Spanish cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Panellets

Catalan marzipan balls made from almonds and sweet potato, densely coated in pine nuts and baked golden brown.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 250 g ground almonds
• 200 g sugar
• 1 sweet potato (about 200 g)
• 1 organic lemon (zest)
• 2 egg yolks
• 150 g pine nuts
• 1 egg white
• 1 pinch salt

Instructions

1. Boil the unpeeled sweet potato in salted water for 25–30 min. until soft, drain, peel and mash with a fork into a fine purée while still hot; let cool completely.
2. Knead the ground almonds, sugar, grated lemon zest and 1 egg yolk with the cold purée into a firm, slightly sticky marzipan.
3. Chill the mixture covered for 2 hours so it can be shaped, then roll into 30 walnut-sized balls.
4. Beat the egg white lightly, brush it all over the balls and roll them in the pine nuts, pressing the nuts on gently with your hand.
5. Place the panellets on a baking sheet lined with parchment, brush with the whisked second egg yolk and bake in the preheated oven at 200 °C top heat for 8–10 min. until the pine nuts are golden brown.
6. Let cool completely on the sheet — they are still soft when warm — and serve in a tin with paper liners.