Panellets

Photo: flickr user jornal.cat

Ingredients

300 grams sugar

300 grams ground almonds

300 grams potato (boiled in skin) or sweet potato

a lemon

cornflour

2 eggs

Preparation

This recipe will make about 40 small cakes, "panellets"This marzipan, which is the basic recipe for the different "panellets", was traditionally made only with almonds and sugar. But this is very expensive, and so normally the recipe includes potatoes, and still gives excellent results.

The ground almonds are added to the skinned cold potatoes (it is best to boil the potatoes at least five or six hours before you start to make the panellets), the sugar and the grated peel of the lemon.

Knead the dough just enough for it to blend together. Make the dough into small balls, sprinkle lightly with cornflour, and brush with beaten egg white, they are now ready to decorate.

Pine nut panelletsRoll the balls of basic marzipan in pine nuts, put on a greased baking tray, and brush with beaten egg yolk. Cook in a hot oven. Do not let them brown too much or they will be very dry to eat.

Almond panelletsPress a whole almond on top of the ball as decoration, put on greased baking tray and follow instructions as above.

Glace fruit panelletsAs Almond panellets, but putting glace cherry instead of almond

Coconut panelletsPut equal amounts of marzipan mixture and grated coconut. Make little mountain shapes, and cook quickly in hot oven.

There are many other varieties, some are made by adding chocolate or coffee, try to invent your own varieties, have fun !