From Strawberry Pistachio Flan to Mexican Chocolate Cookies and Dulce de Leche Pumpkin Pie, ¡Viva Desserts! is a delectable and easy to make a collection of traditional Mexican and American desserts that have been "mexicanized" . With dessert items like crepas, churros and empanadas, everyone's favorite traditional Mexican treats are here in this new cookbook by Nicole Presley. I think cooks will love also love the classic American cakes and pies with a Mexican twist and other Mexican treats with an American twist. In short, all your cravings are deliciously covered.

Nicole Presley, makes it easy to delve into baking. She smartly offers tips and tricks with each recipe, Dessert lovers will find the tools they need to create masterpieces in their own kitchens. The full-color photography for every dessert shows what success looks like.Readers are privy to the baking secrets Nicole has learned through her own journey, from kitchens in Los Angeles and Mexico. Everyone is able to bring the enjoyment of Mexican and Mexican-American desserts into their own home. This cookbook is a yummy celebration of culture.

It's truly a simple pleasure to browse through one fun and informative page at a time, "Viva Desserts!: Traditional and Reinvented Sweets from a Mexican-American Kitchen" proves a welcome and appreciated addition to a library cookbook collection. It should be noted that " "Viva Desserts!: Traditional and Reinvented Sweets from a Mexican-American Kitchen" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99). A very informative and entertaining YouTube presentation showcases the author making two of her recipes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsY9MStLsAk. The recipes for that demonstration can be found below.

Author Note: Nicole Presley (https: //presleyspantry.com) is a culinary enthusiast and recipe developer passionate about culture and food. Her childhood and life experiences drove her to create Presley's Pantry, a platform from her East LA kitchen that celebrates family, food, and original recipes

Mexican Chocolate Cookies

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Chill Time: 3 hours | Bake Time: 15 minutes per baking sheet Yield: 2 ½ dozen

Ingredients

1 cup butter, room temperature

¾ dark brown sugar ¾ cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract

1 ½ cups flour ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ cup pine nuts

1 disk Mexican chocolate, grated

Mexican Chocolate Ganache:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 cups Mexican chocolate powder

Directions

1. In a mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugars together for 3 minutes or until mixture looks light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Mix until fully combined. 2. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, ground cinnamon, and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix on medium until dough comes together. 3. Mix in pine nuts until just combined.

4. Place cookie dough in refrigerator for 3 hours to chill.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with nonstick baking mat. Set to the side.

6. Scoop dough into uniform balls by using a 1 ½-tabelspoon cookie scoop and rolling each ball in your hands to make the shape more round.

7. Dip each ball of cookie dough in grated Mexican chocolate and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

8. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Allow cookies to come to room temperature.

9. To make ganache, add whipping cream to a small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat. Once little bubbles form around the edge of the pan, add Mexican chocolate powder. Stir with a rubber spatula until mixture becomes smooth and is completely combined.

10. Dip half of each cookie into ganache. Let excess drip off, then place on a cooling rack to harden overnight.

Strawberry Pistachio Flan

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Bake Time: 1 hour | Rest Time: 2 hours | Chill Time: 6 hours or overnight Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

½ cup cajeta

¼ cup sugar

5 large eggs

¾ cup (6 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature

½ tablespoon pistachio extract

½ tablespoon Mexican vanilla extract

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

1 cup strawberries, stems removed

¾ cup shelled and roughly chopped pistachios, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil several cups water, enough to fill a large glass baking dish halfway.

2. Spray 8 (6-ounce) glass custard cups with nonstick baking spray. Fill the bottom of each cup with 1 tablespoon cajeta.

3. In a blender add all remaining ingredients except ¼ cup pistachios. Blend for 1 minute or until completely combined.

4. Pour evenly among baking cups. Sprinkle the tops with remaining ¼ cup pistachios.

5. Cover cups with aluminum foil and place inside a large baking dish. Fill baking dish halfway with boiling hot water. Bake for 1 hour.

6. Remove cups from the water bath and uncover. Let rest for 2 hours.

7. Invert cups onto a plate. Slowly lift cups up away from plate. Chill in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight.

Useful links

​Viva Desserts https://presleyspantry.com