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Archive for the ‘Desserts’ Category

Guatemalan Comfort Food: Mole

Friday, December 16th, 2011

Guatemalan Comfort Food: Mole

The mole from Guatemala is very similar to mole poblano, which is a chocolate and chili based sauce (over simplification of the ingredients). One huge difference is that mole poblano is a main dish with turkey or chicken; meanwhile Guatemalan mole is a dessert with fried plantains slices ladled with chocolate sauce or mole for short. Bon appetite!

Guatemalan Buñuelos Recipe

Thursday, December 15th, 2011

Guatemalan Comfort Food: Buñuelos

We have to thank Erin, loyal and long-time reader from AntiguaDailyPhoto, for the buñuelos recipe you see below.

Erin shared with us the buñuelos recipe last year:
Making buñuelos at home can be a little bit tricky because the altitude will affect the dough. Having said that, don’t be afraid to try, it will be worthy!

Bring to boil 1 cup of water and remove from heat. Optional: you might like to infuse the water with a cinnamon stick and a teaspoon of anise seeds; just be careful to remove them before adding the flour.

At once, add 1 cup of all purpose flour and mix vigorously with a wooden spoon (don’t use your hands, the mixture will be really hot).

When the water/flour mix is lightly warm, add 4 eggs, ONE AT A TIME, and continue mixing until everything is well incorporated and the dough looks velvety.

Cover the mixture with a damp kitchen towel and let it rest for at least a couple of hours (I prefer overnight).

In a deep pan or a fryer, at medium temperature, heat a large amount of vegetable oil; using 2 spoons, drop small portions of the dough (donuts holes is a good reference for the size), and let them fry until golden. One of the nicest features of the buñuelos is that they float and turn around in the oil by themselves!

Once the buñuelos are golden and crispy, remove them from the oil and let them rest over paper towels.

To serve the buñuelos the traditional way, make a syrup combining and bringing to a boil, equal amounts of water and sugar, a cinnamon stick and anise seeds. I prefer the syrup less sweet, so I use two parts of water and one part of sugar and right at the end, when I turn-off the heat, I like to add a cup of sherry or marsala.

In a small bowl, put 3 buñuelos (they look pretty in trios) and pour over about 1/2 cup of the warm syrup.

Enjoy!

Guatemalan Comfort Food: Camote, Chilacayote & Higos

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

Guatemalan Comfort Food: Camote, Chilacayote and Higos

Oh December, or the dry season for the matter, is full of Guatemalan comforting foods; mostly sweets like buñuelos, torrejas, mole, camote, chilacayote and higos. Perhaps, the fact that the dry season brings forth the low temperatures, around 6C/43F, courtesy of the cold winds blowing from the great white north (home to Manolo, the provocateur {his words}) that having something hot and sweet to warm up seems only logical.

If you’re not in Guatemala now, but would like to have some Guatemalan comfort foods, please pay a visit to AntiguaFC.com where Amanda can prepare a sweet combo and ship it to your home or office.

Come back tomorrow for the recipe for making buñuelos at home, courtesy of long-time reader and friend Erin.

Eating Ice Cream at Parque Central

Monday, November 7th, 2011

Three Ice Cream Eating Nuns

I have said it often and I even declared it as irrefutable fact: the best place to have ice cream in Antigua Guatemala has to be the Plaza Mayor (main plaza), better known as Parque Central. So, it comes as no surprise that there are seven ice cream shops within one block from parque central; maybe more. Still, if you don’t believe me ask these three happy-ice-cream-eating nuns.

One more thing, remember that the ice cream in Guatemala is unbelievably delicious because it is the real McCoy.

If you don’t know the Guatemalan artists Ricardo Arjona and Gaby Moreno this is your chance to catch them both doing a duet arrangement. They are the most famous and popular Guatemalan artists abroad. (more…)

Guatemalan Dessert: Ayote en Dulce

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011

Guatemalan Dessert: Ayote en Dulce by Rudy A. Girón

Ayode en dulce or ayote en miel is among the most popular desserts for Día de Todos los Santos (Feast of All Souls) and Día de los Difuntos (Day of the Dead). Wondering what ayote is? well, ayotes are pumpkins. I bet you didn’t know that Guatemala is the cradle for pumpkins. The Guatemalan pumpkin is about the size of medium-size melon and it is green inside.

Here’s a simple recipe to prepare ayote en dulce.

Ingredients:

  • 1 ayote mediado
  • 1/2 pound of panela (read more about panela below)
  • 1/2 half of cinnamon stick
  • 1/2 of a ginger root
  • 1 allspice ball

Preparation:
Wash well and break the ayote in small pieces. Put all the ayote pieces, cinnamon, ginger root, panela pieces and allspice in a pot and add enough water without covering ayote. Boil until the ayote is soft and the syrup has been absorbed by the ayote.

Panela is an unrefined food product, typical of Central and South America, which is basically a solid piece of sucrose and fructose obtained from the boiling and evaporation of sugarcane juice.

Bon appetite!

Here are other Guatemalan desserts that are prepared for the season:

Banana or Peach Dessert?

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

Banana & Peach Desserts

So, what would you like for postre (dessert) today?

Here are two choices based on fruits very popular in Guatemala: Bananas and Peaches. Bananas, of course, can be found in Guatemala all year long; that’s just one of the benefits of having been a Banana Republic. By the way, the bananas are tempura banana slices.

Peaches, on the other hand, are seasonal and now it’s the season. Both desserts have vanilla ice cream and yerba buena (Guatemalan mint) with a touch of strawberry mermelada.

Colorful Guatemalan Torrejas

Monday, March 28th, 2011

Colorful Guatemalan Torrejas by Rudy Girón

The food served at fair stands is becoming more colorful. Not too long ago I showed you black pupusas at Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which are very unusual.

If you never seen a photo of the Guatemalan torrejas, follow the white rabbit to Torrejas, Torrejas, Anyone? to get an idea of how torrejas are normally served. Now, compare the photo from the link against today’s photo of torrejas and you will understand the above statement.

Okay, let’s take a sweet tour through the Guatemalan comfort fair foods. Please, make sure you have some napkins close by; we don’t want to have any salivating accidents over the computer equipment. ;-)

What other dishes available at the fairs should I include in the Guatemalan comfort food list?