Panellets are traditional sweets from Catalonia, the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands. They have their origin back in the 18th century, when they were used as blessed food in religious celebrations.
It seems that the sweet was served during funerary cults, when food was prepared to be taken to the tomb of the deceased. The farmers made them in their homes, taking advantage of the nuts collected in autumn. This sweet was called San Marcos panellets and Santa Cruz panellets.
However, like all Mediterranean cuisine, its origin is a mix of culture and history. The panellet is a sweet influenced by Arabic pastries, given its base of raw and ground almonds, classics of the sweet cuisine of the Arabian Peninsula.
Sugar and egg are added to this dough, in some parts also sweet potato or potato, to add thickness to the dough - and, finally, it is baked with pine nuts, more almonds or other ingredients that are not traditional, such as coconut or cocoa. Therefore, it is a dessert rich in calories and very sweet.
A sweet for the Saints
The curious thing about panellets is that, just as happens with chestnuts and sweet potatoes, it is a dessert that is consumed punctually: that is, during All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day: the 1st and 2nd. of November.
Furthermore, in Catalonia the Castanyada is still respected to the detriment of the extended Halloween - which usually consists of a dinner with family and friends on October 31, when panellets, roasted chestnuts and sweet potatoes are consumed.
La Castanyada is symbolized by ''la castanyera'', an older woman, with white hair and a red scarf, who carries her chestnuts in a basket and serves them in a paper cone.
This character probably has its origins in the last third of the 18th century, when street vendors sold roasted chestnuts on the street, provided only with an iron pot with charcoal.
However, increasingly, panellets are consumed for more days, turning this traditional dessert into a consumer product that can be found in supermarkets and pastry shops for several months a year.
Homemade panellets, the star option
Making panellets is simple and not too laborious. Therefore, in recent years, preparing them at home has become a way to bring friends together, teach children the tradition or simply save money and improve the taste of the dessert at home.
Therefore, preparing this dessert at home is a great advantage: the prices of panellets in pastry shops skyrocket during these days and, in addition, we make sure to prepare the dessert with good ingredients.
For children it is a most rewarding activity and, for adults, an ideal option if they prefer to prepare the dessert to their liking, using the ingredients they like the most.
Therefore, this year is the time to prepare the panellets at home and instill this beautiful Catalan tradition in your home. We help you with this recipe:
