A Taste of Latin America By Julio E. Correa, Ph.D.

Looking for some new dishes for the holiday season? Why not try these favorite Latin American desserts!

Flan
(Caramel Custard)

Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 can of condensed milk
1 can of evaporated milk
1 can of coconut cream (Coco Lopez)
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
4 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 cup of water

Preparation

1. Preheat oven at 400 degrees F.
2. Mix sugar and water, and place it over the range at medium temperature. Simultaneously, stir until the sugar melts and turns into a golden color (caramel). Then pour the mixture into a heatproof container and put it aside.
3. Using a blender, mix the rest of the ingredients. Then pour this mixture into the caramel container.
4. Place the container with the caramel and mixture over a heatproof container half full with water, and put it in the oven for 1 hour. Make sure that you do not exceed the amount of water in the inferior container. This will prevent the boiling water from penetrating the mixture.
5. Refrigerate the flan before turning it upside down.

Arroz Con Dulce
(Rice Pudding)

Ingredients:
6 cups of water
4 coconuts
1/2 pound of minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon of aniseed
1-1/4 cups of rice (uncooked)
1 cup of sugar
4 tablespoons of cooking oil
1 tablespoon of salt
1/2 cup of cinnamon sticks
cinnamon powder (taste)
1 tablespoon of cloves
1 box of raisins (optional)

Preparation

1. Place the rice in water for 2 hours.
2. Prepare a tea by mixing the ginger, aniseed and the cloves with the 6 cups of water, and then strain.
3. Extract milk from the coconuts, and strain. Then mix the strained coconut milk with the ginger and aniseed tea.
4. Add the salt, sugar, and oil.
5. Add the rice and raisins and cook in low heat, stirring occasionally.
6. Cover and continue cooking at low heat until the liquid evaporates.
7. Place in serving plate and add the cinnamon powder (if desired).
8. Refrigerate before serving.