Charo Cupcakes
Homemade, homebaked Cupcakes and Cakes
My Peruvian background
All I know, all I am, started all back at the land where I was born, Peru. I was born in a place where the vibrant markets are, where you can find fresh and versatile kind of fruits and vegetable. Where everything you make is made from scratch. I learned all about cooking and baking from my mum who was excellent at cooking and she has taught me everything about it. All her secrets, all her passion for giving us the best all the time. So, I don't know anything about ready made meals and all the E numbers because I never tried them before and to be honest, I don't really want to meet them as I like fresh produce, fresh meals. That is what I give it to anyone who I cooked or baked for. That is my passion. Here are some desserts I made to remember every now and then my background, where I came from.
If you would like to try them please email me: charocupcakes@hotmail.co.uk or contact me through here for more details.
Chocotejas
Originally made with pecans, caramel (dulce de leche), and covered with white fondant, tejas have a distinctive flavor. After years Chocotejas was borned, replacing the white fondant with dark chocolate with different fillings like lemon, orange peel, prunes, raisins and Pisco, walnuts, figs, coconut, and the list goes on. You can order them anytime of the year but it is most likely for winter time.
Pie de Limon
Lemon Meringue Pie is mostly found in different countries around the world. The Peruvian version uses instead of lemons the characteristic small Peruvian, very acid limes. Pie de Limon is a very popular and extremely sweet dessert. On top of a thin pastry a lime custard is put, covered with a thick layer of meringue and baked.
Alfajores
Alfajores consist of two layers of fine round and delicate cookies made of flour and / or cornstarch, butter and powdered sugar filled with Manjar Blanco, (Dulce de Leche or Caramel) Alfajores are a delicious little sweet perfect as special treat.
Turron de Doña Pepa
Turron de Doña Pepa is a sweet, sticky anise-flavored treat. The anise cookie sticks are layered, then soaked in a delicious brown sugar syrup, traditionally made with chancaca and a variety of fresh fruits which makes a very fruity syrup. Chancaca is a typical Peruvian sweet sauce and is a product whose only ingredient is the juice of the sugar cane.
This dessert is very popular in October as we celebrate El mes Morado or The lord of Miracles.
Tres Leches
A tres leches cake, or torta de tres leches, is a sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk: evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream. Tres Leches is a very light cake, with many air bubbles. This distinct texture is why it does not have a soggy consistency, despite being soaked in a mixture of three types of milk.
Suspiro a la Limeña
A dessert whose name means "the sigh of a woman" (from Lima). Suspiro de limeña is a classic Peruvian recipe. The bottom layer is made of dulce de leche (known as manjar blanco in Peru) that has been enriched with egg yolks. The top is a sweet, stiff meringue made with port wine. Topped with cinnamon powder. Very rich, sweet and creamy.
Picarones
Picarones is a Peruvian dessert originated in the colonial period. Its principal ingredients are squash and sweet potato. It is served in a doughnut form and covered with syrup, made from chancaca (solidified molasses)