Panellets (pine nuts and sweet potato sweets/cakes)

Panellets are similar to marzipan with a slightly soft sweet potato filling, panellets, a traditional dessert of the All Saints holiday in the Catalan Countries, date back to the 18th century, when they were used as blessed food to share after some holy celebrations. They are an absolute treat to eat and easy to make.

Panellets recipe

120 g sweet potatoes
1 large egg
500 grs ground almonds
300 grs caster superfine sugar
1 small lemon rind, finely grated
1 tsp vanilla essence
60 grs pine nuts

Dice the sweet potato, and cook it in a pan of boiling water for 15 minutes, or until soft. Drain and leave to cool. Preheat the oven to 200 C. Line one or two baking sheets with foil.
Put the cooled sweet potato in a food processor and process to make a smooth purée, then work in the egg yolk, ground almonds, sugar, lemon rind and vanilla essence to make a soft dough. Transfer the dough to a bowl and chill for 30 minutes.
Spoon walnut-sized balls of dough on to the foil, spacing them about 2,5cm/1 in apart, then flatten them out slightly.
Lightly beat the egg white and brush over the cakes, roll the small balls in a plate full of pine nuts. Glaze it by brushing it with an egg yolk which has been separated. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Leave to cool.

There are plenty of variations of these little treats (chocolate, coconut, chopped walnuts, etc)