5 Spanish Christmas Desserts You Must Try This Holy Season
OUR FAVORITE LIST OF YUMMIEST CHRISTMAS SWEETS IN SPAIN
This is our greedy selection of Christmas desserts from Spain:
1
Turron
Yes, that’s the most famous of all the traditional Christmas food in Spain. But did you know there are many varieties? The most famous ones are the Alicante one (hard bar of white caramel and full almonds) and the Jijona (beige softer bar made of honey and minced almonds).
But you definitely have to try the Crema one (a crème brûlée turron of caramelized marzipan with egg – sounds weird but it’s my favorite), the Nata Nueces (white marzipan with walnuts), the Candied Fruit one, the Coconut one and any of the many varieties of Chocolate turron.
2
Mantecados and polvorones
Round like a cookie, but much thicker and with a sandy texture, these Spanish Christmas food is sort of heavy in the stomach as it’s made of flour, sugar and lard, with added flavors such as cinnamon, coconut or chocolate. A popular variety incorporates red wine and it’s called rosco de vino. And when the recipe includes almonds, then it’s called polvorón, and its texture is sandier: it crumbles in your mouth.
That’s why a popular children joke is to pronounce aloud the word “Pamplona” with their mouth full of polvorones (trust me, you don’t want to be in front of someone doing that unless you enjoy being sprayed with chewed food, LOL)
3
Marzipan
No Christmas desserts selection in Spain is complete without marzipan figures. We usually buy a couple of boxes because kids love trying one of each different design! The most famous marzipan in Spain comes from Toledo, where they make it in a variety of presentations, shapes and designs. By the way, marzipan is mostly made of grounded almonds and sugar, which makes it ideal for people looking for gluten-free Christmas desserts.
4
Yemas and Glorias
These Christmas treats also belong to the family of marzipan, but they are more elaborated than plain figures. Yemas are made with marzipan and egg yolk, while Glorias are made with sweet potato instead of egg, and both come covered in icing sugar.
If that sounds good, then you should also try the Pan de Cadiz, another marzipan dessert that both egg and sweet potato, plus candied fruit. In Barcelona it’s sold as piggy figures.
5
Neules (barquillos)
The Catalan contribution to the list of Spanish Christmas food. It’s a rolled thin waffle that comes either plain, or covered in chocolate or stuffed with almond paste. Some people love dipping the plain ones on cava (the local sparkling wine), I personally prefer to dip the chocolate ones on my expresso after the meal (but that’s a personal thing).
AND BONUS! Where can you buy all those Christmas desserts?
6
Where to buy Christmas sweets in Spain
For cheap versions, head to any local supermarket: let’s face it, that’s what most locals do. High quality Spanish Christmas food can be quite expensive, as the ingredients (specially almonds) aren’t cheap. So industrial Christmas goodies usually carry less nuts but way more sugar. A better option: find a good pastry shop. They usually make their own turrons and sweets, and the quality will be good.
However, note that both supermarket and pastry shops only sell Chritmas foods during the Christmas season. The rest of the year, you’ll need to do some research: most cities have one or two artisan specialty shops that sell Christmas desserts all year around. Ask your private tour guide or hotel concierge where to find them!
What’s your favorite Spanish Christmas dessert?
Marta
Marta is the founder of ForeverBarcelona. She is a passionate tour guide that loves Barcelona and loves writing too. She is the main author of our Blog, and is committed to sharing her knowledge about Barcelona and her best tips with our readers.
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