oven?
I had flan EVERY day whilst in madrid! I became addicted!

Fernando is right! Bunuelos are the best, by the way, last year he posted the recipe on one of the threads here! When I find it I'll add it to this post.

Have a little copita de Jerez with a couple of bunuelos and you'd think you are in heaven!

p.s. Bunuelo has an ~ but my laptop won't let me make the ~! Stupid machine!

without a doubt....leche frita!! :p :p

I will never forget the day my darling husband ordered "postre de la casa" just thinking it was the specialty of the chef. To his surprise, it was an ENORMOUS selection of all of the menu's desserts. It was amazing! Needless to say, that was the Best and most memorable dessert we ever shared in Spain.
O, BTW ...we finished it! ( remember to always leave room for dessert! )

Fernando- Can you give me your recipe for buñuelos
*Marisa*

MMM!!!! Fresas con nata ...YUM! Whenever I have that, I think of going to Casa Botin on calle Cuchilleros,an under-ground restaurant in Madrid, where la Tuna came...that was fun !

MM: it is the intention what counts

Pim, I also thought they were hard to make but at the end I was able to cook them with, I must say, a good degree of success hehehe

Here is the recipe for all of you:

a bit of salt
50 grams of butter
30 grams of sugar
4 eggs
125 grams of flour
200 mililiters of water

It is more easy that it seems Just put all the ingredients in a casserole and make it boil until you have an homogeneous mix.

Then you must put a sauce-pan with a lot of oil (olive oil is the best of course). You must take a little spoon of the mix and put it in the oil (which must be very very hot). Let it frying until it has four times its original size.

When you have the buñuelos fried, fill them with cream, milk fat (nata montada), marmalade, chocolate or whatever you like

Finally throw some sugar over the filled buñuelos and... eat them until there are no more!

Fernando
(Who can no longer eat anything because today has eaten too much buñuelos hehehe)

ok, not really a dessert, but love them anyway! Churros! (like I said, not dessert, but something sweet! ) And NOBODY makes them like my mom!

Espe3...I LOVE Tarta de Santiago as well! That's my favorite cake type dessert!! I also love the white chocolate covered Palmeras! Mazepan...oh...I must make a trip to the kitchen. I've got to stay away from this thread. :o

Polvorones...nuff said

Marisa:
Another holiday dessert is Roscon de Reyes and, as its name suggests, it is a once-a-year treat. As I recall, it's similar to Tarta de Santiago.

I think the restaurant you may be referring to is Las Cuevas de Luis Candelas which you can enter halfway down the steps of the Arco de Cuchilleros entry/exit of Plaza Mayór. Casa Botín is a few doors away. You were very fortunate to have seen the Tuna Universitaria there.

PIM - chico and I are anxiously awaiting the invite to taste your creamy torrijas! Perhaps in the meantime we´ll invite you and yours to come up to our pueblo and try out some Filipino cuisine!

Chrissiij - yes, arroz con leche is a bit like the British rice pudding...I suppose. However, when I make it, I make it on the stove (cooker as you Brits say! ) not the oven and add cinnamon and lemon peel!

Becky....acepto! and I'll bring torrijas!!!

And NOBODY makes 'melocotón con vino' like my 'abuela' used to make it!!!

I love a pie they sell in many pastry shops, but I'm not sure it's Spanish, we call it a 'pastel ruso' or just a 'ruso'(Russian), it's light and delicious!

Yep, the famous 'postre de la casa', it's not very creative ....but it should include everything: 1 flan, some ice-cream(vanilla is nice!), peach and pineapple in 'almibar', whipped cream....

. Tarta de Santiago is my absolute favorite!! The Penelope Casas' recipe is really quite good and every time I make it I get loads of compliments.
Espe3 , I would LOVE your mom's recipe for Churros...I have tried and tried and never succeeded to get it right! I have the churrera I just don't have the knack!

Hi, pim, I haven't tasted melocoton al vino, but my favourite dessert is probably peras al vino on a base of natillas, deliciouss.
I also love torrijas.

hey PIM....I think Miguelito is trying to scam an inivitation to our little party... or simply is looking for a way to try your torrijas!!

Dance Miguelito! Dance! Jo, where´s the pic??!!

Esperanza writes: How big/heavy is your Churrera? If it's a reasonable size, I think that's what I'll bring back next time I go to Spain. I'll carry a folded up duffle bag - will it fit??
BTW
My last 2-trips I brought hot chocolate mix called Paladin. In July I brought back 3-cans. My granddaughters don't take too long to go thru that.

I need help. For a school project I have to make food from countries in Spain. My two countries are Aragon and Navarra. If anyone knows any food i could make that wouldn't be too hard, maybe like a desert, let me know!

torrija... yum.

My favourite dessert is grenades in wine. I usually have them at least one whole day in wine and sugar before eating them.... I love them!!!

how do i make either one of those.. it's due tomorrow?!?!

It's quite simple (torrijas): boil milk with cinamon, sugar and the skin of a lemon.

Then cut thick slices of french bread (or sandwich bread if you don't have access to french bread) cover them with the boiled milk.

Then squeeze some eggs and pass the bread so it is covered with the sqeezed eggs.

Finally fry the slices in olive oil (if it's not possible use sunflower oil) and cover with some additional cinamon and sugar.

The traditional recipe requires a special kind of bread only available in Spain, wich is very compact, and also to add syrup ("caramelo", which is made with sugar, lemon and water) at the end, but anyway they will taste incredible and quite spanish



Check this link for quantities: www.recetas.net

Does anyone know how to make Pionones? Delicious treats...
I tasted them in Granada and I loved them! It's a pastry that can only be found in the south of spain, according to the very nice lady at the Parador de Granada.

thanks fernando... i made my dad do it so ill get to taste them tomorrow.. hopefully they're good!! are they originally from Spain or is it just something you like?

Julia,
Torrija is the Spanish version of what we refer to as French toast give or take a few ingrediants and the time of day it is served ....

I don't know if it is common in other countries, but it is very typical in Spain during Easter

Fernando

I wouldn't really compare torrijas to french toasts... actually I think they are completely different. Usually after frying them, you keep the torrijas in caramel for a day or so, and you eat them all wet and juicy.

....and topped with all sorts of berries (or simply with strawberries and a little cream) for 'moi', please!!!

Recently, we came back from our holiday in Provence and ended up spending 5 days in Marseille! (recommended!); well, in the main plaza there was a churros kiosk!, too bad it was allways closed when we were there, I would have liked to see what French churros looked like.... And, on our last day, we went to a nearby small fishing village where, again at a street stall we bought something very, very similar to 'porras', they were really good, although over there they're called....ahem....chichis! :o

Julia, melocotón con vino is very typical of the Aragonese region, I'll check out a good recipe in English....the only concern I have is if they'll allow you to have alcohol in class!!! (I think not!)

So far nobody has mentioned a good 'mil hojas'. Mmmm....when they're well done, meaning very light and fluffy, they can be such a delicacy!

Where 'tartas' (cakes) are concern, I love one that looks very pretty, even sophisticated, it's tower-shaped and...I think it's called the Saint Honoré.

Pim -

LOL

Glad to hear you had a great time!

My favourite are the "Lazos de Hojaldre", a pastry made with honey.

They are called by different names, but I use to ask for "Lazos de Hojaldre" or "Lazos de Hojaldre con miel".



Usually are shorter like this:


Just awesome.

EDIT to add three words:

Don't - miss - it.

Believe me.

OK, my very 'guiri' significant other, agrees with MMan on the fresas con nata, since, apparently, you don't get sugary whipped cream in many places, something I did not know.

And he says chirimoyas are a very typical dessert of Spain! , although they're original from Peru, because he had never seen any before he moved to Spain.

Mmm...in over 3 weeks we'll be in Madrid to celebrate his b-day....I can't wait to taste the 'tarta Saint Honoré' from Vait (www.vait.es) that I'm planning to order (I REALLY hope he doesn't read this!)

Put me down for Flan.

Me too desert dweller

FLAN

Can't beat it - always have it



Jo

Quite a few years ago I was on the despedida de soltero or stag night (Don't know the "American" for this) of a Gibraltarian friend of mine and he loved flan too.

He's not had one since that night, probably because he ate twelve, one after the other with his hands tied behind his back

Twelve .. heaven It's only like eating one very large one after all.

Sigh ... one very large flan ... sigh ...

I wouldn't need to have my hands tied behind my back. Although it's an interesting thought

Tubby

I love flan too,yummm..

thanks everyone!! the food was good someone brought some flan ...idk how much i liked that tho lol i'll be needing more food ideas for other projects so you can maybe help me again?!?