When you think of summertime desserts from warmer climates like Mexico and Spain you have to think of lighter desserts. These climates often lead the local people to eat relatively light and later in the evening after the sun has gone down. This means their desserts tend to be less hefty in the summertime as well.
Mexican Desserts - Flan is one of the most popular summertime desserts consumed in the Mexican culture. It consists of a rich, thick orange custard topped with sweet, caramelized and a bit on the crunchy side. The topping and custard blend beautifully and often remind people of crème brulee. It is hard for someone not accustomed to cooking Mexican food to make flan since the recipes end to be passed down in families and are well guarded by most families.
Spanish Desserts trend toward fruity flavors, lighter styles and more spiced than some others you may encounter. Some Spanish desserts that you may find in your foray into Spanish cookery include:
Ice cream in a deep fried pastry bowl and then topped by spicy pear sauce. Top it off with a pile of cinnamon and you have something deliciously Spanish!
Another of the Spanish desserts that is a hit nearly everywhere is known as profiteroles.
Profiteroles are small bites of baked goodness made from a mixture of eggs, butter, flour and a variety of other ingredients, especially chocolate. The dough bites are filled with ice cream or heavy custard made with heavy cream. Drizzle them with chocolate and you have one of the most delicious Spanish desserts ever known. They tend to be on the spicy side which is what defines them as ultimately Spanish.
Summertime desserts are typically lighter and fluffier because the heat in many summertime climates really precludes wanting a heavy dessert after a meal that will usually take place in the late evening. Even in the desert southwest of the United States, dessert is the favored part of the meal, but many desserts are those which are made of fruits and cream or fruit laden cakes. One of the most popular desserts in the southwestern portions of the US, areas such as Las Vegas and Arizona include a very light cake such as angel food or sponge cake that is made with an indentation in the top of the cake. The cake is then filled with kiwi fruit, raspberries, blueberries and quite often strawberries which have been cleaned and halved. Over the top a light custard sauce is used, or if not, a very light whipped topping is offered.
Heat precludes wanting a great deal of heaviness from either a meal or a dessert so you will find that many of the desserts in these areas tend to be far less filling and as a general rule will have far less calories than the desserts that you find elsewhere it the world.