Spain's gastronomy is one of the most delicious and varied in the world, however, this progress was only achieved thanks to the great influence that the Arabs had on Spanish cuisine. Their arrival to the Iberian Peninsula brought many positive changes to the country's culture, especially in culinary matters.
One of the most important ingredients that the Muslims brought to Spain in the Al-Andalus period was sugar and because of this we can now talk about desserts. Can you imagine a world without churros or cakes? Impossible!
Spaniards have a sweet tooth and, for that reason, each region has regional desserts that little by little have managed to conquer the hearts of the rest of the world. You may be missing some things in Spain, but what you will never be missing is a dessert to pass the afternoon.
With these recipes that we will share with you, you will now have a process for making sweets that will surely become your favorites. Dare to surprise your family and friends with your culinary skills, sweetening their day with these delicious desserts.
Churros
The origin of churros is uncertain, so it cannot be said that it is a dessert from Spain as such. However, this recipe is so famous in the country that churros are already part of the Spanish culture. That is why here we will show you how to prepare delicious homemade churros.
Ingredients:
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 250 g water
- 8 g salt
- Sugar
- Olive or sunflower oil
- Pastry bag with fine mouth
Elaboration:
- Take a large bowl and add all the flour. Meanwhile, heat the water with the salt in a saucepan.
- When it boils, pour the water into the bowl. Using a wooden spoon start mixing the water with the flour. You will notice that the mixture starts to become sticky.
- Put the dough in a piping bag and make sure it has a star-shaped tip. Start making the portions on a kitchen towel and let them rest a little, because if they are still too hot when frying, the churros may open.
- Use a frying pan and add the oil. You need it to reach a temperature of approximately 200°C.
- Cook over medium heat until golden brown. When they are ready, remove the churros and let them rest on paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Serve with a little sugar, chocolate, dulce de leche or even jam if you prefer.
Rice pudding
Once again it is time to thank the Muslims, because they brought rice to Spain and now we have the delicious rice pudding to delight us. Do you want to learn how to make it?
Ingredients:
- 200 grams of rice for desserts
- 200 ml of water
- 150 g sugar
- 2.5 l of whole milk
- 10 g cinnamon powder
- 1 large lemon
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 pinch of salt
Elaboration:
- Start by washing the lemon and peeling it. Remove as much of the white part as possible, as this will prevent the dessert from becoming bitter.
- Heat 2 liters of milk over medium heat until it is about to boil. At this point, lower the temperature and remove from the heat.
- Add the lemon peel and cinnamon stick. Let stand for approximately 5 minutes.
- In another pot, add the rice, water, salt and bring to a boil.
- When you notice that the rice has absorbed all the water, remove it.
- Add the rice to the pan of milk and cook over low heat. Stir every 10 minutes so that it does not stick together and the flavors blend properly.
- Cooking the dessert will take about one hour. Wait for the milk to evaporate and the rice to release its starch. When this happens, add the remaining half liter of milk.
- Continue cooking for one hour and stirring until the rice is creamy. Add the sugar and stir.
- Now you can plate it and let it rest for a few minutes. Add the cinnamon and burn the top with a blowtorch.
Sweet yolks of Santa Teresa
Rich, easy dessert with few ingredients, get ready to taste a real treat!
Ingredients:
- 12 egg yolks
- 200 g sugar
- 100 ml of water
- Half a grated lemon
- Sugar
Elaboration:
- Peel the lemon as a first step. Take a saucepan and add the peel, sugar and water.
- Bring all this to a boil and cook over low heat until you obtain a thin syrup. That is, before the syrup takes color.
- Place the egg yolks in a bowl and whisk. Pass them through a strainer to remove any lumps.
- Pour the syrup over the yolks delicately dropping in a thin trickle. While doing this, whisk the mixture very well.
- Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and cook over low heat until it thickens. Stir for about 30 minutes until the desired texture is obtained.
- Remove from heat and let the mixture cool in a bowl. Then, store in the refrigerator for a few hours.
- Remove from the refrigerator and take small portions, roll into balls and roll in sugar.
- Ready! A third successful recipe.
