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Panellets sweets for All Saints Day

Assortment of Panellets traditional dessert for All Saints Day
Mutari 15:57, 30 October 2007 (UTC), Public domain

Panellets (literally 'little loaves') are another traditional sweet for All Saints Day, most typically of Catalonia, but they are more likely of Arab origin, given the ingredients used. This recipe has been shared by the Mercado Municipal De La Laguna (La Laguna Municipal Market) via La Laguna Ahora. The most popular are the marzipan panellets covered with pine nuts

To make the first batch of Panellets

The ingredients: ½ kilo of raw ground almonds, ½ kilo of sugar, 250 grams of stewed potatoes, grated rind of a lemon, 2 whole eggs and a yolk. For the varieties of panellets; 150 grams of pine nuts, 150 grams of chopped almonds and 125 grams of grated coconut.

Preparation

Cook the potato with its skin, peel it once cooked and let it cool. Mash it with a fork and mix it well with the sugar, then add the ground almonds, the lemon zest and mix well.

Separate the yolk of two eggs from the whites, reserve these and pour the yolks into the previous mixture, stirring so that all the ingredients are mixed. Put the chopped almond, pine nuts and a third of the coconut on small plates separately.

Start to make balls and reserve a third of the dough to mix it with the rest of the grated coconut. The rest, roll them first in the egg white and then one batch the pine nuts one and the other in the almonds. Put the panellets on the baking tray covered with greaseproof paper or foil and a little flour.

Preheat the oven to 170º C. Continue with the preparation of the panellets, form balls with the coconut dough and roll them in the grated coconut, also place them on the tray. 

To finish, brush the surface of the pine nut and almond panellets with egg yolk and they are ready to bake for 10-12 minutes, check and remove them when they have browned.

Here are some more variations to try: 

Hazelnut

The same mixture must be made as with the lemon panellet. Introduce 1 hazelnut in the center of each panellet. Bake at a high temperature, 240ºC.

Almond

The same system is used as with the pine nut panellets, although the shape they are given is similar to that of a small croquette. Logically we must substitute the pine nuts for almonds in the paste. The cooking time is a little shorter.

Coffee

Starting with the basic marzipan, add ground coffee until it is brown. The intensity of the flavor depends on our taste, it is convenient to try the mixture until determining the correct measure. Soluble coffee can be substituted for coffee extract, although the flavor is better with ground coffee, it is also more natural and aromatic.

Make small portions in the form of croquette. It should be coated with a lot of powdered sugar, the more the better. Cook at a high temperature of 240 ºC.

Mushrooms

For the preparation of the mushrooms we use another marzipan mixture, which is called rough marzipan, since it is much harder, 50% almond, and does not contain water in the kneading. Form small round balls and then press the center with the cap on the neck of a glass bottle. This bottle must be well floured to prevent the piece from sticking.

After forming the mushroom, they should be left to rest for 24 hours. Brush only with egg yolk and give it them quick and strong bake, just enough to dry. Once baked and once cold, wet the tip of the mushroom with gelatin. Coat the tip with a chocolate chip.

Chocolate

Start with the base marzipan and add chocolate to the mixture until the color is similar to the coffee panellet. Make the same shape in the form of croquette, only in this case make a small groove in the dough, to later fill with chocolate coating.

Cook the panellets, sprinkle them with icing sugar abundantly, and as indicated above, fill the grooves with tempered chocolate

Cherry

Make balls the size of pine nut panellets, and place 1 well-drained candied cherry in the center. The pieces are then coated in granulated sugar. Bake at a high temperature, 240ºC. 

Coconut

Starting from the base marzipan, add 300 gr. of desiccated coconut for each kilo of marzipan. The shape that is given to the coconut panellet is made by pinching the dough, approximately it should be about 30 grams. If possible, it is preferable to place the "pinches" on wafer paper cut to the appropriate diameter, if not, spread them on greaseproof paper.

Sprinkle with plenty of icing sugar before baking the pieces. Bake at a high temperature of 240 ºC.

Strawberry

A small piece of strawberry pulp is added to the base marzipan, plus a little coloring to reinforce the color. The process is exactly the same as the rose pink panellet.

Marron Glacé 

Add Marron Glacé (candied chestnut) paste to a marzipan base (proportions to taste), to obtain a chestnut color in the mixture. Make small balls and roll them in granulated sugar. Before baking form a small hole. Bake at a high temperature, 240ºC. After cooking and once the pieces are cold, fill the hole with more candied chestnut paste.

Quince

Add about 100 gr of ground almonds to each kilo of marzipan base. Form long bars as if they were churros. Slit down the length of the bars with a knife to access the interior and fill this center with candied quince. Close and stretch "the churro" again.

Coat with plenty of sugar and mark small incisions in each of the bars. Freeze the dough to be able to cut it and once cold, cut pieces of about 30 gr. each. Bake at a high temperature, 240ºC.

Lemon

Lemon essential oil and zest should be added to the base marzipan, or just the extract. Rolled 30 gr pieces in plenty of sugar. Bake at a high temperature, 240ºC.

Pine nuts

Add a little lemon zest or extract to the base marzipan. Form small balls of about 25 gr. Have a generous quantity of pine nuts, which should be soaked in a little water and an egg. Coat the marzipan base with abundant pine nuts, leaving no gap. Spread the panellets on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Brush with egg yolk and bake at high temperature (240 ªC) until golden.

Rose

Pink panellets are made by adding pink coloring to the base marzipan plus a little rose water. Form round balls and coat with plenty of icing sugar. Bake at a high temperature, 240ºC.

Panellets por los Santos

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