Let’s talk about PANELLETS!
Panellets are small sweets made mainly of marzipan. They can have different shapes and contain different ingredients, or toppings. Some types of Panellets are considered “traditional”, but nowadays there are dozens of them.
Panellets are eaten on the day of Tots Sants (All Saints’/Hallows’ Day), so their origins are linked to religious traditions.
But as it often happens with sweets and yummy dishes, we now see it as a seasonal treat and an excuse for a gathering – no ceremonies needed. So although the “official” day is the 1st of November, Panellets can be both made and eaten days before.
Panellets can be bought in patisseries or can be made at home.
Every household follows a different recipe, but the main ingredients of ground almonds and sugar are always the base.
Some add mashed potato into the mix, as it gives it a softer, moist texture. Some use sweet potatoes instead. A touch of lemon zest can lighten it up. And some use eggs, or egg white as well.
The list can go on, and every family will swear their recipe is the best!
Some Catalan Expats have missed Panellets for years.
If they had a family tradition to prepare them at home, they might have continued it in the UK.
Some others get sent a care package from their parents or grandparents, as Panellets can travel quite well when properly wrapped.
But we are here to provide for the Catalan Expats (and sympathisers!) in London who fancy a #TasteOfHome and an easy, convenient way to carry on the tradition.
This is how we started: with the main dishes for a Catalan Christmas. And we then applied it to Tortell de Reis and Coca de Sant Joan.
So it’s about time we recreate a Tots Sants in London with a variety of Panellets.
If you would like to know more about the assortment we have come up with, click here.