Mexican Bricks and some cocoanut barras

A quick trip to California brought us some Mexican inspired treats.  A couple of them were described as "bricks". This is a translation of the word ladrillo which does mean brick. Apparently it can also mean a brick-shaped cake. Something similar to a banana bread or a pound cake. I guess in Mexican Spanish banana bread might be a Ladrillo de Bananas. In any case a loaf type cake or similar.

Back with treats from California!

Strawberry Bricks!

The two that our friend brought along from a bakery in California were according to her Ladrillo de Fresa or Strawberry Brick  These were essentially a cross between a bread and a cake that was pretty dense. It was coated with a pink strawberry powdered sugar glaze hence the name.  Since it seemed it would be a stretch to eat a whole thing, we opted to slice them up. To our surprise and subsequent pleasure they were not heavy at all with the cake not being too sweet. Consequently the sugar coating did not come across as too sugary.  Despite the complete lack of familiarity these were very well received and we appreciate the effort to get them to us from a favored bakery in the Golden State.

This looks like you could build a house with it!

In addition we had some Barras de Coco.  We asked what this meant and our colleague hesitated a bit not really sure how to translate barras. Well we asked would the translation be coconut bars because that's what it looks like.  Bar was the word she was not too sure of but sure enough barras means bars.  However the description in Spanish refers to them as galletas. We already know that means cookies. So which are they?  Upon opening it became clear they were bar shaped cookies - kind of.  These were crisp and not overwhelmingly flavored with coconut.  They were the type of cookie that goes well with tea or coffee and that you could dunk.  As far as texture was concerned they are very similar to Pepperidge Farm Bordeaux cookies. We enjoyed these also and were thus doubly thankful to our friend for thinking of us during her recent travels! 

If you had to guess would you translate them as Coconut Bars?

Galletas Sabor Coco - Cookies with cocoanut taste!

Interior wrapping a la Japan!

Shape and consistency of Bordeaux cookies!

We also had a new attendee at cake hour. Too bad dietary restrictions prevented him from eating anything. Oh well, maybe next time!

No cake, but I'd take a burger!