The roscón de reyes is synonymous with tradition, a delicious sweet that we look forward to every January 6, Epiphany Day. Nothing better than getting up and being able to eat a delicious roscón in the morning or at snack, it doesn't matter, to celebrate with the family on this special day for children and adults with the arrival of the Three Wise Men.
The roscón is made with traditional ingredients that when mixed make a sweet dough, rounded in shape with a clear center, somewhat imitating the royal crown. It is decorated on the top with sprinkled sugar, candied fruits of different colors, simulating the precious stones that the crown has. Sometimes it is filled with top quality cream in the center. And of course, the tradition of placing surprises inside the roscón.
History of the roscón de reyes
The story goes that these cakes were made to celebrate the holidays associated with the god Saturn, with the intention that the Roman people would celebrate the beginning of the longest days as a result of the change of winter solstice that begins on that date.
Sharing a piece of roscón became traditional without any distinction between commoners and slaves, and inside it a dried bean was introduced, which symbolized prosperity, and whoever got it in his piece was named the King of Kings for a period. of time.
Tradition of the roscón de reyes
The tradition of the roscón de reyes dates back to the mid-18th century, where the dried bean was changed to a small porcelain ornament. Its evolution has allowed it to accept variations, especially in its filling, incorporating new flavors such as chocolate or adapting it to traditional sweets, for example, there are roscones filled with angel hair candy, or simply preserving the cream as a traditional filling.
Traditions change, but the tradition of roscones de reyes is present every year, improving the recipes and incorporating new techniques for its preparation.
Looking to make a roscón de reyes for next January 6? Well, stay with our recipe that is not only loaded with flavor but also with tradition and history.
ROSCON DE REYES RECIPE
Ingredients:
Preferment:
- 5 g dry baker's yeast
- 35 g of warm water
- 75 g brioche flour See in store
Marzipan:
- 150 g ground almond See in store
- 150 g icing sugar See in store
- 4-5 tablespoons of water (or as much as the dough supports)
Main mass:
- 35 g sugar
- 2 g salt
- 20 g butter at room temperature
- 65 g warm water
- 1 splash of anise liqueur
- mandarin zest
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Vanilla
- 1 egg
- 250 g brioche flour
To decorate:
- Candied fruit, crushed sugar, granulated almonds, etc.
- 1 bean
- 1 figurine
- 1 egg
Preparation (approximately 3 hours):
For the preferment:
1. Dilute the yeast in the water and mix with the flour. Knead until a homogeneous mass is obtained.
2. Let the dough rest, well covered, for half an hour or until it has doubled in volume, in a warm place.
For the marzipan:
3. Mix the ground almonds with the icing sugar and little by little add tablespoons of water. Each time you add a tablespoon of water, check the texture of the dough until you get a malleable marzipan that is not too hard.
4. Wrap with film and let it rest.
For the final dough:
5. In a large bowl, or in the bowl of the electric mixer, put the sugar, salt, butter, water, liqueur, tangerine zest, cinnamon and vanilla. We mix well.
6. Add the egg and flour and knead until you obtain a homogeneous dough.
7. Add the preferment and continue kneading until you obtain an elastic and completely homogeneous dough.
8. Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes so that it loses its nerve and can stretch more easily.
9. Stretch the dough until it forms a rectangle about 40 cm long by about 20 cm wide. This step is best done on a lightly oiled surface, so the dough won't stick.
10. Make a churro with the marzipan and place it along the roscón dough.
11. Place a bean and a ceramic figurine in the shape of the Wizard King in the marzipan.
12. Cover the marzipan with the roscón dough, so that it is in the shape of a churro. Stretch this churro a little, ensuring that the diameter is homogeneous. Join the two ends carefully, making sure that the joint is well sealed.
13. Place the roscón on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cover the roscón and let it ferment until it doubles in volume (1 hour and a half or 2 hours).
14. Once the roscón is fermented, paint it with beaten egg and place the candied fruit.
15. Bake at 230ºC for about 20 minutes.
Happy king's day!
