but the desserts of these countries had yet to be seriously explored by pastry chefs. As a pastry chef confronted with the daily tasks of production, managing employees, changing menus, and last-minute events, it is difficult to find time for creative contemplation of one’s dessert style, let alone attempt to evolve it. This retreat gave the opportunity to go beyond specific dessert creations, learn about new techniques and ingredients, and contemplate taking one’s dessert style in new directions. It was a sweet think tank. Many dessert traditions were brought into Latin American countries by Europeans (primarily through nuns) and Asians. Ironically, although coffee and chocolate were used in beverages, they weren’t used in desserts. A true pioneer, Norman Van Aken in Miami was one of the first chefs to use Latino flavors on American dessert menus. Joined now by Laura Cid Perea and her husband Luis, Randy Zweiban, and Maricel Presilla, they continue to lead the way in exposing Americans to Latin American ingredients and dessert techniques. Sam Gotleib sees Latin American ingredients as the “future of the profession,” as there are only so many ways to use the same ingredients.

Several Latino desserts designed for an American dessert menu were sampled at the conference, including dulce de camote (a sweet potato pudding); tres leches cake; espresso flan; caramelized chocolate bread pudding with coffee rum sauce; Mayan-Mediterranean chocolate rice pudding; and coconut tres leches with roasted pineapple.

Staples of a Latin American pastry pantry include:

• Caramel flavors such as dulce de leche (South American in origin) and cajeta (Mexican).
• Sweetened fruits such as candied papaya, pineapple chutney, fruit pastes, fruits in heavy syrups, crystallized fruits, candied cactus.
• Rompope, a Mexican holiday drink like eggnog made from a strong liquor like aguardiente. It can be poured on fruit or used as a sauce ingredient.
• Almibar, a spicy sugar syrup, a bit thicker than simple syrup. It can be flavored with orange, lime rind, or sweet spices. It is used to cook a number of fruits like bitter orange halves.
• Spices, most frequently cinnamon and vanilla.
• Honey.
• Chocolate, originally without sugar but now very sweet.
• Fruits such as prickly pears, mamey, capulines, crab apples, coconut, pitahaya, squashes, oranges, calabaza, citron, tangerine, mama sapote, canasteli, red bananas, chirimoya, passion fruit, acerola, maracuja, limes, camu-camu, jack fruit.
• Almond paste.
• Annatto seeds.
• Raw brown sugar (brown loaf sugar).
• Vanilla.

Chocolate is an integral ingredient in Latino cooking. Originally, it was used in savory dishes only. Cocoa beans were ground on a metate, a large stone slab heated from underneath. The nibs were pulverized with an oblong pestle. Sugar and toasted spices such as cinnamon, star anise, cloves, ginger, sacra (a counterfeit vanilla), and anise seeds were added. The attendees were delighted to try this ancient method of producing everybody’s favorite addiction.