Recipe: Suspiro de limeña
Following with the meal I prepared last week, now it’s time for the sweet course. I try to make my Peruvian-themed dinners strictly Peruvian, but I always find it hard to choose a dessert that it’s not too caloric and sweet. Given that I had already made one of the few light, not-too-sweet desserts two weeks ago (leche asada) I had no choice but to feed my friends a sugar-loaded bomb, which happens to be my favourite Peruvian dessert. Keep in mind that I don’t like my desserts to be too sweet, meaning that this particular one is too good to reject.
The bomb is called suspiro de limeña, named this way because it’s as sweet as the sigh of a Lima girl (that’s the exact translation). Its texture is smooth and silky, which I guess helps justify the name, too. As many other desserts accross Latin America, it features manjarblanco, the local version of dulce de leche or caramel. With a twist. And a wonderful cinnamon-vanilla-port flavoured Italian meringue.
I remember my oenology teacher telling us that Peruvian sweets defy the law of dessert wines (which in theory should be sweeter than the dessert) because wines that sweet simply don’t exist. The best pairing, according to her, is pisco, which helps to cut through the sweetness. IMO, a large glass of water or a strong espresso are fine choices, too.
Suspiro de limeña
Ingredients
- 1 can condensed milk
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 5 eggs
- 225 g caster sugar
- 150 ml water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- small pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 tbsp port
Instructions
- Pour both milks in a pot (preferably a heavy-bottomed one) over low heat. Cook for 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thick. Let cool down until warm.
- Separate the eggs. Reserve 3 whites and add the 5 yolks to the caramel. Mix well and pass through a strainer to avoid lumps.
- Spoon or pipe caramel into 6 transparent glasses or cups and chill in the fridge.
- Place egg whites and pinch of salt in the bowl of your stand mixer.
- Place sugar, water and cinnamon stick in a pot over medium-high heat. Let boil until a syrup is formed (if you have a thermometer, let it reach 116ºC).
- Turn on your mixer on medium speed until the whites form soft peaks. Set speed to high. Remove syrup from heat, remove the cinnamon stick and pour it on the egg whites in a thin thread.
- Once the meringue has cooled down (touch the bottom of the bowl to be sure), add the ground cinnamon, vanilla essence and port, and turn off mixer.
- Get the glasses out of the fridge and spoon or pipe the meringue on top of the caramel. Chill and enjoy.
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10 Comments
muppy
I have to admit, I love very sweet desserts so this looks most appealing to me. The presentation is really lovely too.
My Grandparent's Kitchen
One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating. ~Luciano Pavarotti
Tammi @ insatiablemunchies
I’ve heard that these are really hard to make – definitely a recipe worth trying!!
Could you also send me an email with your address please? I’d like very much to send you your prize! =)
lateraleating
Sending email right now!
thang@noodlies
Wow, well done, I reckon these are hard to make, we had some at a Peruvian Food Safari and they were delicious… rich, but delicious.
So envious you can make them!
lateraleating
Thanks 🙂
JasmyneTea
That looks really amazing, and I adore sweet desserts, send one my way!
lateraleating
Express Post? 🙂
Wendy @ obesebaby
This looks really delicious I also don’t like overly sweet dessert but combination of condense milk and evaporate milk is like the best on earth
lateraleating
So good and addictive…