Another guest post from my Dad (of cayenne snickerdoodle fame).

~ Laura

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One evening, it must have been almost 30 years ago, we were sitting around the table lamenting the lack of dessert and praising the virtues of baklava when our older daughter, Sarah, and I to began to deconstruct that sweet treat—wheat-based dough layered with honey and nuts—and thinking about how to create a substitute from the food we had on hand.  The result was the invention of the dessert taco—a flour tortilla covered in honey and filled with a variety of tastes.

Jana and I had not made them in many years, but they came up in a conversation with old friend and former boss Glynn Ligon.  A couple of nights later Glynn and his wife, Kelly, took us out to dinner, and we fixed the tacos for dessert.  We enjoyed them so much I thought maybe For the Love of Garlic might post them as a guest recipe.

We think of dessert tacos as a party food that guests can make to their own tastes.  Begin by setting out a variety of fillings.  For example, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, flaked coconut, dried fruit pieces, diced fresh fruit, etc.  Whatever you think folks would like.  I also like having cinnamon, ground cayenne pepper, cloves, and other spices available. You could also include a variety of liqueurs to sprinkle on the filling.

Begin with a flour tortilla.  Spread with honey and add the fillings of choice.  Then microwave for 20-30 seconds until hot, roll, and top with whipped cream.  The dessert taco shown in the picture was filled with chopped pecans, coconut, chocolate chips, and ground cayenne pepper with sliced fresh mangos, whipped cream, and cinnamon on top.

Give them a try.

PS—True Story

In the 80’s when I worked for Austin ISD, a group of us drove down to McAllen, Texas to visit some schools.  Cramped together for many hours in a Suburban, we talked about everything under the sun, and I described dessert tacos.  Interestingly, the idea of a dessert taco upset an Hispanic principal who said his grandmother would roll over in her grave at the thought.  Apparently, a gringo had insulted Mexican food.

A couple of days after we returned, I took the makings to a debriefing meeting, and everyone, except the principal who had been upset, made a taco.  He refused to make one, but when everyone else enjoyed theirs, he had a bite and told me after the meeting that he had really enjoyed it.   Maybe Tex-Mex food can be gringo-influenced after all.