Mexican Pastries are as diverse and exquisite as Mexican culture. They also have delicious flavors. Desserts from Mexico are frequently fairly light. However, they do not have little calories. They have a light texture and flavor. Many of these contain notes of caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, or any combination of the three. Whatever the case, each and every one of these Mexican cakes is simply wonderful.
A patisserie is a French word that originally meant anything formed of dough (paste, subsequently pâte), such as a meat pie, and did not necessarily allude to something opulent or sweet. However, by that time the phrase was more frequently used to indicate the sweet and frequently elaborate confections implied today. The increased fat content of pastry, which leads to a flaky or crumbly texture, distinguishes it from bread.
What is the Pastry?
The pastry is a baked good that is produced from a dough that contains flour, water, and shortening (solid fats like butter or lard), which can either be savory or sweet. The term “bakers’ confectionary” is frequently used to describe sweetened pastries. The term “pastries” refers to a wide range of baked goods that are created with ingredients including flour, sugar, milk, butter, shortening, baking powder, and eggs.
We refer to pastries as small tarts and other sweet baked goods. Pies, tarts, quiches, croissants, pastries, and other pastries are typical baked goods. In addition to the baked goods themselves, pastry can also refer to the pastry dough used to make them. The base for baked goods is made of pastry dough, which is rolled out very thinly.
Here are the Top 10 Easy Mexican Pastries Recipes
An excellent pastry is flaky, light, and greasy, but hard enough to sustain the weight of the filling. Before adding any liquid to a shortcrust pastry, care must be taken to completely mix the fat and flour. This guarantees that the flour granules are sufficiently coated with fat and less likely to produce gluten.
On the other side, overmixing creates lengthy gluten strands that toughen the dough. In order to get the distinctive flaky texture in other forms of pastry, such as Danish pastries and croissants, a dough similar to that for yeast bread must be continuously rolled out, buttered, and folded to form several thin layers.
1. Orejas
Oreja, which is Spanish for ear, is a perfect name for these, in my opinion. The palmier’s name may help you identify this curled treat. Your mouth will wet as you savor each exquisite bite of these delicacies. Initially crunchy, they melt on your tongue after a few bites. They are also very addictive. The best part is that they are quite simple to prepare, though! You don’t need to create your own puff pastry, and they just call for five ingredients.
2. Coyotas
These delectable cookies have a long history. They are a lovely, uniquely Mexican ritual that has gained popularity all around the world, and with good reason. They taste amazing and are surprisingly easy to make. Finding piloncillo sugar in your neighborhood might be the only challenging aspect. It’s available on Amazon if there isn’t a Hispanic store nearby.
The classic cookie has a sweet piloncillo filling and a soft, biscuit-like structure. They are delicious and savory while being light. You’ll adore them. For a fun twist on the norm, try them with Nutella filling.
3. Mantecadas
Mantecadas, a Mexican muffin that will blow your mind, are the perfect way to start your morning. However, you may completely appreciate them at any time of day. These infants are incredibly sweet, fluffy, and light.
Although you won’t require immediate dental care, it isn’t exactly a piece of bread either. The best thing, though, is that each bite has an orange flavor. The orange flavor won’t overpower you. Rather, all you detect is a subtle floral and citrus scent.
4. Bunuelos
The Bunuelos have been adapted by every civilization in South and Central America. The fact that they are all delicious and carb-heavy overrides their differences. Most often, fried dough is used to make bunuelos. You may compare them to a cross between funnel cakes and doughnuts.
The time and complexity required for this simple recipe are both cut in half. You only need to fry tortillas in hot oil until they are golden. Add sugar and cinnamon to them after that. Simple as that. This amazing variation turns out to be incredibly fluffy, crispy, and delicious!
5. Mexican Churros
Churros are one of the best sweets available, with their crispy exteriors, chewy interiors, and generous amounts of sugar and cinnamon. These Mexican churros are excellent when Mexican vanilla is added. Choux pastry dough is used.
Churros are different because they are deep-fried and covered in sugar. While I enjoy both, there is something particularly mouthwatering about deep-fried dough fingers. Prepare to be amazed after dipping them in melted chocolate.
6. Mexican Flan
Flan is a creamy delicacy with a custard foundation. A flowing caramel sauce is served with a vanilla custard “cake.” The texture is silky smooth because it was cooked in a bain-marie. Flan is a dish that feels opulent and sophisticated because it actually is. But making it is quite simple.
7. Rosca de Reyes
A slightly sweet, enriched dough similar to conchas is used to make Rosca de Reyes. Maybe it’s because people in all cultures tend to store the best for special occasions. The Three Kings Bread, also known as Rosca de Reyes, is one such delectable dessert. Theoretically, it’s like a fruitcake and a big, ringed concha had a child. Additionally, some of the bread has a streusel-like sugar paste topping. It also includes dried fruit. It really is delicious!
8. Cajeta Empanadas
A sort of hand pie is empanadas. They come in both sweet and savory varieties, like Little Debbies or samosas. There are numerous varieties of them all over South and Central America. But this empanada with dulce de leche has a particular place in my heart. It has a wonderful richness and is flaky, sweet, and oozy. It may be both the heaviest and sweetest dessert on this list.
9. Pastel de Elote
Pastel de Elote is actually made from corn. Actually, the star of this wonderful dessert is corn. You’ll like this if you enjoy cornbread made in the South and served with honey. This cake isn’t overly sweet, like cornbread. But unlike cornbread, it is not prepared with cornmeal. Instead, it makes use of a tonne of white flour and maize kernels. It’s buttery, airy, and just right.
10. Conchas
One of the most famous pastries from Mexico is the concha. They are tiny sweet bread balls with a decorative streusel on top. They have carvings in the topping that typically make me think of baby turtles. They have additionally been likened to seashells. The bread is enhanced, making it incredibly soft and brioche-like. Although it isn’t dessert-sweet, it does have a rich, slightly sweet quality. However, the garnish is sweet and crunchy.
Is a Concha a Baked Good?
Conchas are made in every Mexican bakery worldwide, despite the fact that most do not produce a menu as extensive as Pastelera Ideal in Mexico City. Concha is a classic breakfast or dinner dish in Mexico served with hot chocolate or champurrado. The latter is a warm, thick, chocolate-based Mexican beverage that is occasionally flavored with anise seeds or vanilla beans and is made using corn or maize flour.
Each 85 g serving of bread from Conchas has 260 calories. 6 g of fat, 5 g of protein, and 44 g of carbohydrates are all present in this portion. Well, practically everyone takes a huge bite off of a concha, much like they would a donut. Many people also enjoy dipping it in milk or Mexican hot chocolate. But some of us like cutting the conchas in half and covering them with heated refried beans.
What does Churros Mexicanos Taste Like?
Because of their contrast in textures, churros taste like cinnamon doughnuts and are quite delicious. Churros resemble donuts in that they have a crunchy outside and a soft, fluffy interior. Churros can taste incredibly good when they are freshly prepared, and people have come up with many inventive ways to consume them. Because of the crispy ridges, they taste like cinnamon doughnuts, but better.
They taste best when freshly prepared and have a fluffy interior similar to a doughnut, but they reheat beautifully as well, making them a fantastic make-ahead for gatherings. The choux pastry is made with these. The flavor and texture of a cream puff or eclair are the same as this simple dough, which is made on the stove. Eggs – While some churro recipes omit eggs, I believe they are essential for creating rich, fluffy churros.
What is the Basis for Mexican food?
Corn, squash, chile peppers, and beans have been the staples of the Mexican diet since pre-Columbian times. Mexican cuisine also makes extensive use of other native American foods, such as tomatoes, green tomatoes, avocados, potatoes, prickly pear cactus, chocolate, and turkey, in addition to these essential staples.
The most popular Mexican spices and herbs are coriander, allspice, cloves, thyme, Mexican oregano, Mexican cinnamon (Ceylon), cumin, and cacao, which highlight the diversity of Mexican cuisine.
Garlic and onions serve as the savory foundation for Mexican cuisine. Tortillas are round flatbreads made of corn or wheat flour that are the main component of many traditional Mexican cuisines.
They are a mainstay at most Mexican dinners. A quesadilla is a tortilla stuffed with melted cheese, while a taco is a warmed tortilla wrapped around spiced meat or veggies. A number of flatbreads are also made with corn flour in addition to tortillas. They are a delicacy of the Bajo region.
What Distinguishes Mexican Flan from Spanish Flan?
This recipe for traditional Mexican flan calls for entire eggs. Usually, only egg yolks are used in Spanish flan. Additionally, vanilla is added to Mexican flan, although vanilla is typically absent from standard flan.
The topping of flan has a rich, toasted sugar caramel flavor, while the foundation has a very milky, wonderfully sweet, and subtly eggy flavor. In terms of flavor, it is comparable to creme brulee or panna cotta, but the textures of the three desserts are very different.
The best flan is served warmly from the oven because it is creamiest and most delicious when it is served cold. Even by itself, flan is scrumptious. However, if you want to add a little sweetness, you can layer Nutella or chocolate on top of the flan. To balance the sweet caramel flavor, you might also add fruit, nuts, or coconut to the dish. In British cooking, a flan is an egg-based dessert with a pastry or sponge foundation that is open at the edges and has a sweet or savory filling inside.
Conclusion
One thing about the Mexican pastries on our list. Nearly all do not involve complicated components or preparation. Between this and the wonderful flavor, Mexican conchas have a white topping that resembles the surface of a seashell and are soft and tasty. This is how the concha got its name because in Spanish, “concha” means “shell.”
Although white is the traditional color of the topping, it can also be pink, yellow, or brown. Speaking of conchas in the bakery-style, many bakers flavor their pan dulce with both natural and artificial flavorings. Some of them come in flavors like vanilla, cinnamon, or even anise. Additionally, some of them employ artificial butter flavoring.
