Catalan Kitchen LogoThe Catalan Table
Panellets
Panellets are traditional sweets with a smooth and moist texture, made with grated Marcona almonds and mineral water, perfect for celebrating the "castanyada."
almond
oven
sweet
dessert
traditional
Ingredients
Servings:
4

Ingredients

  • 500 graw grated almond (MARCONA)
  • 150 mlmineral water
  • 350 gwhite sugar
  • duck eggs
  • 15 gegg white (1 egg white maximum)
  • 180 gpine nuts
  • 1 lemon (the grated peel)
  • 2 orange (zest)
  • cocoa powder 100%
  • quince paste
  • 1 or without soaking pine nuts
  • 1 egg for brushing
  • Parchment paper
  • oven baking sheets
Nutritional Information

Per Serving (Approx.)

Calories
885 kcal
Protein
14 g
Fat
51 g
Carbohydrates
105 g

Disclaimer: These values are estimates based on ingredient types and may not be precise.

Step-by-step Guide

Preparation

  • I usually make half of the dough for the pine nut panellets, making about 30 panellets. Separate the rest of the dough into three portions for the other variations of panellets: about 12 quince, 12 orange, and 12 chocolate.
  • To prepare the dough, mix 500 g of raw grated almonds (Marcona variety) with 150 ml of mineral water and 350 g of white sugar. Add one whole egg and between 15 and 30 g of egg white (maximum one egg white). Grate the peel of one lemon and two oranges, and add cocoa powder to taste. Cut 100 g of quince paste into small cubes for the filling.
  • For the pine nut panellets, use 180 g of pine nuts for about 30 panellets or 300 g if all the panellets are pine nut. Beat one whole egg to macerate the pine nuts before decorating. Brush the panellets with another whole egg before baking. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and use parchment paper on flat trays to bake the panellets for about 12-15 minutes, or until they are golden.

Carme Ruscalleda Method

  • Place the almond flour in a large saucepan suitable for heating. It is important that the saucepan has enough space to handle the mixture easily.
  • Put the water and sugar in another saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 112°C. It should acquire the consistency of a light syrup.
  • Next, place the almond saucepan on low heat. Gradually pour in the syrup while continuously stirring with a wooden spatula until the paste is well-combined and begins to detach from the sides of the saucepan. Keep on the heat for about 2 more minutes, then remove and continue stirring off the heat until it starts to cool down.
  • Allow the mixture to cool until it is warm enough to handle the dough comfortably.
  • Once cooled, incorporate the egg white without beating it. Carme Ruscalleda recommends using only half the egg white. Knead until a smooth and homogeneous dough is obtained.
  • Divide the dough into as many portions as the different types of panellets you wish to make, adjusting the size to your preferences.
  • Use half of the dough to make pine nut panellets. Set aside.
  • Divide the other half into three equal portions for the quince, orange, and chocolate panellets.
  • Wrap the dough portions individually in plastic wrap and place them in the refrigerator for 24 hours, but at least 12 hours for the correct texture.
  • Marinate the pine nuts in a bowl with a beaten egg and a small dash of yellow food coloring. Cover the bowl and leave it in the refrigerator for 24 hours, or at least 12 hours to ensure proper marination.

Day-2

  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius, ensuring the rack is positioned in the center.
  • Cut the vegetables into uniform cubes to ensure even cooking and place them on a baking tray.
  • Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the vegetables and stir until they are well coated.
  • Place the tray in the preheated oven and cook for 25-30 minutes until the vegetables are tender and slightly golden.

To make the pine nut ones

  • Remove the portion of dough for the pine nut panellets from the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a log of uniform thickness, approximately 2 cm.
  • Cut the log into slices about a finger's thickness (around 1.5 cm) and roll each slice with your hands to shape them into spheres. Note: Do not make them too large as they will increase in volume when the pine nuts are added.
  • To adhere the pine nuts, submerge the marzipan balls one by one into a bowl with the macerated pine nuts and press firmly so the pine nuts stick well, rolling the ball as the pine nuts integrate.
  • In another bowl, beat an egg yolk with a little (a teaspoon) of water to slightly dilute it.
  • Once the pine nuts are well attached to the panellets, dip them in the bowl with the diluted yolk to give them a special shine.
  • Place the panellets on parchment paper on a baking tray, with enough space between them so they do not stick together during baking.

To make the chocolate ones

  • Take the reserved portion of dough and mix in some cocoa powder (or coffee powder, coconut powder, etc.). Knead until the entire dough acquires a uniform color, which may take about 5 minutes. Make sure there are no streaks of uneven color.
  • Form a log with the dough by gently rolling it on a flat, lightly floured surface until it is about 3 cm in diameter.
  • Cut the roll into slices approximately one finger thick (about 1.5 cm) and roll each slice with your hands to shape them into balls for the panellets.
  • For the chocolate ones: use your pinky to gently press the center of the ball to form a small indentation. Once baked and cooled, fill this indentation with dark chocolate melted in a bain-marie.
  • For the coffee ones: shape them into an oval form and make a longitudinal cut in the center with a knife to simulate a coffee bean.

To make the orange ones

  • Take the reserved portion of dough and mix in the zest of one orange. Knead for about 2-3 minutes until the zest is well distributed throughout the dough.
  • Form a roll with the dough by gently rolling it on a lightly floured surface until it has an even thickness.
  • Slice the roll into pieces approximately a finger's width (about 1-2 cm) and roll each piece between your hands to give the panellets a rounded shape.
  • Using your little finger, press into the center of each ball to create a small indentation in the center, where we'll add a bit more orange zest as decoration.

To make the quince paste

  • Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and flatten it with a rolling pin until it forms a rectangular shape, wide enough to allow for the quince paste in the middle. This may take about 5 minutes.
  • Cut some strips of quince paste about 2 cm wide and place them in the center, along the rectangle of dough.
  • Use the parchment paper to fold the dough over itself, pressing gently so that it sticks well. Roll the entire piece gently to give it a uniform shape.
  • Cut the dough into slices approximately one finger in width (1-1.5 cm).
  • Dust powdered sugar over the slices and gently run your fingers over them to remove the excess.

Bake the ones with pine nuts

  • The baking time for pine nut panellets is different from the baking time for the other variants, so watch the time to prevent them from burning.
  • Place the oven rack that will support the trays at the lower part of the oven, ensuring that there is enough space for air circulation.
  • Preheat the oven to 230ºC, activating Only THE TOP Part of the oven, and bake the panellets for 7 minutes until they are slightly golden on top.
  • TIP: If you notice they are browning too much at the base, you can use two stacked baking sheets to prevent the panellets from receiving too much heat from below and avoid overcooking the bottom.

Bake the other varieties

  • The baking time for these panellets is different from that of pine nut panellets, so watch closely to prevent overcooking them.
  • Place the oven rack in the lower part of the oven to support the baking trays and ensure proper heat distribution.
  • Always use two stacked trays to place the panellets, this way you prevent the base from becoming overcooked and ensure even baking.
  • Preheat the oven to 230°C and bake for 4 minutes. Note: Christian Escrivà recommends baking the panellets at 300°C for 3 minutes for a different result.
Recommendations & Tricks
  • Note: For better results, plan the preparation process over two days. On the first day, prepare the dough and let it rest in the refrigerator to allow all the flavors to meld.
  • These measurements yield about 66 panellets. If you want more or fewer, adjust the quantities proportionally.
  • I recommend using half of the dough to make pine nut panellets, as they are very popular. This makes approximately 30 panellets.
  • Divide the other half of the dough into three portions. This allows you to make about 12 units of each variety: quince, orange, and chocolate panellets.
  • Use raw Marcona almonds to achieve authentic texture and flavor. Grind them fresh to ensure maximum freshness.
  • Use mineral water to avoid unwanted flavors that may come from tap water, achieving a smoother result.
  • Gradually mix the white sugar with the dough to ensure it dissolves completely, achieving a fine and homogeneous texture.