Easy recipes of Mexican desserts that you need to try out

Mexican desserts share a lot of similarities with some Spanish desserts and some Indian desserts as well, which influenced which is another whole article. For now, let’s focus on these authentic Mexican desserts from the heartwarming Arroz Con Leche, Marranitos, and Carlota de limón. All three are unique in their own way using a lot of milk, gluten and limes in their making.

1. Arroz Con Leche (Mexican Rice Pudding)

(Serves 8)

Ingredients

• 600 ml water
• 200 gm long-grain white rice
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 950 ml milk
• 200 gm granulated sugar
• Optional toppings: ground cinnamon, chopped nuts, raisins

Instructions

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, add water, rice, cinnamon sticks, and salt. Bring to a boil, over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
2. Add milk and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring often until thickened.
3. Serve warm or refrigerate for two hours and serve cold.
4. For the aesthetics, and pop of flavor, garnish with ground cinnamon, chopped nuts, or raisins.

2. Marranitos (Pig-shaped Cookies)

(Makes 28 cookies)

Ingredients

• 115 gm unsalted butter, softened
• 215 gm dark brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs, divided
• 225 gm organic soft brown sugar
• 60 ml milk
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 600 gm all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Using a stand mixer or a handheld one, cream butter until smooth. Add dark brown sugar and mix until well combined. Add one egg, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
3. In a separate large bowl, sift and whisk the flour, ginger, baking soda, and cinnamon.
4. Gradually add dry ingredients into wet ingredients 1 cup at a time, mixing until well combined. The dough should be pulling away from the sides of the mixing bowl.
5. Transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll to 9.5 mm thickness or keep it thicker, but less than 13 mm.
6. Cut dough into pig shapes using a cookie cutter, or use a sharp knife if you trust your art skills. Place pigs 1 ½ inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
7. Whisk the remaining egg in a small bowl. Brush over the Marranitos using a pastry brush.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Serve warm with chocolate, caramel, or fruit dips.

3. Carlota de limón (Mexican Lemon Icebox Cake)

(Serves 10)

Ingredients

• 180 m sweetl lime juice (roughly 2-3 Mosambi)
• 340 gm evaporated milk
• 340 gm condensed milk, adjust to taste
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 packs of Marie cookies
• Lime zest, to taste
• Lime slices, for decorating

Instructions

1. Juice the Mosambi first, depending on how juicy the fruit is, you might just need one. Make sure to measure it properly to get exactly 180 ml.
2. Strain the lime juice to remove any seeds and pulpy bits, into a blender. Pour the evaporated milk, condensed milk, and vanilla extract. Blend just enough, for one to two minutes, until smooth.
3. Pour a small amount of the sauce into a baking dish first. Then arrange the cookies in a single layer over the sauce. Break the cookies to fill small gaps between whole cookies.
4. Pour milk mixture over cookies, ensuring they're nicely coated, don’t pour too much milk, just enough to coat the cookies, or they will turn soggy. Continue adding alternating layers of cookies and the milk mixture until all mixture is used.
5. Limit the biscuit and sticky milk layer to 4-5 layers of cookies to maintain proper balance with the lime-milk mixture. Too many layers will result in excessive liquid absorption, creating an overly soggy cake.
6. Finish the top layer with milk mixture, smoothing the surface as much as you can. Tap the dish gently on the table to release air bubbles. You can top it with lime zest for a pop of lime flavor.
7. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. It’s best to refrigerate overnight for the cookies to turn stiff with the absorbed milk and juices.
8. Cut into square pieces and serve after ample refrigeration.
9. Return the uneaten portion to the refrigerator to maintain the dessert’s form.
10. While dessert keeps up to one week refrigerated, consume within two days for best texture, as cookies become increasingly soggy over time despite maintaining good flavor.