Last month, my neighbor Carlos from El Salvador mentioned how nobody talks about their desserts. That got me curious. So I googled “best Salvadorian sweets” and decided I gotta try making the top five myself. Here’s how that mess went down.
The Ingredient Hunt
First mistake: thinking I’d find everything at Walmart. Nah. Had to hit three specialty stores just for that Salvadorian quesillo cheese. And guess what? The third store owner straight laughed when I asked for loroco flowers. Ended up using frozen.
- Flour? Check
- Plantains? Almost rotten but okay
- Panela sugar? Had to substitute brown sugar
- My patience? Already gone
Dessert #1: Semita Fail
Tried making Semita first – that jam-filled pastry. Mixed the dough too dry. Cursed when it cracked open in the oven. Looked like Frankenstein cookies. Tasted decent with coffee though. Saved this disaster by calling it “rustic style”.
Quesadilla Drama
Salvadorian Quesadilla ain’t what you think. Mixing sour cream with that damn quesillo felt wrong. Batter looked lumpy as hell. Burnt the first batch. Second batch came out like cornbread’s ugly cousin. Carlos later told me his grandma uses rice flour – would’ve been nice to know BEFORE!
Plantain Fiasco
For Platanos en Gloria, nearly set off the smoke detector frying plantains. Sauce was supposed to be thin syrup – mine turned into caramel cement. Got sticky hell everywhere. Cat tried licking my spoon and got glued to the floor. Seriously.
Surprise Win
Made Arroz con Leche thinking it’s basic. Boiled rice way too long. Added cinnamon sticks that unrolled like tape. But somehow… it worked? Tasted like childhood. Ate three bowls standing at the counter. Left a sticky spoon trail to the couch.
Final Verdict
Should’ve just gone to that Salvadorian joint downtown. My kitchen looked like a powdered sugar bomb exploded. But here’s the thing – that funky Salvadorian cheese in desserts? Absolutely killer. Would ruin my kitchen again for that quesadilla salvadoreña. But next time? I’m inviting Carlos’ mom.
