Some of you know that a few months ago I started a simple compilation of typical Spanish sweets by community, with Andalusia, one of the richest and most varied areas in this regard and where it is believed that many of the current sweets come from. But in these times it seems to me that it would be very good to take a short tour of Spain to talk about its Christmas sweets, typical of these approaching dates. The truth is that there is very little literature on the subject and it has been difficult for me to search to find some less known, but still, I wanted to make a small list with all of them, and as I did with the previous post, I will leave you some recipes from fellow bloggers that I They were especially liked so that you can choose what to do at home and surprise the family Order freeze dried candy usa.
There are recipes that are very simple to make and others that are really complicated, even in some places it can be difficult to find an ingredient, but it is good to know our culture, in this case gastronomy and especially baking.
I will start with a short history of pastry in Spain, very diffuse in time because, as I have already told you, there are hardly any references. There is practically no record of any sweet recipe before the Romans, although of course there would be some preparation based on honey and nuts. But Roman sweets are the first to leave their mark on the Peninsula, of which there is evidence from the 16th century onwards. IV, where the honey from Hispania was very famous. They teach us how to use mulsum, a type of fermented must to which honey was added, very similar to mead, which was made with water. It is also known that they mixed honey with wheat flour to make simple cakes, such as globus, which is a type of donut.
But it is from the s. IX when the Spanish pastry industry undergoes a great revolution with the arrival of the Arabs, who refined sugar cane. From here on, pastry developed and evolved considerably, until in the 13th century Ambrosio Huici Miranda translated Hispano-Maghrebi cuisine in the Almohad era (anonymous manuscript) where preparations as typical of our days as the alfajor, almojábanas, gazelle horns, etc. From this Andalusian era we continue to preserve our great tradition of using almonds in contemporary pastries and pastries.
From the Sephardim, who are the descendants of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews who lived on the Peninsula until 1942, who were expelled by the Catholic Monarchs, we have many ancient sweets, some of them forgotten. It was very common for all their celebrations throughout the year to have a typical sweet, such as buñuelos, donuts, quince letuarios, and flakes. This is one of the moments that leaves the greatest mark on our preparations. Contrary flavors are mixed to enhance the desserts, sweet and bitter, something that continues to this day and is even considered modern by some.
For many years, until the Early Middle Ages, monasteries and convents were great producers of sweets of all kinds, it is believed that they made them to entertain their honorable guests. We have beautiful books with many recipes, some very old, that can serve as examples so that you can appreciate their culinary wisdom.
The great change is marked by the use of sugar cane, hot chocolate is a highly appreciated drink in the Golden Age, where cooking and pastry are related to medicine and nutrition. In the middle of the s. XVI we have knowledge of preparations such as piñonadas, or diacitron, made with candied citron, which Melisto eats for breakfast at Celestina. The work of confectioners, nougat makers, and other pastry artisans begins to be regulated, and some establishments open for their sale. One of the oldest, if not the oldest, was the Horno del Pozo in 1883, which currently has the richest bartolillos in the Community.
We have the first work written exclusively for pastry and confectionery by Francisco Martínez Montiño, Philip II’s cook, in his “Arte de Cozina, Pastelería, Vizcohería y Conservería”. He is one of the creators of puff pastry, so associated with French cuisine with impunity. Spices such as cinnamon, cloves, saffron are used. And the wisdom of these great pastry chefs is transmitted in what were called “books of secrets”, manuscripts that were passed around among confectioners, and that have not had the relevance they deserve.
I have already commented on the use of hot chocolate, and I make special mention now, because it is in Spain where for the first time in all of Europe work is being done, adding sugar and vanilla over time to reduce the bitter taste of cocoa. Its success in Spanish society at the time was such that it is believed to be the culprit of the late use of coffee in Spain.
In the 18th century we have Juan de la Mata with his “Art of Confectionery”, his nougats, biscuits, hot and cold drinks, are considered essential for today’s confectionery. Chief pastry chef of the court of Philip II and Ferdinand VI.
“The manual of the confectioner and the pastry chef”, by Ceferino Noriega, at the beginning of the 19th century. XX is the next book that we find in our gastronomic culture. Jellies are incorporated into confectionery, such as quince meat, jams, and some sweet sauces such as Duque’s gunpowder, very spicy and sweet.
In the middle of the s. In the 19th century, large establishments very specialized in pastries were opened, and some magazines such as “La Confitería Español” began to be published. Great books written by great authors like the Countess of Perebere, leave us with a gastronomic culture that is difficult to surpass.
It is in these years when the tradition of Christmas sweets is established in our country and gains more and more strength, until it becomes essential.
The Christmas holidays have a great impact on Spanish society. Tradition states that it is absolutely impossible to end a great dinner without a typical dessert or sweet of the moment. Perhaps the most typical is nougat, with its two great varieties from Jijona and Alicante. The Polvorones, Marzipanes, the Roscón de Reyes, I think are the most popular, without forgetting that in recent years chocolate with churros must close any New Year’s Eve worth its salt.
I would now like to make a small selection of the most popular and consumed Christmas sweets in our country at this time, but I promise to investigate to make the list somewhat more exhaustive for next year, for which I would need your collaboration. I would love to receive your typical recipes to be able to show the variety of each region.