As I grow up, I realize how important it is to understand, maintain and appreciate one’s culture. Now that I’ve grown up, I incorporate my hobbies into my culture. As an avid baker, in the last year or so, I have tried to learn staple Mexican baked goods. Here are my top five recipes.
CONCHAS
These are a must when going to any bakery. If a bakery has amazing conchas, the rest of the bread will be amazing too. Conchas are sweet fluffy bread with a hard sugary topping. The topping can come in any color and flavor, such as white for vanilla, pink for strawberry, and brown for chocolate; my favorite is vanilla. You can have conchas as a breakfast, midday, or midnight snack. A must-have and staple in a Mexican household. The recipe I have tried three times and has come out amazing is from Mexico in My Kitchen.
Flan
This is a somewhat hard dish to perfect, but with trial and error or luck, it will come out delicious. This was not a regular dish that was made due to the fact that it is a bit time-consuming and ingredients are not usually ingredients in one’s kitchen. This dish reminds me of cold rainy days when made to make the house extra warm. The soft baked custard dessert is topped with caramel which is just delicious. The recipe I have tried and has come out amazing is from Allrecipes.
TRES LECHES CAKE
A simple yet delicious cake, it was one of the first cakes I learned how to make. It is perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, or just because you want something sweet. It is light, sweet, and fluffy. I learned how to make this cake when I was ten years old in Mexico from some aunts, and I have never forgotten just how delicious it was. I don’t have an exact measurement, but a simple recipe I have tried and loved was from Taste Better From Scratch.
P.S. If one is over twenty-one, I would suggest a shot or two of tequila in the milk mixture, a trick I learned from my aunts.
CHURROS
Everyone loves churros, and everyone should try to learn how to make them. Churros are amazingly fluffy yet crunchy with a sweet filling. The filling can range from caramel, strawberry, vanilla (condensed milk), and chocolate. It is a bit tricky and was hard for me the first time I tried to make them, but after two tries, I can confidently say they are pretty good. It is a must, and Allrecipes does a breakdown on making it.
CAPIROTADA
This is not a well-known dish, but I have grown up with it since I can remember, on chilly days and holidays coming. It is a dish with crunchy toasted bread, warm cinnamon, and raisins mixture and topped off with condensed milk, coconut, nuts, and sprinkles. It is a dessert because one can alter it as one wishes. It is all soft yet crunchy and can be paired with a warm cup of coffee or drink of choice. Capirotada can be eaten warm or cold and is still delicious as ever. A must, LatinoFoodie has a spectacular recipe.