Okay, so I’ve been seeing these super cool Cuban desserts all over my feed lately, and I just had to try making some. I’m not a pro baker or anything, but I love a good kitchen challenge. So, I decided to dive into the world of “fancy Cuban desserts” – let’s see how it went!
The Great Dessert Hunt
First things first, I needed to figure out what to make. I did some digging, you know, scrolled through tons of pictures and recipes. There were so many options! Pastelitos, flan, tres leches cake… my head was spinning. I finally narrowed it down to two that looked doable (and delicious):
- Flan: Because, classic! It seemed pretty straightforward – basically a custard with caramel, right?
- Pastelitos de Guayaba y Queso: These are guava and cheese pastries. They looked a little more involved, but the sweet and savory combo sounded amazing.
Round 1: The Flan Fight
I started with the flan. I found a recipe that seemed easy enough. I gathered all my ingredients – eggs, condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla, sugar… the usual suspects. The first hurdle? Making the caramel. I’ve never done that before! I poured the sugar into a pan and heated it up, just like the recipe said. It took a while, and I was super nervous about burning it. It went from clear to light brown to…almost black in like, a second! I think I panicked a little and added the water too soon. It kind of seized up and got all clumpy. Ugh.
But, I soldiered on! I whisked together the custard ingredients, poured it into a pan over my questionable caramel, and baked it in a water bath. The waiting was the hardest part! When it was finally done, I let it cool, then flipped it onto a plate. It…mostly came out. There were a few bits stuck to the pan, but overall, it looked like flan! And you know what? It tasted pretty good! A little bit eggy, maybe, but the caramel (the parts that weren’t burnt) was awesome.
Round 2: Pastelito Power
Next up, the pastelitos. These were definitely more challenging. I bought some pre-made puff pastry because, let’s be real, I’m not making that from scratch. I cut the pastry into squares, then spread on some guava paste and cream cheese. The recipe I found said to use a specific kind of guava paste, and it only show one picture. I managed to find one and proceed to the next steps.
Then, I folded the pastry over to make little triangles and crimped the edges with a fork. They looked… rustic. Let’s go with that. I brushed them with an egg wash and sprinkled them with sugar, then baked them until they were golden brown and puffy.
These were a win! They were flaky, sweet, tangy, and cheesy all at the same time. Even my picky-eater friend loved them. I felt like a total baking champion.
The Verdict
So, my “fancy Cuban desserts” adventure was a mixed bag. The flan was a bit of a learning experience, but the pastelitos were a total success. I definitely learned a lot, and I had fun doing it (even with the caramel mishap). I’d say it’s totally worth trying, even if you’re not a super experienced baker. Just be prepared for a few bumps along the way – and maybe have a backup dessert on hand, just in case!
