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Recipe: Panellets, Catalan Marzipan Cookies

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Panellets coated in slivered almonds (top right) , the traditional pine nuts and the third is stuffed with a hazelnut and coated in coconut. Photo by © Tara Shain.

Throughout Catalunya autumn brings with it castanyeras hawking freshly roasted chestnuts and sweet potatoes in the streets and panellets (which translates as "tiny breads") suddenly fill pastry shop windows.

Eastern Mediterranean Origins

But where did these "tiny breads" come from? According to Josep Fornés, former director of the Ethnological Museum of Barcelona, panellets are part of an ancient tradition. They most likely originated in the eastern Mediterranean and were brought to other parts of the region by the Arabs. Instead of the modern ingredients of almonds and sugar, they probably would have been made from mixture of ground pistachios and honey—and because the ingredients were expensive they were a luxury only the elite could afford.

The modern version you find in Catalunya as well as in parts of France (boules aux pignons) and Italy (amaretti con pignoli), use almonds and sugar as a base for the marzipan, and the evolution of the ingredients had much to do with both geography (replacing pistachios with almonds) and modernization (replacing honey with sugar).

While almonds and pine nuts are now available year round, they used to be seasonal delicacies and were quite expensive, so many home recipes that have been passed down from l'àvia (grandma) incorporate the use of potato, sweet potato or even squash to stretch those precious ingredients.

Potato or No Potato?

Purists and pastry chefs insist that the best, most authentic panellets don't include any of the filler ingredients that most home recipes do. Their argument does have merit. In 2002, the panellet was designated in the European Union quality classification scheme as a traditional specialty guaranteed (TSG), which states that "for each kilogram of peeled, finely ground almonds, one kilogram of sugar and whole egg and, where necessary, water" are the only acceptable ingredients for the cookie's base.

But, while I like my sweets, I find traditional panellets much, much too sugary. Since the traditional recipe uses a one-to-one ratio of sugar to almond flour, I find its sweetness over the top for my taste. So, along with many àvias across Catalunya, I'm firmly in the camp that prefers the addition of sweet potato, which you'll find included in my recipe below.

Traditions

Panellets are an important part of the castanyada tradition every year on the eve of Tots Sants (All Saints' Day), but many locals also enjoy them as a sweet treat after supper with a selection of fruits secs—often walnuts, hazelnuts, dates or figs—and a glass of moscatell or other sweet wine.

If you do want to try panellets made in the traditional, veg-free way, head on over to any quality bakery where you can select from an assortment of flavors. I picked up a dozen the other day at Pastisseria Faixat, a lovely corner bakery on Carrer de Muntaner, and it set me back €15 for about 250 grams. So, yes, they are expensive. But, if you're looking for the real deal, you'll want to steer clear of the industrially-made, packaged cookies you can find in the supermarkets. Or, if you're reluctant to spend €60 per kilogram on sweets, but still want to try them the old-fashioned way, try your hand at making them at home.

Or, make both versions and see which is your favorite!

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

  1. Mix together one egg, lemon zest and sugar. Then add the cooked sweet potato and combine.
  2. Gradually add in the almond flour. The mix will be thick, so you may need to use your hands at the end. You can begin shaping the dough right away or you can roll it into a long cylinder (this makes it easy to portion), cover and refrigerate for up to two days.
  3. When ready to make the cookies, whisk one egg in a small bowl with a tablespoon of water and have your chosen coating—pine nuts, almonds, coconut, etc.—in another small bowl and set both aside.
  4. Roll the dough into 15 cm balls (about one inch) and once you've rolled them all out, you can begin the coating process. If I'm using coconut, I find it's easier to dip the balls in the egg wash first, then roll them in the shredded coconut. But for almonds or pine nuts, it's easier to press the nuts in the cookie before rolling them in the egg wash. You may need to whisk another egg if you run out before you're done. Place each cookie on a parchment-covered cookie sheet and keep on rolling and dipping.
  5. Once they're all coated, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
  6. Bake for 10-15 minutes, rotating the pan half-way through. Your cookies should be a light golden brown—keep an eye on them near the end as you don't want to burn the nuts!

They can be kept at room temperature in a covered container for up to one week. Makes about 75 panellets.

Recipe Notes

I find that 50 grams of pine nuts is about enough to cover a dozen panellets, and 80 grams of almond pieces will cover about two dozen.

Yes, getting the pine nuts to stick to the dough can seem like an exercise in futility. Don't give up—they're worth it.

If you'd like to try your hand at making different flavors like you see in the pastry shops, get creative and flavor your dough base. This year I experimented; I left out the lemon zest and separated the dough to make other flavors. For coffee flavored panellets I added a small spoon of good quality, instant coffee powder and then dipped them in dark chocolate after baking. For chocolate panellets I added unsweetened cocoa powder to the mix. For coconut, I added unsweetened, shredded coconut.

For each, I added just enough for the new flavor to come across, but even adding just a bit of any dry ingredient will change the moisture level and texture. So, you'll need to compensate—in the end you want the dough to have the same consistency and moisture level that the original dough has. To do this I added extra cooked sweet potato. For example, I used the following:

To the finished dough you can mix and match coatings, and even dip them in melted chocolate after baking (make sure they are completely cooled). My favorites are coffee-flavored panellets topped with a sprinkling of sugar before baking and then dipped in dark chocolate, and coconut panellets coated in coconut and then dipped in dark chocolate (reminds me of the Mounds candy bars I loved as a kid).

Published October 23, 2021, updated October 20, 2023.

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