CiberCuba Cocina
Viscount | Photo © CiberCuba Kitchen

Viscounts

Cooking, Desserts

Kitchen, Desserts

Preparation Time:
30 minutes
Note:
Vizcondes is a little-known sweet by its name. It was a reader of Comida Cubana who requested the recipe for this dessert from her childhood. On the blog Palmas Amigas, run by a Cuban blogger, the traditional recipe is discussed. Vizcondes is a dessert of Spanish origin, specifically from León. I learned this recipe by hearsay, but I used to make it with María cookies, although I didn't know its name or history. While researching Vizcondes, I discovered that a famous confectioner from Ranchuelo frequently made it with custard and scraps of cake for family consumption. It is a humble dessert, a way to make use of leftover bread from the previous day, sweet cookies, or cakes. It's delicious and very caloric. I tried the traditional recipe and here is my version of Vizcondes. I hope you enjoy it.
Ingredients:
  • 2 sweet rolls or gloria bread, or slightly sweet bread from the previous day
  • For the syrup

    • 1 cup of sugar
    • ½ cup of water
    • 1 lemon zest

    For the custard

    • 2 cups of milk
    • 2 tablespoons of sugar
    • 4 tablespoons of cornstarch
    • 1 egg yolk
    • 1 teaspoon of vanilla
Instructions:

For this recipe, use semi-sweet bread from the day before. Slice it into pieces about 2 cm thick.

In a saucepan, mix sugar and water to make the syrup. Place it over low heat and add the lemon peel. Allow it to boil until you achieve a thick syrup. You can use anise if you prefer.

Bread with syrup in custard / CiberCuba Cooking

In another pot, heat the milk and add two tablespoons of sugar.

In a glass, dissolve the cornstarch in cold milk and add the teaspoon of vanilla and one egg yolk. Mix it well and set it aside until the milk in the saucepan begins to boil. At that moment, add the mixture from the glass and stir with a wooden spoon until you achieve a thick custard.

In a glass mold, place half of the custard.

Slices of bread already topped with the remaining custard / CiberCuba Kitchen

Soak the slices of bread in the syrup. Avoid soaking them too much to prevent them from falling apart. Arrange them leaning against each other in the custard dish. Once you have placed them all, cover them with the remaining custard from the pot. Allow it to cool, then refrigerate until it's cold.

For decoration, you can use caramel, as is done with Crema Catalana, or cover it with chocolate sticks, as shown in this presentation. Cut the portions and enjoy this humble yet delicious dessert.

Viscount / CiberCuba Kitchen

Enjoy your meal!

Rations:
6