Pilar's Chilean Food & Garden

A recipe blog by a Chilean living in the USA

Desserts

Yogurt Flan

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Versión en español

They asked me for more easy recipes from my mom’s recipe box, happy to deliver a delicious yogurt flan to you; you can do it in the oven or the microwave.

What I like most about this yogurt flan is that it is very creamy in the center and a little firmer and more porous on the edges. As you can see, it is not a super cute dessert; in my family, the fruit was not a dessert, so my grandmother and aunts had a whole repertoire of simple sweets to make on a baking dish (affiliated link) and serve by spoonfuls in small portions. More elaborated desserts like cakes, charlottes and pies were reserved for the weekend family reunions. I do miss having a homemade dessert for every meal.

You can make half of the recipe without problems.

If you want to serve it more beautifully, you can use a round cutter as I did and bathe it with a bit of the caramel. Either way, it’s delicious and so simple. Use flavorful vanilla since it will be the main flavor coming through.

You may also be interested in the recipe: Easy apple dessert. Another very easy baking dish dessert.

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Yogurt Flan

  • Author: Pilar Hernandez
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven-baked
  • Cuisine: Chilean
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Description

A easy and delicious dessert.

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Ingredients

for the caramel,

  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1/2 cup of water

for the flan,

  • 4 cups (907 grams) plain yogurt (use normal, non-skim)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 cup of sugar
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F or 180C.
  2. For the caramel: Place the sugar in a small pot with wet walls, add the water. The important thing is that all the sugar is under water—Cook over medium heat and let boil without stirring until it begins to change color.
  3. Lower the temperature and do not take your eyes off the pot; as soon as it reaches the color of tea, turn off the heat. Let cool 1 minute and cover the bottom of a pan that can go to the oven, it can be glass or metal. 
  4. Be careful, the pan will heat up.
  5. For the flan: In a bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until well mixed, about 30 seconds. Add the vanilla, stir. Add the yogurt and mix well.
  6. Pour over the caramelized mold.
  7. Bake for 1 hour or until golden and firm. It is usual for the flan to rise high in the oven and then lower when cooling down.
  8. Let cool completely before serving.
Yogurt Flan
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Fruit Tart

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Versión en español

Fruit Tart

My husband’s favorite dessert: Fruit Tart. I have done many different versions for the dough and the pastry cream and finally settle on this one.

I recommend making the pastry cream the day before and leave it refrigerated. The next day, make the dough early, it must be refrigerated before baking, as soon as the dough is cooked and cold, it can be assembled.

The dough can be made in the food processor or by hand. I do it by hand, less to wash; besides this was my job when I was a girl, helping my mom.

We tested the fruit tart at room temperature and refrigerated; we liked it better when cold. The next day it was the same, so you can do it the day before serving without problems.

Original recipe from June, 2011. Edited with new pictures and simplified method, but with the same final result in February 2020.

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Fruit Tart

★★★★ 4 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Pilar Hernandez
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 10 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven baked
  • Cuisine: French
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Description

A great recipe for a classic.

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Ingredients

for the dough,

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon of heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons or 115 grams of cold butter cut into 1/2″ pieces

For the pastry cream,

  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 egg
  • 70 grams of granulated sugar
  • 40 grams of cornstarch

 

  • 475 ml whole milk
  • 50 grams of unsalted butter in cubes
  • 70 grams of granulated sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

To assemble:

  • 1 kiwi peeled and sliced
  • 5 medium strawberries, chopped
  • 1/2 mango, sliced
  • a handful of blueberries
  • 1 small peach, peeled and sliced
  • I didn’t have grapes, but I love them in tarts
  • quince jelly or some other flavor jelly to varnish the fruit

Instructions

For the dough,

  1. In a small bowl, beat the egg, cream, and vanilla until incorporated. In another large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt, stir with a fork to mix. Add the cold butter and working with the fork or two knives incorporate it into the flour until it looks like sand, add the mixture with the egg and work a little with a fork and then form the dough with your hands, just put together and squeeze.
  2. Spread the dough using your fingertips to cover the tart mold, place it in the freezer for 30 minutes or refrigerator for 2 hours.
  3. Preheat the oven to 180C or 350F. Cover the dough with aluminum foil or parchment paper and put some weight (beans, for example), bake for 20 minutes, remove the foil and beans carefully and bake for 5-8 minutes more until golden brown. Let cool completely in the mold.

For the pastry cream,

  1. In a bowl, mix the yolks, the egg until they are frothy, add the sugar (70 grams) and the cornstarch and mix until everything is incorporated.
  2. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk with the butter, the rest of the sugar (70 grams) and the salt, stir to dissolve the sugar, as soon as it starts to boil, remove from heat and slowly incorporate in a thread to the yolk mixture, beating all the time.
  3. Return the mixture to the pot and cook over medium heat until it becomes thick and begins to bubble, stir all the time. Remove from heat, add vanilla. Let the pastry cream cool on a bowl of water and ice. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly on the cream. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  4. It can be done  2-3 days before using it.

To assemble the fruit tart,

  1. Unmold the dough and fill with the cold pastry cream, cover with the chopped fruit giving it the shape you want, but ensure that each future piece has a representation of all the fruits, in round cakes, make concentric circles.
  2. Heat the jelly or jam in the microwave for 20 seconds and brush the fruit. Refrigerate until serving time.

Keywords: fruit tart

Fruit Tart
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Strawberry Bavarois

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Versión en español

Strawberry Bavarois

A classic recipe, modernized. The Strawberry Bavarois is a very common dessert in Chilean houses. In this recipe, instead of using strawberry gelatine, I use real strawberries and unflavored gelatin. As the sweetness of the fruit varies, I recommend you try the mixture before adding the gelatin to verify that it is the appropriate flavor.

The key so that it does not separate, is to beat and incorporate the gelatine very well, in this case first in the blender and then with the mixer. You can use the same amount of other fruit: such as mango, raspberry, blackberry, peaches, whatever your favorite.

In some Chilean families, the Strawberry Bavarois is made with condensed milk, I’m sure it’s delicious too, but I prefer to control the sugar. This dessert belongs to the family of Chilean desserts with evaporated milk such as Lemon Foam and Manjarate or Dulce de Leche Mousse.

Bavarois are summer desserts, they are served cold. You can serve them with fresh fruit, the same one that you used on the mix or a totally different one. I love serving this Strawberry Bavarois with mango.

Updated recipe with new photos in June 2019, originally published on August 2014.

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Strawberry Bavarois

  • Author: Pilar Hernandez
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: Chilean
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Description

An easy and summery Chilean dessert.

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Ingredients

  • 454 grams of strawberries, washed and chopped
  • 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of unflavored gelatin
  • 1/4 cup of cold water
  • 1 can (11 fl. oz.) of evaporated milk (refrigerate the night before)

Instructions

  1. Blend the strawberries and sugar. Process until you have a fine puree.
  2. Pour the cold water over the gelatin and stir, let stand 2 minutes and heat in a small pot or in the microwave until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Let cool
  3. Beat the evaporated milk until it triples its size at maximum speed, 3-5 minutes. With the blender running slowly add the dissolved gelatin. Blend for 30 seconds.
  4. While whipping on medium speed, pour the strawberry puree (with the gelatine on it) slowly and continue beating until fully incorporated. Pour into the trifle or cups to serve. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Notes

It can be made in a mold, if it is not special plastic for bavarois, you must oil the mold before putting the mixture. To unmold submerge the mold in hot water for 2-3 minutes and invert to a plate. Refrigerate.

Keywords: strawberry dessert, strawberry bavarois

  • Strawberry Bavarois
  • Strawberry Bavarois, Chilean recipe
  • Strawberry Bavarois
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Pear Clafoutis

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Versión en español

Pear Clafoutis

During Fall Pear Clafoutis is my favorite.

You can do it with apples or quince in Fall or cherries in summer. Any fruit that is not very ripe and juicy will work. This is a traditional French dessert for every day, simple, and with excellent flavor.

You may also be interested in the recipe: Easy Chilean Apple Dessert.

Pear Clafoutis

for 8 people
Ingredients:

  • 2 pears
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup of sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon fine grated fresh ginger, optional
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

Preparation:

  1. Heat the oven at 180C or 350F.
  2. Brush with butter a round or square pie dish of 8″ in diameter.
  3. Peel and cut the pears in thin slices, place the slices in an attractive way (flower, cross, etc.) inside the pie dish.
  4. In a bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and salt for 3 minutes with a balloon whisk. Sugar should dissolve and mixture looks frothy.
  5. Add milk, butter, and grated ginger or vanilla. Stir well.
  6. Add flour and baking powder. Stir until smooth.
  7. Pour over the pears and make sure they cover everything. Knock gently so there are no air bubbles left.
  8. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and firm. It will begin to separate from the edges.
  9. Let cool on a rack.
  10. Serve with whipped cream, ice cream or dust with powdered sugar.

Pear Clafoutis
Pear Clafoutis
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Pear Empanadas, Chilean recipe

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Versión en español

Pear Empanadas, Chilean recipeSeldom do I publish a recipe that brings me so many memories. Pear empanadas were my favorite snack as a girl, my grandmother used to buy them, and we ate the empanadas with tea in the afternoon when I came home from school. In the 11 years I’ve been in the USA I keep thinking of the empanadas, but I never found a recipe, even one close, for inspiration. Finally, I decided I was going to try and see what I was able to bake.

My husband laughs because I have a very bad memory for many things, I can see a movie a thousand times and have no idea what will happen at the end because I just forget, but with flavors, it’s quite the opposite. I can evoke some dishes in my head like it was yesterday and these empanadas are accurate; I feel like a girl again eating them  … if someone grew up eating these empanadas please make them, I have rarely felt such joy eating something.

Visit our collection of Chilean recipes here.

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Pear Empanadas, Chilean recipe

Pear Empanadas, Chilean recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Pilar Hernandez
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
  • Yield: 24 1x
  • Category: Sweets
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Chilean
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Description

Amazing sweet empanadas.

Scale

Ingredients

for the filling,

  • 250 grams of dried pears
  • 100 grams of sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch of nutmeg

for the dough,

  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup or 125 grams of cold butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 egg for brushing
  • sugar

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan, place the pears and mostly submerge in boiling water. Let stand 15 minutes. Place over medium heat and add sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Using a hand blender: grind the pears to a puree, add the cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook until it boils softly and when you stir you can see the bottom of the pot.
  2. Allow cooling completely.
  3. For the dough combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, add the chopped butter in small pieces and work with two knives or the paddle attachment of the mixer until it looks like coarse sand.
  4. Add eggs, sugar, milk, and pumpkin. Mix everything into a smooth dough.
  5. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water until blended, 20 seconds.
  6. Divide dough into 2 halves, place one half in the refrigerator. Roll the dough on a floured counter until a thickness of about 2-3 mm. Cut circles of 12 cm in diameter. Place a tablespoon of filling into the center. Wet the border with the egg wash, close, and make small indentations with a fork to seal. Repeat with the other half of dough.
  7. Preheat oven to 350F or 180C. Place empanadas on a parchment paper covered or a greased baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar. Use a fork to pierce each empanada.
  8. Bake for 25 minutes or until browned up and down.
  9. Let cool 5 minutes in the baking sheet and move to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. Serve cold.

Keywords: pear empanadas, chilean cuisine


Pear EmpanadasPear Empanadas

 

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Chilean Profiteroles

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Versión en español

Profiteroles, Chilean StyleI don’t know why baking Profiteroles had always been a bit scary to me. My mom has done it so many times, and they look so good, that I got more frightened. Finally, I decided that I had to try my hand with the profiteroles, this is my mom’s recipe, and it is the same recipe for the eclairs only the shape changes.

I filled them with what I had left over from Tres leches pastry cream and covered them with chocolate, they were outstanding. Do not be like me; the truth is that the recipe is simple and they will be delicious, it is essential to eat them the same day if filled or they can be frozen. Fill them with ice cream, whipped cream, pastry cream, coffee pastry cream, Nutella, or the Chilean classic Dulce de Leche, whatever you want.
Profiteroles, Chilean Style

You may also be interested in the recipe: Chilean Berliners

Profiteroles, Chilean Style

20-25 profiteroles
Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of water (240 ml)
  • 115 grams or 8 tablespoons butter, unsalted
  • ½ teaspoon of salt
  • 1 cup of flour
  • 4 eggs (large, 57-60 grams)
  • 2 teaspoons of sugar (optional, do not add if they are to be filled with something salty)
  • Pastry cream or Dulce de Leche to fill

Preparation:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425F or 220C. Prepare a baking sheet it with Silpat or silicone paper.
  2. In a medium saucepan place the water, butter, salt, and sugar if it is being used. Heat over medium-high heat until it boils, stir from time to time so that the butter dissolves completely. When boiling vigorous, remove from the heat and add the flour suddenly, stir hard with a wooden spoon or spatula until batter forms.
  3. Return to the fire, let cook until a ball of dough forms that separate from the walls of the pot. Remove from heat and allow to cool 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add the eggs vigorously, one by one, incorporating them entirely to the dough before adding the next one. This step can be done by hand stirring with the wooden spoon or with the mixer with the dough blades.
  5. Drop spoonfuls in the prepared baking sheet; you can use 2 spoons for this, leave at least 5cm between each because they grow in the oven. Or you can pipe them.
  6. Bake for 25-30 minutes until well browned and cooked. Be patient and let them brown well so that they remain crispy and don’t collapse. Turn off the oven and let the profiteroles stand for 5 minutes. Remove them and immediately and carefully with a small knife open a little, because steam will come out. Allow cooling entirely before filling.
  7. For chocolate, melt 1 cup of chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of butter in the microwave, heat 20 seconds at maximum power, stir 1 minute, repeat until the chocolate is melted. Drizzle the profiteroles with the chocolate and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Serve.

Profiteroles, bombitas o repollitos con crema pastelera Profiteroles, Chilean Style

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