Suspiro de Limeña

While I would be more than happy with a full plate of tostadas or a two kilo bag of fresh jalapeños this upcoming Valentine's Day, I appreciate that maybe not all women share a similar sentiment. (Snobs.) Anyway, a suspiro de limeña should meet some demanding romantic expectations, and although this dessert isn't Mexican, the recipe contains two of Mexico's favorite sweet ingredients - sweetened condensed milk (La Lechera) and cinnamon.

Suspiro de limeña means "the sigh of the woman from Lima", and, as the name suggests, comes from the Peruvian capital. This dessert was named by the Limean poet, José Gálvez Barrenechea, who thought it was "as soft and sweet as a woman's sigh." Besides the romantic origins of its name, the custardy manjar blanco and light Italian merengue make for a sweet and decadent romantic treat.

Ingredients
1 (12-oz.) can evaporated milk
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk (La Lechera)
1 cinnamon stick
4 eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
ground cinnamon, for garnish

Directions

Manjar Blanco
1 - Over a low flame, cook condensed milk, evaporated milk and cinnamon stick. Stir constantly until mixture thickens slightly. Remove the cinnamon stick.

2 - Temper the egg yolks into the milk mixture. (Add 3 or 4 spoonfuls of the hot milk to the egg yolks while constantly whisking. Then, return the egg/milk mixture to the pot of milk and stir constantly until smooth.)

3 - Stir in vanilla.

Italian Merengue
4 - Over a medium flame, cook the sugar in 1/4 cup of water until violent bubbles appear and then disappear, or to 120* C if you have a candy thermometer. (To be sure, put a spoonful of the cooked sugar into ice water. If it forms a ball, it's ready!)

5 - Whisk egg whites to soft peaks. Whisk in salt. Slowly add the cooked sugar and continue whisking until the mixture is cool and shiny.

6 - To assemble, fill a small glass or custard cup half full with the manjar blanco. Then pipe the Italian merengue on top (a ziploc bag with a corner cut out works just fine). Sprinkle the top with ground cinnamon. Enjoy!