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Suspiro limeña

Caramel custard with port meringue

Lima's caramel custard topped with port meringue; chill 2 hours

Suspiro a la limeña, 'the sigh of a Lima woman', is the city's grand dessert from colonial times, said to have been named by the poet José Gálvez for its sweetness. A thick manjar blanco, milk slowly cooked down to a silky caramel cream and enriched with egg yolks, is topped with a cloud of glossy Italian meringue flavoured with port and dusted with cinnamon. It is very sweet and very rich, so serve it in small glasses. Make it in the morning for the evening. Chef's tip: the manjar is ready when a spoon dragged across the bottom of the pan leaves a clear path for a moment; undercooked, it stays runny and the meringue sinks into it.
Total time
70 min
Difficulty
medium
Serves
6
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Ingredients

Serves6

For the manjar

For the port meringue

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Fresh ingredients (4)

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Method

0/8 done
  1. Step 1: Put 14 oz sweetened condensed milk and 1 ¾ cups evaporated milk in a heavy-based pan over a medium-low heat. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring with a heatproof spatula and scraping the bottom and corners constantly.

    5 min
  2. Step 2: Keep cooking and stirring for 30–40 minutes, until the mixture turns a pale caramel colour and thickens. It is ready when a spatula dragged across the bottom leaves a clear trail for a second or two. Don't turn up the heat: it catches easily and burnt bits ruin the flavour.

    35 min
  3. Step 3: Beat 4 egg yolks in a bowl. Whisk in a ladle of the hot manjar to warm them, then pour it all back into the pan. Cook over a low heat for 2 minutes more, stirring, until it thickens a little again.

    2 min
  4. Step 4: Take off the heat and stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract. Pour into 6 small glasses or a serving dish and let it cool completely, about 1 hour. It thickens as it cools.

    60 min
  5. Step 5: For the meringue, put ¼ cup ruby port and 4 oz sugar in a small pan over a medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Boil without stirring until it reaches 250°F on a thermometer, about 6–8 minutes; without a thermometer, a drop in cold water forms a soft ball.

    8 min
  6. Step 6: While the syrup boils, whisk 2 egg whites in a clean bowl with an electric whisk until they hold soft peaks.

  7. Step 7: With the whisk running, pour the hot syrup in a thin stream down the side of the bowl (not onto the beaters, which fling it out). Keep whisking for 5–8 minutes, until the meringue is thick, glossy, pale pink and the bowl is only just warm.

    6 min
  8. Step 8: Spoon or pipe the meringue over the cold manjar in swirls and dust with ½ tsp ground cinnamon. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving; it keeps for 2 days in the fridge.

    60 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories
450 kcal
Protein
11 g
Carbs
72 g
Fat
12 g
Fibre
0 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does suspiro limeña take?
About 70 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
Is it gluten free?
Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
What can I use instead of sweetened condensed milk?
Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
What can I use instead of evaporated milk?
Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).

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