Desserts and Sweets

Apple tart, Mama ía blog

Apple Tart, and architect Rafael Guastavino

Apple tart, Mama ía blogI am mesmerized by the person of Rafael Guastavino, and I’ve been wanting to write about him for a while. This apple tart made me think of him.

Rafael Guastavino Moreno was a Valencian architect that lived between the 19th and 20th century, and whom, upon his death, the Herald Tribune baptized as “New York’s Architect”, a testament to the more than (more…)

Passionfruit and berry cake with mascarpone icing, Mama ía

Passionfruit and Berry Cake with Mascarpone Icing, for St. Valentine’s Day

Passionfruit and berry cake with mascarpone icing, Mama íaTo be perfectly honest, this wasn’t going to be this week’s blog post. But life catches up with me every day, and St. Valentine’s Day caught up with me. Passionfruit and berry cake with mascarpone icing seemed very appropriate for the occasion. A day of love, a day of passion, right? So even though I don’t like posting two desserts in a (more…)

Lemon meringue tart, Mama ía

Lemon Meringue Tart, and the thermal baths turned school

Lemon meringue tart, Mama íaTraveling back to Spain every year is an aspect of what living in North America entails for me and my family. Keeping connected with our family, our culture and our roots is very important to us no matter how long we may live or may have lived on this side of the Atlantic. I keep up with the politics, both national, local, and European, as well as (more…)

Spanish nougat mousse, Mousse de turrón, Mama ía

Spanish Nougat Mousse, Mousse de Turrón —or the Spanish habit of conservation

Spanish nougat mousse, Mousse de Turrón, Mama ÍaIt happens every year around Christmas time: I buy too much turrón, Spanish nougat. And every year I tell myself that next year I won’t buy as much, but invariably, I do it again. Not that I don’t buy many other Christmas sweets, and make them, too, of course. But turrón is closest to my heart. I talked about Christmas nostalgia in other (more…)

Chocolate medallions, Mama ía

Chocolate Medallions —and the Nostalgia of Christmas

Chocolate medallions, Mama íaIf you’re not a baker, or even think you’re not, this is the Christmas dessert for you to make. Medallas de chocolate, chocolate medallions, with a few toppings, will be the talk of the party (don’t they look beautiful?) Nobody will know that they are so easy to make. It only requires some organization, and very few baking skills. In fact, (more…)

Candied pumpkin fiber almond turnovers, Mama Ía

Pastelitos de Cabello de Angel, Candied Pumpkin Fiber Almond Turnovers

Candied pumpkin fiber almond turnovers, Mama ÍaThanksgiving is two days away and I haven’t seen it coming. Blame it on the warm weather, or on recent travels, or on the busyness of life. Blame it on the elections, still fresh. Thanksgiving is in two days, and I had better get ready.

We have this tradition, my friend Shelby and I, where we take turns hosting Thanksgiving. Her house or my house, (more…)

Apple ring fritters, Mama ía

Apple Ring Fritters —and Celebrating Johnny Appleseed

Apple ring fritters, Mama íaAn apple recipe, finally. I was resisting it, not really wanting it to be autumn. But autumn is here, and I’m welcoming it now with open arms. It’s not that I dislike autumn, not at all. It’s the anticipation of winter that I dread, and the longing for summer. But I’ve made peace with it, and celebrate with these buñuelos de manzana, apple ring fritters.

Of all the Fort Wayne festivals, the (more…)

Blanco y negro, Mama ía

Blanco y Negro, Espresso Granita with Sweet Cream Ice Cream

Blanco y negro, Mama íaI don’t know about you, but I am finding it hard to focus on autumn recipes, fall products and produce. Today I did my first trip to the pumpkin farm. It was supposed to be my only trip to the pumpkin farm this season, but as it turned out, today was my first of at least two. See, the farm was still closed to the public! I should have been surprised, (more…)

Pear and Almond Cake, Mama Ía

Pear and Almond Cake, and Art and History in Fort Wayne

Pear and Almond Cake, Mama íaI don’t know about you, but when it’s hot outside, and still summer, I don’t feel like having heavy desserts, like anything chocolate, or cakes, and the like. Don’t get me wrong, I love those almost at any time of year and any time of day! But my body asks for something fresh, cold even, fruit, or fruity desserts, or ice cream. However, (more…)

Lemon ice cream, Mama ía

Lemon Ice Cream, The Most Refreshing Taste of Summer

Lemon Ice Cream, Mama íaIf there’s a dessert that prominently features in our menu during our summers in Spain, it is my sister Susana’s lemon ice cream. She makes an amazing one, everyone’s favorite, and for the most part, with lemons from the property. I’ve talked about El Taroncheral before (click here), the place that probably holds (more…)