Everyone is most likely familiar with Easter eggs, particularly chocolate ones, but did you know that in Spain there’s an extensive list of different sweets and pastries that are made specifically for this time? Many of these treats are popular all over Spain but others are unique to specific villages, cities and regions.
In Valencia, you can find delights such as Panquemao (a type of sweet bread with a characteristic almost burnt shell, hence its name meaning “burnt bread”), Arnadí (a pumpkin & almond dessert from Xàtiva), Almoixàvena (a pastry traditionally eaten on Thursdays during Lent), Rollitos de anís (a type of fried dough spiked with an aniseed liquor), Torrijas (similar to French Toast).
On Easter Monday, which is a Public Holiday in Valencia, there’s a well established tradition where family and/or friends gather in the countryside, park or beach to enjoy an afternoon picnic featuring La Mona de Pascua. It’s basically the same as a Panquemao but it’s fashioned into a shape and a hard boiled egg (or chocolate egg, especially for children) is nestled in the centre. This hard boiled egg is then cracked open by banging it on someone else’s forehead. Why? God knows. Traditionally, people also fly kites (empinar el catxirulo, as it’s known in thethe local lingo) on this day to symbolise the resurrection of Christ.
Most of these sweets are typically bought in patisseries but there are many really simple ones that can be made at home such as this recipe that I hold dear to my heart (and tummy) as it was passed down to me by my maternal family from a tiny village deep in La Mancha close to the Valencian border. It is known as Bocaíllos (meaning “little bites”) or Rellenos Dulces (meaning “sweet fillings”) and are made in two batches, one which will be soaked in a syrup as a dessert while the other will be soaked in a special Good Friday Stew known as Potaje de Cuaresma made with salt cod (as meat is technically banned), hard boiled eggs, chickpeas and potatoes. Bocaíllos are also eaten in some areas of Valencia, particularly Requena-Utiel, but they might be known under a different name.
INGREDIENTS
Bocaíllos:
1 large stale loaf, use only the centre
4 eggs, beaten
¼ tsp. Baking powder
Sunflower oil for frying
Syrup:
White sugar
Water
Lemon rind
2 cinnamon sticks
METHOD
1 Tear the bread into crumbs and add the beaten eggs and baking powder. Mix well. It should have the consistency of a thick batter.
2 Make the syrup by melting sugar into a caramel and then adding cold water, lemon rind and cinnamon sticks. Stir until the caramel has dissolved. Keep on a very low heat.
3 Meanwhile, make the Bocaíllos by using two spoons to form the mixture into quenelles. Drop them into a frying pan and fry until golden brown on both sides. Add to the syrup, fry the next batch and repeat the process.
4 Add all the bocaíllos to the syrup and leave them to soak up the syrup on a low heat for 10 minutes.
Traditionally they are eaten warm on their own but I like to be a heathen and prefer them cold served with some vanilla ice-cream or straight out of the fridge on their own.
BE A LOCAL: VALENCIA 