This Suspiro de Limeña recipe, also known as Suspiro a la Limeña or Suspiro Limeño (aka sigh of a lima lady) is one of the most famous desserts in Peruvian cuisine.
The origin is his peculiar name:
As you might guess, this wonderful dessert originated in Lima, the capital city of Peru, in the mid-19th century.
José Gálvez Barrenechea, a Peruvian poet, whose wife Amparo Ayarza was known for her excellent cooking skills, created this delicious dessert. Legend has it that when José tasted it, it was “soft and sweet like a woman’s sigh.”
This is a two-part dessert:
A base of homemade “manjar blanco” or sweet milk caramel with egg yolks, topped with Italian meringue flavored with port wine and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon. This combination makes the dessert smooth, sweet, and simply irresistible.
Tips for preparing Suspiro de Limeña recipe:
The first and most important key to preparing this recipe is patience.
The slower you cook the “manjar and yolks” mixture, the better the final result will be.
Although it is very similar to manjar blanco, the point at which the first half of this dessert is cooked is earlier, and it is finished by the yolks (which will be cooked with the residual heat of the mixture, so don’t worry, there won’t be raw egg in it).
The exact point to know if it’s done right is that, in addition to the slight caramel tone, when you lift the spoon or spatula with which you are stirring it, the back will be covered with the mixture, and when you run a spoon through it (don’t use your finger as it will burn), a clear line will form that won’t come back together.
I like to add a bit of the condensed milk mixture to the yolks, mix well, strain it (to ensure the mixture is super silky), and then add this to the pot to mix well again.
Ideally, let this mixture set in the molds in the refrigerator overnight. And the next day, continue with the oporto meringue.
About the serving dish we will use to assemble our dessert: they must be heatproof serving dish, although this dessert will not be baked, the yolk mixture will be at a very high temperature. Another point is that we can make one large dessert or several small ones.
If we use small ones, they should be smaller than the typical ones we would use for desserts because Suspiro Limeño is VERY sweet.
About the Oporto meringue: Oporto is a very aromatic fortified wine that will give our meringue a delicious flavor. Since the syrup we will add it to will reach 240°F, the alcohol it contains will evaporate, leaving us with only the aroma and flavor. On the other hand, the temperature of the syrup itself will help us “cook” the egg whites.
Duration and Storage:
We should keep our dessert in the refrigerator at all times, where it will remain in good condition for 1 week.
If you enjoy typical Latin American desserts, also try this leche asada, rice pudding, mazamorra morada, or the Chilean cake (which is a cake made with dulce de leche).
Suspiro de limeña recipe
El Suspiro de Limeña, also known as Suspiro a la Limeña or Suspiro Limeño (aka sigh of a lima lady) is one of the most famous desserts in Peruvian cuisine.
Ingredients
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk 13.4 o
- 1 can evaporated milk 12 fl oz
- 3 large eggs separated into yolks and whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup sweet wine or port
- Ground cinnamon for garnish
Instructions
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In a small pot, mix the sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. Cook over medium heat until it starts boiling, then continue cooking at medium-low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until it caramelizes and resembles dulce de leche or manjar blanco. This takes at least 30 minutes. It’s ready when you can see the bottom of the pot while stirring.
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In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks, then add a little of the milk mixture and stir. Add this mixture back to the pot and cook for an additional 1 minute. Turn off the heat and let it cool slightly. Fill the dessert plates with this mixture, filling them halfway. Let cool at room temperature.
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In another pot, mix the sugar with the wine and heat it without stirring until you get a thread-like syrup (to check, carefully drip a bit from a spoon over the pot; when it’s ready, it forms a delicate thread).
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Meanwhile, beat the at high speed with an electric mixer the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Carefully add the syrup to the egg whites and continue beating until it cools down.
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Fill the dessert plates with the meringue (If you want a neater result, add the meringue with a piping bag) Sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy!
