Desserts for paella

If something comes after a good meal, it is a dessert with which to end a perfect evening.

Paella is not necessarily a dish with which dessert is usually eaten, more so because it is considered a unique dish that fills you completely, but in such a way that we can put a starter while the paella is being made, we can also leave something prepared to finish it off. the food, or perhaps we have made the paella for a few people, to finish filling our stomachs.

In this blog post we bring you multiple suggestions of traditional Spanish desserts that you can use as desserts for paella, from the most typical ones in restaurants, those that you can prepare at home or even those that you can buy in the supermarket.

Catalan cream

Also known by the name of burnt cream, it is a pastry cream or custard that has a crunchy crust based on caramelized sugar on top. It is not only sweet, but soft in texture, which makes it a popular dessert that is rare It's the person you don't like.

The legend of the creation of this dessert says that a bishop was going to visit the convent of some nuns, who prepared him a flan, but when it did not set correctly, in order not to keep the bishop waiting, they caramelized the top part. The dessert was so good that word of this unexpected culinary miracle soon spread and as if it were the word of the holy spirit, it became instantly popular.

Different places burn sugar in different ways, the most common way is to use a kitchen torch until the sugar caramelizes, but if we get it in the supermarket they use a special sugar that caramelizes by itself when it comes into contact with the cream, the science of gastronomy is that impressive.

Custard with biscuit

Typical of the towns, custard with cookies is a sweet dessert that is not missing in almost any place in Spain, be it a bar, restaurant or in the refrigerator at home, rare is the child after a day of class who has not tried them in his grandmother's house.

It is probably one of the oldest desserts, even the Romans themselves made their custard, although in those times none of them thought of putting a cookie on top, giving that extra flavor.

Some variations of custard with cookies include cinnamon, lemon or even chocolate shavings, but even the cookie itself changes, some put it in pieces on top, while others prepare cookies with seeds of all kinds of sweets to decorate their custard.

Egg flan (and its many other variations)

Soft, sweet and easy to prepare, but above all, full of delicious variations that allow you to combine it for any paella dish. Flan is a dessert that we can find almost anywhere in the world, a sign of its pleasure by any diner.

We recommend egg or coffee flan, as they maintain a mild flavor that pleases the stomach after a paella, but that does not mean that we cannot delight in other variations, such as cheese, coconut or chocolate flan.

If you want to add an extra touch, a little cream or some fresh fruits such as apricots, strawberries, or pineapple and peaches in syrup can be a perfect combination that your diners will not forget. If you are looking for something sweeter, certain flans usually have syrup or caramel broth to dip or combine with each bite of the spoon.

Ice cream

As simple as it is delicious, ice cream is a perfect dessert choice for the paella you have on a summer Sunday with family and friends.

The best of all is that it is a dessert that we can combine with a large amount of other desserts or fruits, although we can always have it on its own, which is just as good.

Although everyone has their own tastes, we recommend popular flavors that are gentle on the stomach, such as strawberry, cream, meringue milk, vanilla or milk chocolate, but don't let anything stop you from trying stronger flavors like coffee, dark chocolate or caramel, as long as when you know that its combination with paella will not make you sick to your stomach.

Apple pie

A classic dessert of Spanish gastronomy, apple pie is a sweet, soft and slightly cloying dessert, which is rarely missing from a restaurant meal.

It is said that the creation of this recipe and its popularization date back to the most perjured times, when preparing elaborate jams was a dream for ordinary people. Its creation, similar to paella, was made with what was on hand, dough, candied apples and some jam to cover the top.

Apples can be introduced as compote or, more traditionally, sliced, covered on top with some kind of jam, commonly apple, apricot or peach.

Cheesecake

Perhaps a somewhat more modern dessert, but one that has become popular in restaurants, the cheese cake is a cheesecake, commonly combined with a forest fruit glaze, that every diner with an appreciation for cheese will devour like a mouse.

The origins of this recipe are believed to date back to ancient Greece, although in these times the cheese was simply heated with honey and flour, left to rest to cool, and served. Over the years the recipe spread and changed according to the tastes and traditions of the native gastronomy of the area, until it arrived in America.

It is said that cream cheese did not appear until 1872, when a New York cheesemaker tried to imitate a variety of French cheese, but ended up obtaining a soft and creamy cheese. He sold it to local stores under the name Philadelphia Cream, and in 1928 it was purchased by Kraft Cheese, where its global distribution began and the idea of using this cheese was extended to the current recipe.

Although it can be a slightly more gooey dish due to the glaze, it is a popular choice for those who want a heartier dessert with which to finish their meal.

lemon sorbet

Seafood likes citrus flavors, and it's hard to find anything more citrusy than lemon sorbet, especially during the summer.

We owe the origin of this recipe to China, who passed the recipe to Italy through the Silk Road and, later, to the rest of Europe. Originally, it was made with shaved ice, honey and fruit juice, and it was not until the 17th century that cream or milk began to be used to prepare the recipe.

Lemon sorbet is a perfect choice to leave a bittersweet taste in the mouth after a paella, and for those more inclined to alcohol, there is the variation of lemon sorbet with cava, more common in restaurants, although we can also replace the cava with a splash of vodka, which is most common if it is made for dessert and not hors d'oeuvres.

Fruit

As usual as a dessert in any meal, but there is a reason we do it with almost anyone, fruit is a perfect choice as a dessert, it is not only healthy, but gentle on the stomach.

Depending on the season, we recommend different fruits, although cherries, oranges, tangerines, apples or kiwis are popularly preferred, with grapes and strawberries as a good second.

We can serve it as separate pieces for the diner's individual choice, already cut and prepared, or if we know that all diners like them, we can make a fruit salad or “tutifruti” for everyone's taste.

How to serve my desserts in a more creative way?

The most traditional way of serving desserts such as crème brûlée, rice pudding or custard with cookies is made with clay pots, since they are desserts that are prepared in an artisanal way.

If you want a more unique and rice-based way, we ourselves have been able to see restaurants serving flans, ice cream or, on one occasion, an assortment of peeled mandarins, on small paella pans. The size of the enameled paella pan is an unexpected but interesting container to introduce and present this type of dessert to your guests.

A creative way to serve lemon sorbet is to serve it inside the peel of the lemon itself, not only is it visually pleasing, it helps enhance the flavor a little if desired by residing inside the lemon itself.