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Quinceanera Desserts & Delights: Your Recipe for a Sweet Celebration

manager — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 08:34:44 +0000

From collecting family recipes for Arroz con Leche and Pan de Polvo to choosing the theme for your Quinceanera and the design of your cake, the ingredients that go into planning your big day are, indeed sweet! If you’re like some, your Quinceanera is just as—or perhaps even more important than—your wedding day. That’s why when it comes to the preparations, every little detail counts. From finding the perfect color for your dress to choosing the perfect cake and desserts for your reception, everything must be well thought out.

Let’s take a look at what makes a Quinceanera so special in the first place, and then explore ways—and real recipes—to make your celebration as sweet as you are!

A Basic Review of Your Quinceanera Day

Especially among Latinas, the Quinceanera is an important event for the entire family. It’s similar to a Jewish bat mitzvah or a Sweet 16 celebration because it marks the transition of the unica hija from child to woman. The Quinceanera celebrates both life and gratitude to God, so there is usually a celebratory Mass before the reception. Then the party is held at home or at a banquet hall or some other venue large enough to accommodate the guest list. These days, hotel ballrooms are popular spots.

Typical festivities include food and music, and in keeping with tradition, the Quinceanera and her court of honor—made up of the Quinceanera’s closest friends and family—often perform a choreographed waltz and/or other group dances.

The Theme Sets the Stage

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The first essential ingredient in your Quinceanera recipe is your theme. These days, girls are often more spontaneous and adventurous and the rules regarding the celebration are looser, so just about anything goes. For Quinceaneras who want something modern but whose families prefer the traditional pink and white color scheme, a Parisian themed Quince offers the best of both worlds by adding black and silver to the mix. Many other creative themes are also popular these days. Anything from a chic masquerade ball to a whimsical fairytale setting—when it comes to today’s Quinceanera theme choices, the sky’s the limit.

One element that has always retained at most of its traditional flavor is the Quinceanera dress. While today’s colors may be brighter, and the style of some dresses may be more elegant and less embellished, a Quinceanera gown will always have a royal and regal feel.

Quinceanera Cake as a Centerpiece

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At almost every celebration, the cake is the real attention grabber, and a Quinceanera cake is no exception. Usually reflecting the girl’s style and perhaps the theme of her Quince, her Sweet 15 birthday cake is often detailed, sophisticated, and multi-tiered for best dramatic effect. In many ways, a Quinceanera cake is similar to a wedding cake but is definitely more personal and unique. The classic design incorporates two sets of staircases, each leading to the main tier. A miniature Quinceanera doll adorns the top with either 7 or 14 smaller figures—representing the court of honor—resting on each staircase.

However, times have definitely changed, and many Quinceaneras are opting for less traditional cakes. Some choose a simple three-tiered cake with flowers. Others go all out with a towering creation.

Sweets for the Sweet Table

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In addition to the cake, other traditional sweets are often served. Classic choices include Arroz con Leche—a creamy rice pudding made with milk, sugar, and cinnamon—and Pan de Polvo, a Mexican shortbread made with cinnamon and sometimes anise.

Spoiler Alert: This blog has recipes for both of those delights, so read on!

For a more personal touch, a pan dulce bar is a wonderful idea. It combines the traditional Latin dessert bar with the concept of a modern party, creating an experience that’s fun for everyone.

And just as with the cake and dress, when it comes to Quinceanera desserts, not everything has to be traditional. Including an assortment of treats adds more color to your table and caters to a wider variety of taste buds.

Here are some ideas for non-traditional but totally fun Quinceanera reception goodies that work great for self-serve:

Ice cream bar: Include 2 or 3 flavors of ice cream—maybe also frozen yogurt in tubs—plus toppings like hot fudge, sprinkles, and nuts, and perhaps actual ice cream bars or popsicles.
DIY S’mores: Dedicate a table to marshmallows, graham crackers, and squares of chocolate. Check out this site for how to make a S’mores roasting station with a planter box and chafing dish candles: http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/make-and-decorate/decorating/how-to-make-a-s-mores-roasting-station
Food truck: Serve anything from donuts to soft serve ice cream or even carnival treats like funnel cakes. Food trucks also add a colorful touch to your reception décor.
Sheet cookies: Date bars are fabulous and easy on both the budget and the waistline, while layered cookie bars with peanut and chocolate are always a crowd pleaser.
Coffee bar: This is great for everybody, and the adults will love it. Have a couple of different roasts—one light roast, one darker and richer roast so as to be more like espresso, and one decaf. Then have flavored creamers in those little single serve cups, liquid coffee flavorings in pump bottles (chocolate, vanilla, etc.) and maybe even whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.
Chocolate fountain: Yes, it can be messy, but it’s also so much fun! Set out fresh fruit, pretzels, and marshmallows. If you do a white chocolate fountain, you can color it to match your theme.

Tip: Here’s a fantastic video for how to correctly color a chocolate fountain. https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video;_ylt=A0SO8z_9QaNX6rkAE3RXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEyYTN1MDl1BGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDVUkyQzNfMQRzZWMDc2M-?p=How+To+Color+a+Chocolate+Fountain&fr=yset_ie_syc_oracle#id=1&vid=dad8e77d9b806966412348c12a3d308f&action=view

But for those opting to spend less on their Quinceanera desserts, we’ve got you covered. For girls who love to have fun in the kitchen, fabulous Quinceanera dessert recipes have popped up all over the internet. You can gather your girlfriends to help so that all of you can bond while preparing Quinceanera sweets. Here are recipes for two of the most traditional and easiest Quinceanera desserts you can make at home:

Pan de Polvo

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Pan de Polvo is a classic Mexican shortbread cookie.

To begin, first make cinnamon tea by boiling 1 cup of water and 1 cinnamon stick in a saucepan for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and cool completely.

Now heat your oven to 350°F. and prepare the dough by combining in one bowl:

1/3 cup of the cinnamon tea
2 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/3 cups shortening or lard

Knead the dough for 15 minutes or so, then divide into workable portions. Roll each portion out to ¼” and cut with a 2” cookie cutter. Bake for 12-15 minutes on an ungreased baking sheet. Let cookies cool for 1-2 minutes then toss in a coating made of 2 cups sugar and 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon.

(Recipe courtesy of The Latin Kitchen)

Arroz con Leche

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Arroz con leche, a traditional thick and creamy rice pudding, is garnished with a dash of cinnamon. Here’s an easy recipe courtesy of Food.com:

Ingredients:

1 cup long grain white rice
2 cups water
4 cups milk
1 8-ounce can condensed milk
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or to taste)

Directions:

Cook the rice in 2 cups water then add the cinnamon sticks. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium and stir until the liquid is absorbed.
Add 4 cups milk to the rice, stir a bit, then keep stirring gently as you add the condensed milk.
Still using medium heat, let the milk & rice mixture reduce for another 15 minutes or so, stirring frequently until it’s the consistency you desire.
Remove the cinnamon sticks, let the mixture cool and then either stir in the ground cinnamon or wait until serving time and sprinkle it on top.

Last but not Least: a Toast to the Birthday Girl!

Click HERE or on the image below for our Quinceanera Menu Themes & Ideas:

For the very best collection of great ideas for planning your Quinceanera & adapting to circumstances that may have delayed your big day, Click HERE or on the image below for Q by DaVinci blog:

The post Quinceanera Desserts & Delights: Your Recipe for a Sweet Celebration first appeared on Q By DaVinci Blog.

Quinceanera Menu Themes & Fun Ideas

manager — Tue, 25 May 2021 08:54:00 +0000

Traditional or modern, there is one unbreakable rule for all all Quinceanera Menu Themes & Fun Ideas: Serve good food and serve plenty of it!

Originally, the idea behind a Quinceanera celebration was to “celebrate” that the birthday girl had learned to cook and clean and perform other household skills in order to snag a good husband. (Aren’t you glad those days are over?!)

Modern Quinceaneras are far different, but the one thing that will never change is the rule on lots & lots of great food.

While you most likely won’t have to cook your own feast, you will have to choose a menu that will please your particular crowd. You may want all traditional, or switch things up.

To get you started thinking, we’ve put together a super-simple primer with menu items that can add either a classic touch or a contemporary twist to your Quince feast.

(But you don’t have to cook any of them unless you want to!)

Quinceanera Menu Themes & Fun Ideas: Traditional Quinceanera Menu

There are certain foods unique to a traditional Quince that you won’t find in other cultures. Here are a few of the classics:

Cabrito: A classic dish that originated in Monterrey, Mexico, cabrito consists of a young goat that’s cooked on a spit over a slow-burning charcoal fire. This gives the meat its classic smoky taste and also makes it more tender.

Picadillo: A combination of minced beef, tomatoes, peppers, and onion, sometimes also with peas, carrots, or potatoes. Serve picadillo by itself or use as filling for tacos, burritos, or tamales. It’s also often served with rice and/or tortillas.

Dessert: In addition to your cake, there are several customary Latino sweets. Here are two classics to get you started:

Arroz (creamy rice pudding)
Pan de Polvo (Mexican shortbread cookies with cinnamon and anise, often dusted with powdered sugar)

For a Hispanic Buffet: Serve rice, beans, tortillas, enchiladas, tostadas, and tacos.

Other traditional options:

Green salad
Tortilla chips and guacamole
Chicken, pork and, cheese tamales
Carne asada and al pastor tacos
Pozole or Menudo
Rice and beans
Pan dulce, conchas, and churros

Quinceanera Menu Themes & Fun Ideas:

Take your Quince Feast International!

If you just adore a particular ethnic food group, why not serve it at your Quince?! Here are some popular international menu ideas, some of which you can make at home.

Greek Theme Quinceanera

If there’s one culture famous for unique food, it’s Greece. The most common is the gyros, a combo of beef and lamb roasted on a spit. It’s the one thing that will make your Quince absolutely Greek!

Here are some other ideas for a Greek menu:

Gyros (of course!)
Kabobs
Greek salad with feta cheese
Stuffed grape leaves
Moussaka (baked eggplant & beef)
Pastitsio (Greek lasagna)

Click HERE or on the image below for a great moussaka recipe:

For a pastitsio recipe—and lots more about Greek dishes—Click HERE or on the image below:

Oriental Quince Menu

Take inspiration from your favorite Chinese takeout or Japanese restaurant:

Sushi station (you could even hire a real sushi chef!)
Egg Rolls
Lo mein (noodles with vegetables)
Chicken or beef with oyster sauce
Fried rice
Almond cookies

Parisian Quinceanera Menu

Take your guests to The City of Lights with your Quinceanera menu. Here are a few classic French dishes:

Salad nicoise (beautifully arranged platters of vegetables in a light dressing)
Melon and ham brochette
French onion soup
Baked brie
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Steak Bearnaise

Quinceanera Menu Themes & Fun Ideas:

Seafood Feast

Especially if you’ve chosen an under the sea theme for your Quince, select a menu that’s also an ocean adventure!

Clam chowder
Shrimp skewers
Sesame seed crusted tuna steak
Grilled cedar plank salmon
Stuffed lobster tails
Fried Marlin tacos
Crab cake tater tots

Wild West Quinceanera

This is a great menu for casual Quinces. These dishes also make for a great potluck feast:

Coleslaw
Fruit salad
Mashed potatoes with gravy
Barbecue Pulled pork
Sliced Beef Brisket
Green beans
Cornbread

Quinceanera Menu Themes & Fun Ideas:

Let Them Eat Cake!

No matter what else you plan to serve your guests, the one thing that is always included in a Quinceanera is an ultra-fancy cake, not unlike an intricate wedding cake. And again, the style of the cake should go with your theme and the other types of food you serve at your reception.

Traditional Staircase Quinceanera Cake

The traditional Quince cake has multiple tiers with staircases and a small Quinceanera doll on top. Miniature figures line the stairs representing the birthday girl’s court of honor. But there are plenty of other options.

Greek Quinceanera Cake

Choose just about any cake you want but consider a touch of blue frosting like the Greek flag. Tthen decorate with strands of laurel or gold leaves.

For sure, add to your sweets table baklava—layers of filo dough rich with honey and nuts—and a Portokalopita. This is a traditional Greek yogurt cake with orange syrup.

Click HERE or on the image below for a scrumptious Portokalopita you can make at home:

Oriental Quinceanera Cake

Make your cake a Chinese New Year dragon and then order fortune cookies with your own personal message!

Click HERE or on the image below for custom fortune cookies from Cookie Planet:

Parisian Quinceanera Dessert Ideas

For sure, add eclairs and madeleines to your sweets table. Or skip the “cake” altogether and go with a traditional French delicacy—a croquembouche—a pyramid of either small pastry balls or macarons filled with vanilla cream. If nothing else, be sure to add one to your sweets table!

Seaside Quinceanera Cupcakes

Decorate your cake with shells, fishing net, and starfish, then serve a tower of seashell cupcakes decorated with brown sugar and molded candy seashells.

Click HERE or on the image below on how to make the candy shells at home:

Wild West Quinceanera Cupcakes

Then top it with a show-stopping single layer cake decorated to a stunning extreme!

Click HERE or on the image below for how to make the cupcakes plus other Wild West Quinceanera theme ideas:

The possibilities are endless! Whatever theme you may choose for your Quinceanera reception, what matters most is that your party is enjoyed by everyone—but most of all you!

For some great ideas for your dessert table—including recipes—Click HERE or on the image below for our blog Quincenera Desserts & Delights:

For the very best collection of great ideas for planning your Quinceanera & adapting to circumstances that may have delayed your big day, Click HERE or on the image below for Q by DaVinci blog:

The post Quinceanera Menu Themes & Fun Ideas first appeared on Q By DaVinci Blog.

All About Your Quinceanera Feast

manager — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 17:00:00 +0000

A girl’s fifteenth birthday has always been celebrated elaborately in the Hispanic community. La Quinceanera is most prevalent in Mexico and other South American countries. That’s why when you talk about the menu for a Quince, you’ll always hear about chili, cilantro, and other classic Mexican tastes. Food prep for a Quince is similar to that of weddings as both have fancy cakes and a banquet.

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In the past, after the celebratory Mass in the church, Quinces were then celebrated with food and dancing at the home of the guest of honor. This was rarely a problem space-wise because only relatives and a few friends were invited and so everyone could easily fit into the house, backyard, or garden.

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Today, Quinceaneras are held at hotels, resorts, and other posh venues, with the result that the food alone takes a big bite out of the party’s budget. Some families still serve traditional Mexican food then add tastes of other cuisines to suit their guests. Catering companies are highly sought after since cooking at home may entail too much time and hard work for the celebrant’s family to handle alone, especially when the guest list tops 200. Some, though, continue to keep it simple and intimate and hold the reception in a restaurant. So just what delicious treats await the Quinceanera guest of today?

That often depends on the theme. You wouldn’t expect seafood and tropical fruit at a winter Quinceanera—unless the location was in the subtropics, such as lower Florida and California. Some celebrants do offer “off-season” food, which is fine as long as her guests love it!

Let’s talk about some of the classic—and not so classic—menu offerings of today’s Quinceanera celebration.

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For a traditional Quinceanera menu, picadillo is usually served as a filling for tamales and tacos. Menudo or pozole is a heavy filler, and cabrito (usually a 3-month old roasted goat kid) is a specialty among the Hispanic community and is offered at almost all Quinces as the main course.

In addition to tortilla chips, guacamole, rice, and beans, side dishes commonly consist of vegetables. Jetty—a popular chocolate sauce added to many Mexican dishes—may also be served.

Arroz (a cream rice pudding made with milk, sugar, and cinnamon) and pan de Polvo (cookies covered with powdered sugar, usually featuring cinnamon and anise) will delight a guest’s sweet tooth. Other dessert choices include pan dulce, conchas, and churros.

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Because the majority of Quinceanera guests are under age, you’ll usually find non-alcoholic beverages at the party with champagne reserved for the toast. Wine, beer, and hard liquor may be offered for adults, though.

Some American families with a Hispanic heritage also celebrate Quinces, but the traditional food is not the norm. Again, the theme dictates. A Hawaiian theme Quince may offer a luau with sushi, fresh pineapples, macaroni salad, egg rolls, and a barbecue cookout. For a Little Mermaid theme, you’ll probably find seafood such as clam chowder, shrimp skewers, stuffed lobster tails and crab cakes. Thoughtful hosts make sure to include some foods that can be enjoyed by those with allergies or vegetarian preferences.

For a Western cowgirl-inspired Quince, the menu might include mashed potatoes and gravy, pork barbecue, steak, beef brisket, green beans, coleslaw, and cornbread.

As you can see, there are many menus to choose from and preparing for each entails different quantities of time and money, whether or not it’s a catered event.

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Potlucks were a favorite for many years because the Quinceanera was a family affair with relatives usually in charge of the cooking and baking the cake. Today, parents hire catering companies making it less of a hassle on their part. Taking into consideration the size of the guest list, the celebrant—together with her parents—decide how the Quinceanera meal will be served.

A typical sit-down dinner with a 3- to 5-course meal is expensive. Guests often choose between beef, chicken, fish or a vegetarian course. Buffet style dinners are a popular choice because they’re (usually) more cost-effective, and guests can help themselves. But even with a buffet, coordinators must check the total headcount a few days before the Quince so that estimates and extras can be arranged. You wouldn’t want a food shortage so make sure you always have more than less. Even if there are leftovers, those make great take-home for the day after!

At a Quinceanera, just as at a wedding, the cake is usually the focal point. A typical Quinceanera cake may have a doll with a tiara that resembles the guest of honor, or the Quince with her court on a winding staircase. In the past, a family member would bake the cake. Today, parents often hire pastry chefs and experienced bakers to create elaborate concoctions. Cakes today are also more personalized with multiple tiers of richly flavored layers covered in heavy fondant icing with specialized theme flowers and designs. As they say, Quinces nowadays are basically “pre-weddings” when it comes to cake. Some Quince cakes even have fountains and LED lighting. Talk about elaborate!

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Although a Quinceanera is a major event, never forget its true meaning. Coming of age involves future tasks and responsibilities. Moreover, not all families can afford a grand Quince, so even if your party is simple and intimate, it will still be magnificent because it’s yours! If you do have money for an elaborate Quinceanera, though, you should still do everything you can to keep the tradition’s sacred roots.

Note: Don’t forget to do a taste test for all the food!

The post All About Your Quinceanera Feast first appeared on Q By DaVinci Blog.