Dessert recipes bring out some of the best flavors in dining. It showcases the cultural tastes of society like nothing else we consume. The best dessert recipes use the tastes acquired from a young age to enhance our dining experience. Although we offer mostly exotic cuisine, there is nothing more flavorful than our dessert recipes to get the flavor of our mixed culture.
Coffee Bread
Ingredients:
• 3 packages dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 750g all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 5 eggs (separated)
• 375g butter (room temperature)
• sugar for sprinkling
How to:
• Dissolve yeast in warm water or follow package instructions
• Place 2 cups of flour in bowl and make a well in middle
• Put 1 egg and 1 tbsp sugar in well, then add dissolved yeast
• Use tips of fingers to combine ingredients thoroughly
• Knead mixture on floured board for 10 to 15 mins
• Dough is ready when you start hearing little bubbles popping
• TIP: Place egg whites in bowl, moisten fingers in egg whites whenever dough feels dry
• Form dough into a ball, make a cross on top surface with knife
• Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover and let stand in warm place for 1 hour or when dough begins to rise
• Place remaining 4 cups of flour in large bowl, make a well and add remaining 3 eggs, egg yolks and sugar
• Using tip of fingers, mix 1/2 ingredients in well with the flour
• add the dough that has been rising and knead all the ingredients together to form a smooth dough
• Moisten hands with egg whites whenever necessary and lightly grease dough with butter whenever it begins to stick
• Knead for 30 mins or till dough produces small bubbles
• Roll into a cylinder or baguette, cut into 12 slices
• Grease dough slices with butter
• Take one slice and with tip of fingers well greased, stretch it, working outward from the center to the edges till t measure 28 cm square (should be transparent)
• Grease dough liberally with butter and cut into 3 strips
• Wind one of these strips around a greased 2 cm cylinder (cannoli form)
• Wind the 2nd strip around the 1st strip and finally the 3rd around first two (strips wind continuously e.g. roll of tape)
• Slip this roll onto a greased baking sheet
• Repeat till all slices are used
• Leave 5 cm of space between rolls (so they don't stick!)
• Place baking sheet in a warm place, cover dough, let rise for 3 hours
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Sprinkle 1 tbsp sugar on top of each roll
• Bake for 25 to 30 mins or till rolls turn brown lightly
• Remove from pan and let cool slightly
• Serve warm with your favorite coffee
Coffee Gelatin with Kahlua
Ingredients:
• 1 tbsp unflavored gelatin
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp instant coffee espresso coffee
• 1/3 cup Kahlua
How to:
• Follow instructions on package for gelatin
• In a small saucepan, heat 2/3 cup water and sugar
• Add in instant espresso over medium heat
• Stir till sugar is dissolved
• Stir in soften gelatin and Kahlua (or till gelatin dissolves)
• Divide liquid among 6 glasses, refrigerate till set (2 hours)
Coconut Candy
Ingredients:
• 1 small coconut
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1/4 cup blanched almonds (halved)
How to:
• Heat coconut in oven for 8 to 10 mins so that it will break easier
• Make a hole in one end to extract the milk, then break coconut into pieces
• Remove both outer husk and thin brown skin attached to coconut meat
• Grate coconut meat
• Place coconut meat, coconut milk, milk and sugar in pot
• Boil till coconut becomes transparent
• Remove from heat, let cool slightly
• Beat egg yolks with sherry and stir into pot
• Cook, stirring over low heat till mixture thickens
• Let cool slightly
• Transfer to a 20 cm square baking pan
• GARNISH: garnish with almonds
• When cool, place in preheated oven to 500 degrees to brown top
• Cut into squares and serve at room temperature
Crullers
Ingredients:
• Enough oil for deep frying
• Sugar for coating
• 1 cup water
• 1 lime (quartered)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
How to:
• Heat the oil in a deep-fryer, add the lime quarters
• Boil water in another saucepan
• Add salt, sugar, flour all at once and begin to beat with a whisk or spoon
• Beat till smooth then removed from heat
• Beat in egg and continue to beat till batter becomes smooth and shiny
• Remove lime from oil
• Pack batter into a pastry tube (with star shape) and force the strips into hot oil a few at a time
• Remove and drain on paper towel
• Sprinkle with or roll in sugar
Day of the Dead Bread
Ingredients:
• 4 cups all-purpose plain flour
• 6 eggs
• 1 tsp dry yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp aniseed
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup butter (melted)
• orange-flower water (optional)
• egg wash (1 egg white and 1/2 egg yolk)
• cinnamon sugar for sprinkling
How to:
• Combine the yeast with water and 1/3 cup of flour
• Let stand till mixture doubles in volume
• Place the remaining flour in a large bowl, make a well in center and place the eggs, salt, sugar, aniseed, nutmeg, butter, orange-flower water in well
• Beat together, add yeast mixture, combine with dough
• Knead on a floured board for 15 mins or till dough no longer sticks to surface
• Place dough in greased bowl, cover with cloth and let rise in warm, draft-free area for 3 hours or till doubled in volume
• Preheat oven to 450 degree
• Pinch off about 1/3 of dough and form into 2 inches ball and long rope
• Mold pieces of rope to resemble little bones
• Set aside
• Shape remaining dough into a round loaf and brush with egg wash
• Place ball of dough in center of loaf and arrange "bones" in a circular pattern around ball
• Brush with remaining egg wash
• Bake for 10 mins in hot oven, lower temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 30 mins
• Sprinkle with sugar and serve at room temperature
Espresso Orange
Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• zest of 1 orange (grated)
• 1 1/2 cups brewed espresso (regular or decaffeinated)
• 2 tbsp Kahlua
How to:
• In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1/4 cup water
• Bring to a boil, swirling pan till sugar dissolve
• Add in orange zest and let cool to room temperature
• Strain sugar syrup into a bowl and stir in espresso, Kahlua and remaining 1/2 cup water
• Pour into a baking dish and place in a level spot in the freezer
• Let stand till it begins to freeze (2 hours)
• Stir up crystals then return to freezer
• Repeat, stirring 2 or 3 times till granita is completely frozen
• To serve, scrap the granita with fork into chilled bowls or glasses
Flan
Ingredients:
• 1 can or 12 ounces low fat evaporated milk
• 3 eggs (slightly beaten)
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
How to:
• Start by heating the oven first to 350 degrees
• Heat 1/2 cup sugar in a heavy saucepan
• Stir constantly till sugar is melted and becomes golden brown ( DO NOT BURN!)
• Take off heat and divide syrup into 4 custard cups
• Rotate cups so that the syrup coats the bottom evenly
• Allow the syrup to harden (let stand for 5 mins)
• Mix the rest of the ingredients (evaporated milk, sugar, vanilla, salt, eggs) in a bowl
• Pour into custard cups
• Place the cups into a square pan and put pan in oven
• Very carefully and gently pour hot water into pan so that it fills the 1/2 of tops of cups
• Bake for 40 to 50 mins
• Test: You know when it is cooked when you insert a knife between center and edge and it comes clean away
• Unfold and serve warm or refrigerate up to 8 hours and unfold at serving time
Mango Cream
Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cups mangoes (drained & chopped fine)
• 1 medium orange (peeled & chopped)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup almonds (sliced)
• 6 maraschino cherries
• 2 tbsp almonds (sliced)
How to:
• In a bowl, mix the mangoes and orange then set aside
• Beat the whipping cream and sugar in a chilled medium bowl till stiff peaks form
• Fold in mango mixture and 1/4 cup almonds into the whipping cream
• Spoon mango mixture into 6 dessert cups or bowls
• Top each with 1 cherry
• Sprinkle with 2 tbsp almonds
• Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or till nice and chilled
• Garnish with mango slices if you wish
Margarita Pie
Ingredients:
• 1 packet plain cream cheese (softened)
• 1 ready-to-use graham cracker pie crust
• 1 container frozen low fat whipped topping (thawed)
• 1/2 cup frozen margarita mix concentrate (thawed)
• 1 package frozen strawberries or any berries (thawed)
How to:
• Using a blender, process strawberries, cream cheese and margarita mix concentrate
• Blend on medium speed till everything is well blended
• Pour mixture into a medium bowl
• Fold in whipping top
• Pour into pie crust
• Cover and freeze for 6 hours or till firm
• Just before serving, let stand at room temperature for at least 10 mins
Cheesecake
Ingredients:
• 2 lbs cream cheese (softened)
• 1 cup crushed chocolate wafers
• 3 tbsp butter (melted)
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup Kahlua (or other coffee liqueur)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Confectioners sugar
• Powdered cocoa
How to:
• Oven to be preheated to 350 degree
• In a bowl, combine chocolate wafer crumbs and melted butter
• Press mixture evenly into the bottom of a cake pan
• Bake the shell for 8 to 10 mins till set (BE CAREFUL NOT TO BURN)
• Set aside to cool
• Reduce oven temperature to 325 degree
• Place cream cheese, eggs, sugar, Kahlua and cinnamon in a large bowl
• Use an electric mixer to mix everything together till well blended and smooth
• Pour batter into chocolate shell and level
• Set pan in a larger pan and pour boiling water into the outer pan (to prevent the cheesecake from cracking)
• Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours
• Remove cake and place on rack to cool
• Remove cake from pan carefully and place on serving plate
• Dust with mixture of confectioners sugar and powdered cocoa
Bananas Flambe with Rum
Ingredients:
• 6 ripe bananas
• 2 tbsp dark rum
• 30g butter (plus more for greasing)
• 6 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 quart vanilla ice cream (optional)
How to:
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• Use a little butter to grease round or rectangular baking dish
• Sprinkle with 1/2 brown sugar
• Cut bananas in half lengthwise and arrange cut sides down in dish
• Sprinkle with remaining sugar and dot with butter
• Bake for 6 to 10 mins or till sugar melts and bananas turn golden brown
• Remove from oven, add rum and ignite to flambe the bananas
• Serve hot with scoop of vanilla ice cream
