Every year, in Catalonia, when Halloween or All Saints’ Day approaches, the local bakeries are adorned with these delectable, pine nut-covered sweets. However, if you’ve ever considered buying them, you may have been taken aback by the sky-high prices, ranging from 50 to 70 euros per kilogram. As a regular, normal poor person, you might find yourself wondering, “How much would it cost to make these at home?” Of course, let’s not dwell on the value of your time, which is, of course, quite cheap. Nonetheless, I found it to be a delightful and enjoyable activity to undertake.
Please refer to the author’s notes if this is your first time here.
ingredients
For 30 panellets:
- 250g of almond flour
- 175g of white sugar or icing sugar
- 1 medium potato, boiled and skin removed
- Zest of one lemon peel
- 70g of pine nuts
- Some grated peanuts
- Some chocolate powder
- Some grated coconut
steps
- Begin by boiling the potato, then peel it and mash it thoroughly with a fork. Allow it to cool completely.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, sugar, and lemon peel.
- Add the mashed potato to the mixture to start forming the dough.
- Continue kneading the dough until it becomes uniform and can be shaped into a ball. The dough may be slightly sticky, but it should not stick to your hands as it did when you first started working with it.
- Once the dough is prepared, cover it tightly to prevent it from drying out and let it rest. Some people prefer to make the panellets the next day.
- While you’re getting the panellets ready, preheat your oven. The baking time may vary depending on your oven, but typically, we bake them at 180°C. Remove them when they develop a nice color.
- You can create approximately 30 panellets with various flavors, each about 4-5 different tastes.
- For different flavors, follow the same procedure. Beat an egg, then coat the panellet with egg and add your choice of toppings, such as chocolate, coconut, peanuts, or pine nuts.
- Pine nuts are the most traditional topping.
- To make the pine nuts adhere well, place them in a bowl and coat them with beaten egg or egg white. Some people leave the soaked pine nuts to rest overnight for better adhesion.
- Remember to brush the panellets with beaten egg before placing them in the oven. This step not only affects the color but also contributes to their overall appearance. Bake them at 180°C and remove them when they achieve the desired color.