Churros-Style Waffles.Photography by Christie Vuong/The Globe and Mail
Travelling certainly fires up the palate, and the new flavours you discover shouldn’t disappear once you’re back home. I developed these treats following a delectable trip to Mexico City’s colourful neighbourhoods.
Satisfying Your Sweet Tooth in Mexico City
Maple-Cinnamon Flan
Makes 6 ramekins
Perhaps the oldest and most popular dessert in Mexico City. As the story goes, in 1518, conquistador Hernan Cortes landed in the Yucatan Peninsula and brought this Spanish dessert (by way of the Roman Empire) with him. The Mexicans made it their own by adding flavours such as coffee, coconut and chocolate. I made it my own by spiking the cool, creamy custard with maple and cinnamon. It’s easy to make but plan ahead so it can chill overnight.
- 2/3 cup amber maple syrup
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup sweetened condensed milk (just shy of a whole 300 mL can)
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- pinch of flaky sea salt
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Place amber maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat and reduce it down to 1/2 cup.
Divide maple syrup between six five-ounce ramekins, then twirl syrup so that it evenly coats the bottoms. Set aside.
Stir whole milk and sweetened condensed milk in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until milk is lukewarm. Whisk eggs in a medium bowl then slowly whisk into milk mixture along with cinnamon and vanilla. Try not to incorporate too much air. (Note: There will be flecks of cinnamon that don’t dissolve, which is perfectly fine.) Strain the custard if there are any lumps, then pour evenly into syrup-coated ramekins. Skim tops of any air bubbles.
Put a kettle full of water on to boil.
Arrange ramekins in a 13x9x2-inch baking dish and place on a rack in the middle of the preheated oven. Pull out rack and carefully pour enough boiling water into baking pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover baking dish with foil and bake until custards are just set in centre, about 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove ramekins from water and let cool for 30 minutes on the counter. Then cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours, but better still overnight. Loosen custard around the edges with a butter knife then invert each ramekin onto a dessert plate. Sprinkle each top with a few grains of flaky sea salt.
Guava and Cream Cheese Hand Pies
Makes 6 hand pies
This is one of the defining flavour combinations of Mexico City, and much of Latin America. These hand pies echo the luscious ricotta-guava Danish we loved at Panadería Rosetta, all fruity, sweet and savoury, while this simple pastry is even flakier. These are great for breakfast, a snack or dessert.
For crust:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup cold butter, grated
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2-3 tbsp cold water
For filling:
- 6 tsp guava paste (available at some grocery stores and Latin markets)
- 3 tsp cream cheese, divided
For glaze:
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tbsp milk or cream
- drop of food colouring (optional)
- 1 tbsp colourful sprinkles (optional)
Preheat oven to 425 F.
To make the crust, combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and oil. Mix together until dough is crumbly. Add water, 1 tbsp at a time, until mixture forms a ball.
Separate dough into two equal balls. Flour rolling pin and work surface and roll a ball out on parchment paper into a 1/8-inch-thick square, then slice into two 3x5-inch rectangles.
Repeat with second ball then collect leftover scraps and roll out again to use up all the dough. (The remaining scraps will equal two pies.) This is a very flaky dough so be gentle.
Using a spatula, pick up dough rectangles and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place 1 tsp of guava paste and 1/2 tsp of cream cheese in the middle of each rectangle. Fold in half like a sandwich, then using fork tines, crimp to seal edges. Repeat with remaining rectangles.
Don’t worry if the dough looks a little shaggy as it will stay together, and the glaze will mask any imperfections. Place sealed pastries on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
To make glaze, mix the icing sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Whisk in 1 tbsp of milk at a time, until glaze is thick but spreadable. Stir in food colouring if using.
Using a spoon, drizzle or spread glaze over the cooled pastries, then decorate with sprinkles while glaze is still wet. Let set for a few minutes.
Simple Mandarin Sorbet
Makes about 1 litre
No ice cream maker needed for this bright midwinter refresher that will brighten your palate (and your mood). Just a lot of mandarins, some freezing time and a hint of orange flower water. If mandarins are hard to find, you can substitute with seedless navel oranges.
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 lb peeled fresh, seedless mandarins, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tbsp orange flower water (optional but lovely)
Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat then lower to a simmer for five minutes, or until sugar is dissolved and liquid is syrupy. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Place the prepared mandarins in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
Add the sugar syrup, lemon juice and orange flower water, and pulse to combine. At this point you can strain the mandarin mixture if you’d like a pulp-free sorbet, but I prefer the texture with the pulp. (The kids who ate this did not.)
Pour the sorbet mixture into an 8x8-inch or 9-inch cake pan and carefully place in the freezer.
After two hours, use a fork or spoon to bring the frozen edges into the centre and stir it around a bit. Then return to the freezer.
Continue to stir every hour, until the sorbet is nearly firm as you like. This should take about four hours total, depending on the temperature of your freezer. Once the sorbet is all thick and slushy, quickly purée it in the food processor or blender, then pour it into a resealable container and freeze again for two hours more.
Allow sorbet to soften slightly at room temperature for about 10 minutes before scooping and serving. It’s got an airy, almost granita-like texture. If you’d like a smoother sorbet, feel free to use an ice cream maker and skip the stirring after every hour part of the recipe.
Churros-Style Waffles
Makes 5-6 waffles
Add a little spice to the breakfast table with a plate of warm cinnamon-sugar-coated waffles. Serve with warm dulce de leche and chocolate sauces and let everyone go wild. An unexpected pinch of coriander will delight the tastebuds.
For cinnamon sugar:
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- pinch of ground coriander (optional)
For waffles:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups warm milk
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for brushing cooked waffles
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Chocolate sauce or dulce de leche
Combine sugar, cinnamon and coriander in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Set aside.
Preheat waffle iron.
In a medium bowl, beat eggs, then stir in the milk, melted butter and vanilla.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.
Ladle waffle batter into a preheated non-stick waffle iron and cook until golden, about two minutes. (Spray waffle iron with vegetable oil spray before adding batter if sticking). Repeat with remaining batter.
Brush warm waffles with melted butter, then place on a plate and sprinkle heavily with cinnamon sugar on both sides. Shake off excess and repeat with remaining waffles. Serve with your favourite chocolate sauce or dulce de leche for drizzling or dipping.
Photography by Christie Vuong, food styling by Ashley Denton, and prop styling by Andrea McCrindle.
