CASTANYADA

This year we were making panellets - any kind of marzipan cookies, that is the main desert in Castanyada festival. As one of my biggest passions is cooking, experimenting and creating dishes, so I am very happy to find out how to make panallets. I have assistant Nuria who is loves to help in cooking process. So first we make a paste of almonds, sugar, boiled potato and spices, then small balls, which we roll in egg white and then nuts or cocoa or dry fruits. The good things here is that you can use all your fantasy as much as you want and to create any kind of panallets. Then we smear them with yolk and put in oven for 5 -10 min.

Tasty, tasty, tasy. I was happy to receive so many compliments, especially making them for a first time.

The most popular panellets are the ones covered with pine nuts. Panellets usually are eaten together with sweet vine Moscatell or any other one.

Castanyada is one of the most popular Catalan festivals, and it is celebrated on All Saint's Day. The roots of this tradition are found already in end of 18th century and there are several explications about it. This time a big imporance is for food eaten during the festival - panellets, sweet potato, roasted chestnuts and sweet vine. There is also story about castanyera - an old lady who is dressed in peasant's clothes and wearing a heads craft, she is roasting chestnuts on the street and then selling them rapped in a paper of newspaper. Usually around this time is a little bit cold outside, so this makes hot chestnut sale on the streets really attractive. Usually castanyada is celebrated with friends or family having a meal together and roasting chestnuts and having nice talk and commemoration of people who have passed by. Festival also signify autumn entry. Children are very amazed of this event and it is widely celebrated in kindergartens and schools.