Dulce, by Joseluis Flores – Treasures of a Sweet Continent

It is not very often that I find a book like this one. Dulce is a unique compendium of favorite Latin American desserts, with coquettish and modern components such as foams and other contemporary side dishes that elevate each recipe to a gourmet level.

Even though Joseluis Flores, the author, is Mexican and learned the secrets of the kitchen from his mother and grandmother, only a few of the desserts he shares are from Mexico. Joseluis clearly did his homework and gives us the most delicious recipes from around the continent.

From Peru, we can find our beloved Flan, (though we know that it´s a classic in most Central and South American countries); Arroz con Leche, (rice pudding); Mazamorra Morada, (purple corn pudding); Quinoa Pudding; Alfajores (dulce de leche-filled butter cookie sandwiches, that the author considers Argentinian, but we also have a tradition of Alfajores to die for); Pionono (milk-caramel cake roll), Lucuma Parfait; Bread Pudding with Chocolate and Quinoa; Chirimoya Mousse; Tamarillos in Syrup; Lucuma Ice Cream; and Chirimoya Granita.

The recipes are very well explained, and go from easy to elaborate. He offers innumerable variations too, with flavors that awake the reader´s imagination and appetite, such as cheese, almond, coffee bean, goat´s milk, caramel, white chocolate mocha, pineapple, and orange Flan. All in all, Dulce is spectacular, and I highly and enthusiastically recommend it.

A word of advice: the quantities in many of the recipes are huge, perfect if you have a family gathering or a party, otherwise you will have dessert for several days in the fridge (nothing wrong with this if you´re a dessert person!). It´s not always easy to divide recipes because lots of things need to be adjusted too, such as baking time and temperatures, containers used, etc. So unless you really know what you´re doing, better to stick to the instructions of the book.


Comments

  1. I just made the tres Leches de chocolate cake which is a simple sponge cake which is then dripped over with a mixture of three milks, bittersweet chocolate, and some creme de cacao. The cake came out fine, but the amount of chocolate mixture designed to be absorbed by this 9×16 cake is easily 2-3x the amount the cake can absorb. I punctured the cake with pinpricks to help it absorb the chocolate- milk mixture but there was entirely too much.

    Not sure how this will come out.

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