Panellets

Description and method of production

Panellets ETG are small Spanish sweets that come in various forms, essentially made of marzipan and ingredients giving characteristic flavours and aromas to the product.

There is a large variety of panellets made from three different kinds of marzipan: basic marzipan, coarse marzipan and fine marzipan.

In all cases, the addition of starch (potatoes or yams), apple, preservatives or colourings is forbidden.

PANELLETS MADE FROM BASIC MARZIPAN

A basic marzipan is made by adding, for each kilo of peeled, finely ground almonds, 1 kilo of sugar and 350 g of egg-white. The mixture is well blended using rollers and left for approximately 24 hours until consistent. The next stages are shaping and the addition of flavourings.

Pine-nut panellets

To each kilo of basic marzipan, 10 g of grated lemon rind are added. Portions of approximately 20 g are entirely covered with pine-nuts moistened with egg. They are then formed into balls, glazed with egg and cooked in the oven at 280 °C-290 °C.

Almond panellets

To each kilo of basic marzipan, 10 g of grated lemon rind are added. Portions of approximately 20 g are entirely covered with chopped almonds moistened with egg. They are formed into long, slightly rounded shapes, glazed with egg and cooked in the oven at 260 °C-270 °C.

Coconut panellets

For each kilo of basic marzipan, 150 g of grated coconut, 150 g of icing sugar and 100 g of egg-white are added. Portions of approximately 25 g are made into small, rough, pointed mounds and cooked in the oven at 260 °C-270 °C.

Hazelnut panellets

For each kilo of basic marzipan, 150 g of ground toasted hazelnuts, 150 g of icing sugar and 100 g of egg-white are added. Portions of approximately 22 g are formed into balls and covered with granulated sugar. A hazelnut is put in the middle of each piece and they are then cooked in the oven at 240 °C-250 °C.

Orange panellets

For each kilo of basic marzipan, 200 g of finely chopped candied orange peel are added.

Portions of approximately 26 g are formed into long shapes, covered with granulated sugar and cooked in the oven at 240 °C-250 °C.

Lemon panellets

For each kilo of basic marzipan, 10 g of grated lemon rind and two egg yolks are added.

Portions of approximately 26 g are formed into balls, covered with granulated sugar and cooked in the oven at 240 °C-250 °C.

Yolk panellets

For each kilo of basic marzipan, 150 g of light confectioner's custard and 1 g of vanilla are added. Portions of approximately 26 g are formed into balls, covered copiously with [[icing sugar]] and cooked in the oven at 220 °C-230 °C.

Coffee panellets For each kilo of basic marzipan, 8 g of ground coffee are added plus caramel to give the required colour. Portions of approximately 26 g are formed into long shapes, covered with icing sugar and cooked in the oven at 220 °C-230 °C.

Strawberry panellets

For each kilo of basic marzipan, a reasonable amount of strawberry jam and one egg are added. Portions of approximately 26 g are formed into balls, covered with icing sugar and cooked in the oven at 220 °C-230 °C.

Marron glacé panellets

For each kilo of basic marzipan, 300 g of marron glacé paste are added. Portions of approximately 22 g are formed into balls, covered with icing sugar and cooked in the oven at 220 °C-230 °C.

PANELLETS MADE WITH COARSE MARZIPAN

For each kilo of basic marzipan (made as described above), 150 g of ground almonds are added plus egg-white to give the required texture. Portions of approximately 26 g are cut into various shapes, the most traditional being chestnuts and strips filled with candied fruit and quince.

PANELLETS MADE FROM FINE MARZIPAN

1,300 g of sugar with 400 g water and 6 g of cream of tartar are brought to the boil (118 °C) and 1 kg of ground almonds and 200 g of glucose are mixed in. This base is left to rest for 24 hours. Afterwards it is refined and is ready for use.

Chestnut panellets with chocolate

Chestnuts are shaped out of approximately 18 g of this fine marzipan base and then covered in chocolate.

Huesos de Santo (saint's bones) panellets

The fine marzipan base is rolled out with a grooved rolling-pin. Confectioner's custard is spread on top and the mixture is cut into 30 g pieces. The pieces are then jellied and glazed.

Traditional character

Catalan literature of the 18th century records that in what is now the Old Town in Barcelona there was already an annual fair of chestnuts and panellets, which were, and still are, eaten along with chestnuts and sweet wine on the feast of All Saints. During the fair, huge trays of different shaped and flavoured panellets, assembled to form pictures and funny shapes, were displayed.

Already in the 1796 fair, there were more than two hundred stalls displaying, among other products, panellets, which were raffled among the people. This tradition of raffling panellets, which was generally carried out by confectioners, spread to many large towns.

People brought the panellets to the church in baskets, large and small. They had them blessed by the priest and ate them in church with the rest of the community, as a collective religious act.

To give an idea of the consumption of panellets in the city of Barcelona, suffice to say that already in 1920, the Forn de Sant Jaume (Saint James Bakery) (one of the most prestigious bakeries in the city of Barcelona) bought a thousand kilos of peeled pine nuts to make only the pine nut variety of panellets. According to the Provincial Guild of Bakers and Confectioners of Barcelona, in autumn 1999 approximately 600,000 kilos of panellets were eaten in the city and metropolitan area of Barcelona, the pine nut variety being the most popular (50 %), followed by the almond variety (15 %).

Finally, panellets, according to ethnographic studies, have a ritual meaning, like all traditional confectionery eaten on specific days.

Reference: The European Commission

Find recipes that contain 'Panellets'

#panellets #marzipan #egg #icingsugar #chestnuts #almonds #custard #pinenut #apple #creamoftartar #caramel

Panellets

Recipes

Cook's Tools

Miscellania