Almendrados are traditional Spanish cookies. They're made with a combination of blanched almonds, granulated sugar, eggs, and lemon zest. Egg whites are first beaten until stiff, then combined with sugar, egg yolks, lemon zest, and ground almonds.
The combination is spiced with cinnamon, if desired, and it's then shaped into mounds or pyramids and baked until golden. Dating back to the 15th century or before, almendrados are often made during the festive Christmas period as a tasty dessert or snack.
MOST ICONIC Almendrados
Neula is a Catalan biscuit consisting of flour, sugar, beaten egg whites, butter, and lemon juice. The biscuits are very light and thin, and they are typically rolled into hollow tubes. Neulas are traditionally consumed during the Christmas season, accompanied by a Catalan sparkling wine called cava.
The name neula is derived from the word nebula, meaning fog, referring to their delicate and light texture.
Polvorón is a popular Spanish shortbread cookie consisting of flour, milk, sugar, lard, and toasted almonds. The name is derived from the Spanish word polvo, meaning powder, referring to their extremely crumbly and powdery texture.
The cookies are especially popular during the Christmas festivities. Apart from Spain, varieties of polvorónes are also quite popular in Cuba and the Philippines.
Carquinyolis are traditional Catalan versions of biscotti, similar to the Tuscan cantuccini. They are made with a mixture of flour, eggs, sugar, and toasted almonds, and sometimes anise and lemon. The almonds used should be left unpeeled and soaked in water before being added to the mix.
The resulting biscuits, about 1 cm thick, are typically baked twice. Carquinyolis are served as a dessert, typically accompanied by a glass of sweet wine on the side. Variations on these biscuits, apart from the original cantuccini, also exist in Aragon, the Balearic Islands, Occitania, and Sicily.
Mustachos de Utrera are traditional Spanish cookies hailing from a small town near Sevilla called Utrera. These light sponge biscuits are usually made with a combination of egg whites, egg yolks, flour, sugar, and cinnamon. In order to prepare them, the egg whites are whisked with sugar, followed by the addition of egg yolks.
The flour and cinnamon mixture is then folded into the egg-and-sugar mixture, and the dollops are then dropped on greased paper and shaped into moustaches. They’re baked until crisp, golden, and ready to eat.
Marquesas are traditional Spanish cookies originating from Castilla-La Mancha. These little cupcakes are typical of Sonseca in Toledo, where they're traditionally prepared during the festive Christmas season. Moist, soft, and lemony, they are made with a combination of eggs, lemon juice, egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, cornstarch, ground almonds, and confectioners' sugar for dusting.
The batter is placed into cupcake liners and it's then baked until the cookies are still soft on top. As they cool, the cookies harden a bit, but still remain soft and moist.
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