Desserts

The Spanish sweet tooth is one of our great inheritances from the Moors. Centuries after their departure, the Spanish are left with a love of cinnamon, citrus and all things sweet. Desserts in Spain can be cooling, soothing, refreshing or outright decadent. Some of the spices used may reprise flavours from the main meal, but a dessert is not a crescendo, it is a segue — a sweet moment to move on to the next part of the day. Desserts are always seen as complementary to the main meal. After a big cocido we only eat a little fresh fruit, perhaps some figs or pears, perhaps a little cheese. Desserts need to respect both the flavours of the previous dishes and the constitution of the people eating them.