Abridged from
El Restaurante Mexicano
Fall 2001
Desserts That Dazzle!
Enhance Menus With South-of-the-Border Sweets
By Kathleen Furore
Editor, El Restaurante Mexicano
©2001 Maiden Name Press LLC
When restaurateur Grady Spears went out to a Mexican restaurant in Texas in July, he couldn't have ordered dessert if he'd wanted to. "They didn't have any," says Spears, former owner of Reata in Fort Worth and author with Robb Walsh of "A Cowboy in the Kitchen: Recipes from Reata and Texas West of the Pecos" (Ten Speed Press, 1998). "I don't think dessert is a focal point [at many Mexican restaurants]. I think they could do more," he continues. "It can increase check averages, and it's just good. It's hard to pass up something sweet."
In spite of the perception that diners want healthy menu options, statistics show people opt for desserts when eating out. Between 1998 and 1999, some 41 percent of family-style and dinner-house chains increased the number of dessert sales, while another 45 percent reported steady sales, according to the Thomas Food Industry Register.
So whether you're in the quick-serve, family dining or upscale restaurant business, you'll likely benefit by enhancing your menu with south-of-the-border-style sweets.
"To me it's like a great ending of a great movie," says Joanne Bondy, executive chef at Ciudad Df, a casual fine dining restaurant in Dallas, Texas that features upscale Mexico City cuisine. "If the ending isn't good, people will remember that. You have to continue the [dining] experience so there's a big bang at the end!"
Day of the Dead Sweet Tamales (Photo by Mary Ellen Frank)
Not surprisingly, chocolate tops the chart when it comes to consumers' favorite dessert flavor. Statistics, in fact, show Americans are eating chocolate as never before. There has been a steady growth in chocolate consumption in contemporary America, with the average American consuming 11.5 pounds of chocolate annually, according to the web site DessertExperts.com. And since chocolate traces its roots to ancient Mayan and Aztec civilizations, it's the perfect option for restaurants that serve Mexican cuisine.
Fruit desserts, too, remain popular, with Hispanic and Latin items gaining favor at restaurants nationwide. Pastry chefs – especially those at white tablecloth eateries – are using mango, passion fruit and papaya in dessert offerings, DessertExperts.com says. "When upscale restaurants were surveyed, their fruit desserts came in with a decided Latin lilt," the web site notes. And those fruits don't have to be relegated to fine dining establishments only: Even the smallest, most moderately priced Mexican restaurants (including quick-serve establishments) can top ice cream with fresh mango or papaya, or make a simple syrup of tropical fruit in which to dip sopaipillas or churros.
Dessert sharing also is picking up steam at restaurants from coast to coast. Characteristics of desserts for two or more include large size and long, descriptive copy. "Shared desserts are menued in a number of market segments and cover a range of dessert types," DessertExperts.com notes.
"Samplers" or "Tastings" that feature three to six different, small-portion desserts are another menu trend, the web site says.
Top-selling sweets
Patron-pleasing sweets range from the Dessert Nachos at Santa Fe Restaurant in Amarillo, Texas to Spears' Dessert Tostadas and Apple Crisp with Cajeta, to the Chocolate Volcano that fires up the menu at Don Pablo's, to The Edificio Ciudad Chocolate Mousse and Piloncillo Corn Cake that are stand-outs in Ciudad Df's dessert lineup.
The Dessert Nachos ($4.50) are made with cinnamon sugar-dusted flour tortilla wedges that are topped with vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate and/or caramel sauce and whipped cream, explains Santa Fe's Paul Porter, general manager of the midscale, casual Mexican food restaurant. Santa Fe also offers chocolate chimichangas ($4.50) – flour tortillas wrapped around a Hershey's chocolate bar, deep fried, then served in a bowl with three scoops of vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate and/or caramel sauce and whipped cream. "Both items sell great!" reports Porter, who (in keeping with the dessert sharing trend) says the nachos and chimi-changas are big enough for two. "They're so big people have to share," he says.
Spears' Dessert Tostadas with Ice Cream, Strawberries and White Chocolate look like regular tostadas, but combine fruit (including caramelized bananas) and chocolate to make them meal-ending favorites. The Apple Crisp with Cajeta – ideal for the upcoming fall dining season – features the rich, Mexican caramel sauce for authentic south-of-the-border flair. And Spears' creations aren't limited to upscale applications. "You can do them all in mom-and-pop or upscale places and they'll probably fly," he says.
Spears also notes that tamales and churros can be prepared in many sweet ways. "You can fill tamales with anything – chocolate, coconut, ice cream," says the chef. "And churros – you can sprinkle them with cinnamon, piloncillo. ... There are 10,000 things you can do."
Apple Crisp with Cajeta (Photo by Dick Patrick)
Dessert is an integral part of the menu at Don Pablo's, the casual, authentic Mexican food chain with 131 locations nationwide. The Chocolate Volcano ($4.99) – chocolate cinnamon cake surrounded by a pool of molten chocolate butter sauce then cooled with creamy vanilla bean ice cream – "is huge for us," says Scott Nordon, vice president of research and development.
The chain's Iron Skillet Pie ($3.99) is another winner. Served on a fajita skillet, the dessert features apple pie sprinkled with cinnamon and topped with Mexican brandy butter sauce and vanilla bean ice cream. Don Pablo's also offers sopaipillas drizzled with a honey butter sauce ($2.99), and is always on the lookout for what Nordon calls "our next [dessert] home-run."
"From a strategic standpoint, we look at our menu overall, and desserts are a big focus. We've had a lot of success with our current lineup," he notes.
At Ciudad Df, the extravagant Edificio Ciudad Chocolate Mousse ($8.50) takes center stage and melds with the Mexico City-themed menu. Three almond-chocolate wafers are used to form a pyramid filled with Patrón coffee liqueur chocolate mousse. The wafers are held together with rings of spun sugar. There's even a story that accompanies the dessert: The wafer pyramid represents the architecture of Mexico City, the chocolate filling is the city's "wonderful heart," and the rings of spun sugar represent an angel's halo, Bondy says.
Another dessert hit: Ciudad Df's Piloncillo Corn Cake ($7.50) sweetened with coconut, corn milk, topped with rum raisin ice cream, caramel sauce and any kind of fresh fruit you wish.
Even cookies and biscotti – perfect for customers who don't want to splurge on large, extremely rich desserts – can enhance menus, especially if they have a unique Hispanic twist. Example: the Coconut-Hazelnut-Serrano Biscotti featured in "Sweet Heat: Spicy Desserts (& More!) for Chile Lovers" by Melissa Stock and Dave DeWitt (Ten Speed Press, 1995).
And if you think these desserts are too exotic for your eatery, consider "down-scaling" them to fit your clientele, cuisine and budget. As DessertExperts.com notes: "Don't be hesitant to take more than a cursory glance at what upscale restaurants are doing with their dessert lists. Re-signation cloaked under the label of 'that's too fancy for me' may come back to haunt you because...everyone seems to want to taste something new."
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Piloncillo Corn Cake Makes 8 servings | |||
| 1 | ear sweet corn | ||
| 12 | oz. unsalted butter, at room temperature | ||
| 1/2 | c. sugar | ||
| 1/4 | c. sweetened coconut | ||
| 2 | eggs | ||
| 1 | t. vanilla extract | ||
| 1/2 | c. milk | ||
| 1-1/2 | c. all-purpose flour | ||
| 2 | t. baking powder | ||
| 1/2 | t. ground cinnamon | ||
| 1/2 | t. salt | ||
| Pinch | Allspice | ||
| Rum raisin ice cream | |||
| Caramel sauce, warm | |||
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Cut kernels from ear and puree in food processor. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 10-cup tube or Bundt pan (or six mini Bundt pans). Cream together butter, sugar, and coconut with an electric mixer. Add eggs, vanilla, milk and pureed corn and beat until fluffy. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and allspice and fold into batter. Pour into pan. Bake 30 minutes or until cakes are light brown. Cool on wire rack. Serve with rum raisin ice cream and caramel sauce. Garnish with fresh fruit as desired.
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Recipe and photo reprinted with permission from Sweet Heat: Spicy Desserts (& More!) for Chile Lovers
by Melissa Stock and Dave DeWitt. Copyright 1996, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, Calif. Photo credit: Lois Ellen Frank.
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Coconut-Hazelnut-Serrano Biscotti Makes 36 biscotti | |||
| 1/2 | c. unsalted butter, softened | ||
| 3/4 | c. firmly packed brown sugar | ||
| 2 | lg. eggs | ||
| 1 | serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced (or 2 t. New Mexican red chile powder) | ||
| 1/2 | c. sweetened shredded coconut | ||
| 2-1/4 | c. all-purpose flour | ||
| 1-1/2 | t. baking powder | ||
| 1/4 | t. salt | ||
| 1 | c. chopped hazelnuts (about 4 oz.) | ||
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In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the serrano and coconut. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually stir these ingredients into the butter mixture. Next, mix in the hazelnuts. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, then divide it in half. Shape each half into a 2-inch-wide log. Transfer the logs onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the logs are golden brown, and firm to the touch. Cool the logs about 20 minutes on the sheet.
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Recipe reprinted from Tamales by Mark Miller, Stephan Pyles and John Sedlar. Copyright 1997. 178 pages, hardcover, $25.00. Reprinted with permission from Macmillan, a Simon & Schuster Macmillan Company, New York, NY.
Day of the Dead Sweet Tamales
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Day of the Dead Sweet Tamales Makes 8 servings |
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| 2 | T. pine nuts | ||
| 3/4 | c. unsalted butter | ||
| 1 | t. baking powder | ||
| 1/2 | t. salt | ||
| 2 | T. honey | ||
| 1 | T. dark brown sugar | ||
| 1-1/4 | c. masa harina | ||
| 1/2 | c. milk | ||
| 1 | T. ground canela (Mexican cinnamon) | ||
| 2 | T. raisins | ||
| 1/4 | c. dried cherries | ||
| 1/4 | c. dried apricots | ||
| 2 | T. finely diced candied papaya | ||
| 1 | T. minced orange zest | ||
| 10 | large dried corn husks, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes | ||
| To prepare the filling, place the pine nuts in a hot, dry skillet, toast over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Set aside. Place the butter, baking powder, salt, honey, and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream on high speed until light and smooth, about 5 minutes. Add the masa harina and turn down the speed to low. Add the milk, canela, raisins, dried cherries, dried apricots, candied papaya, orange zest, and toasted pine nuts and mix until a firm dough forms. Work the dough by hand for about 1 minute, until the dough is thoroughly mixed. Divide into 8 equal pieces. Drain corn husks and shake dry. Tear 16 thin strips (about 1/8 inch wide) from 2 husks and set aside for tying the tamales. Lay out the remaining 8 corn husks. Take a portion of the dough, place in a corn husk and spread out evenly, leaving about 1-1/2 inches of exposed corn husk at each end and 3/4 inch at each side. Bring the sides of the corn husk together, folding the dough; tuck one side of the husk under the other and roll up the tamale so the dough is completely enclosed inside the husk. Twist each end and tie with the reserved strips of corn husk. Repeat for the remaining tamales. Steam the tamales for 30 to 35 minutes over lightly boiling water, adding more boiling water as needed. The tamales are done when they feel firm to the touch but are not hard and the dough comes away easily from the husk. Blackberry sauce: | |||
| 1 | c. blackberries | ||
| 2 | T. sugar | ||
| 1 | T. brandy (optional) | ||
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Place the blackberries, sugar, and brandy in a blender and puree until smooth. Strain and reserve.
Garnish: | |||
| 1/2 | c. cajeta (caramel) sauce | ||
| 1 | T. raisins | ||
| 2 | T. dried cherries | ||
| 1 | T. brandy (optional) | ||
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To assemble, ladle blackberry sauce on serving plates. Place the tamales on top of the sauce and, with a knife, slice open the top of the wrapper from end to end. Spoon small dollops of the cajeta on top of the blackberry sauce and gar Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Transfer the logs to a work surface. Discard the parchment. Cut each log diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange cookies flat sides down on unlined baking sheets. Bake until crisp and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks
and cool completely.
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