Each country has its own sweets and desserts. Sometimes they are mainly known only in their country of origin, and sometimes they become quite popular through exposure in ethnic restaurants. Some Guatemalan desserts are similar in nature to those of other countries, such as their Pastel de Borracho. Many cultures have cakes that are soaked in a syrup of sugar and alcohol. Other Guatemalan desserts are much more unusual.
The cake mentioned above, the Borracho, is a light sponge cake that is literally drenched in sugar syrup mixed with a typical Guatemalan rum made from their sugar cane crops. This cake is found in patisseries in Guatemala City and is usually sold by the slice. The slices are placed on a larger muffin paper to catch any dripping syrup. The cake is covered with a cornstarch pudding made with milk and then decorated with raisins. In my early years I had never heard of this type of cake, and it quickly became one of my favorites. The sugar syrup is cooked with a real cinnamon stick so that the syrup tastes like cinnamon. The cake is as simple to make as any pound cake would be, and any plain cornstarch pudding works for the topping.
Rellenitos de platano are one of the desserts that I have always loved. Platanos are bananas, and relleno means stuffed. In this case, these small oval-shaped desserts are filled with black beans cooked into a paste. If this sounds strange, it’s a delicious combination of flavors. Eating plantains and black beans, a common combination in any meal, is a particularly tasty combination. In this case, the bananas are cooked and pureed, a little sugar and cinnamon are added and the dessert is left on the outside. Pureed black beans are cooked to a thick paste and a small piece is placed in the center of an oval-shaped piece of plantain. These are fried and coated in granulated sugar to serve hot or cold.
Flip flops are another interesting use of a vegetable. These are made with Chayote squash. Sometimes these squashes are filling, and using them for dessert is just another way to use up the excess. Chayotes are cooked whole. Once tender, they are cut in half and the insides are removed as for a twice-baked potato. The inner pulp is crushed or pureed and sugar, cinnamon, raisins and cracker crumbs are added to thicken. The mixture is poured back into the chayote skins and placed on a baking sheet. These are baked until set, about 20 to 30 minutes. The name chancleta means slipper as they are supposed to resemble a slipper.
Polvorosas are a type of butter cookie. The name comes from the word dust, which means powder or dust. The cookies turn to powdered sugar when baked, so biting into them gives one the reason they are so named. Shortbread of any kind is made without adding eggs to bind the dough or batter together, and this makes the shortbread unusually crumbly. These little cookies are made in small round shapes with a flat top. They are very similar to the cookies known as snowballs or Mexican wedding cakes.
Other typical Guatemalan sweets are sold by street vendors on many street corners. Guatemalans make sweets with unlikely things like pumpkin or sweet potato, along with some fruits like figs, orange peels or guavas. These candied fruits or vegetables can take days to prepare, due to the long and slow cooking process required for them to reach their dry, crystallized state.
Along with these candied fruits or vegetables, many other typical sweets are also marketed, all of them with their particular flavor and shape. All of these desserts are amazing in their variety and in the imagination of those who came up with the recipes. Nothing is wasted. Even leftover cakes are made into a new cake, using the crumbs as a base.
Thank you for taking the time to read my article. I hope this has been informative and has helped you on your own culinary journey.