Lighter Panellets with Sweet Potato and Pine Nuts

On the first of November, bakeries all over Catalonia fill their windows with panellets, small almond sweets rolled in pine nuts. Families share them for Tots Sants, All Saints’ Day, with roasted chestnuts and a small glass of sweet wine.

The dough has a surprise ingredient: sweet potato. It keeps the panellets moist and means you need far less sugar than in a classic marzipan. Almonds and pine nuts bring healthy fats and a little protein, so two or three with a coffee are plenty.

We are only a few hours from the Spanish border here in the Southwest, and I love bringing a little of Catalonia to the table at this time of year. Make them with children or grandchildren: rolling the balls in pine nuts is the part everyone wants to do.

Would you rather have a treat without the oven? Try my Walnut and Date Energy Bites.

Makes

About 20

Prep time

20 Min

Cook time

30 Min

Total time

1 Hr 20 Min

Print

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Lighter Panellets with Sweet Potato and Pine Nuts

Catalan panellets for All Saints, made with sweet potato, ground almonds and pine nuts, and much less sugar than the classic recipe. Naturally gluten-free.

Ingredients

• 150 g (5 oz) sweet potato, about 1 small
• 200 g (2 cups) ground almonds
• 60 g (3 tablespoons) honey
• Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
• A pinch of salt
• 1 egg, separated
• 100 g (⅔ cup) pine nuts

Instructions

1. Steam or boil the sweet potato in its skin for about 20 minutes, until tender. Peel it, mash it until smooth and leave it to cool completely.
2. Mix the mashed sweet potato with the ground almonds, honey, lemon zest and salt until you have a soft dough. Cover and chill for 30 minutes, or overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), or 180°C fan, and line a baking tray with baking paper.
4. With slightly damp hands, roll the dough into balls of about 20 g (¾ oz).
5. Lightly beat the egg white. Dip each ball in it, then roll it in the pine nuts, pressing them gently into the dough.
6. Place the panellets on the tray and brush the pine nuts with the beaten egg yolk.
7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the pine nuts are golden. Leave to cool on the tray.

What are panellets?

Small Catalan sweets made for Tots Sants, All Saints’ Day on 1 November. They are traditionally served with roasted chestnuts and a glass of sweet wine.

Variations

Roll some of the balls in chopped almonds or hazelnuts instead of pine nuts, or mix a spoonful of cocoa or a little instant coffee into part of the dough.

Storage

They keep for 5 days in a closed tin. The dough keeps for 2 days in the fridge.

Gluten-free

Panellets are naturally gluten-free.

Did you make this recipe?

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