spain Archives - Jenny is baking

Turrón de Maní or Peanut Nougat

Tada, today I’m introducing a specialty that actually comes from Spain and has been adapted in Latin America with local products: turrón. In Germany, we would probably call this nougat. Turrón traditionally consists of a honey-sugar syrup that is mixed with egg whites and almonds. This “paste” is then pressed into relatively flat bars and then cut into pieces or cubes. I use the version with peanuts (maní), which are much cheaper to buy in Uruguay and are also native to the country. The Uruguayans have simply replaced almonds with a local product: peanuts. Turrón basically comes in two varieties: “duro”, i.e. hard turrón, or “blando”, i.e. the softer verrsion. I opted for the hard version. You should definitely be prepared to take at least 45 minutes to make this delicacy and you will need some arm muscle. However, I think it’s well worth the effort.

22/12/2024

Classic Spanish Tortilla

This classic Spanish tortilla or tortilla de patatas should not be confused with tortillas from Mexico. Whereas Spanish tortillas contain mainly eggs and potatoes, Mexican consist of cornflour. You will find Spanish tortilla everywhere, each café or pub offers some, I believe it is something like the secret national dish. There are many variations out there, some are made with onions, others prefer without and you can fill them and include add-ons. I am going to introduce the classic version here including onions. This means five ingredients: potatoes, eggs, onions, olive oil, and salt. If you don’t count the salt, it is just four ingredients.

16/08/2024

Crema Catalana – Spanish Custard

This was the first year I finally was in Catalonia in Spain. Of course I had to try the famous “crema catalana”. This is a custard seasoned with orange and lemon zest and cinnamon. Just like the French crème brûlée it has a layer of caramelized sugar on top. The advantage of this custard? It is made on the stove-top and does not need a waterbath so it is easy to make and requires little time.

12/07/2024

Patatas a la Riojana from the North of Spain

I would like to start off 2024 with a stew from the north of Spain. The two main ingredients are potatoes and chorizo sausage. Normally the stew is seasoned with either the paprika paste called “pimiento choricero” and/or with the smoked paprika powder “pimentón de la vera”. Here in Germany you will find smoked paprika powder, so that is why I went with that. However, feel free to order the “real” ingredients online. I got to learn about this dish in the north of Spain. It comes from the region La Rioja. Quite a few of the relatives of my husband live there. I love this stew in winter, it is hearty, warming, and it is pretty easy to prepare. We are fortunate enough to receive a parcel with chorizo and such every Christmas, so we don’t have to improvise or replace ingredients. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

05/01/2024

Original Burnt Cheesecake from San Sebastian

Today you will get the best cheesecake from San Sebastian from the Basque country in the north of Spain. This tarta de queso is the same recipe as from the restaurant La Viña. It contains five ingredients: cream cheese, eggs, heavy cream, sugar, and a bit of flour. As the cake is baked at high heat (200-210 degrees Celsius), it has a caramelized (or burnt) surface and thus looks a lot like crème brûlée. Inside though it is extra creamy. As all ingredients only need to be mixed, it is pretty fool-proof and thus perfect for beginners. You may enjoy this cake plain or you can serve with some fruits and/or a fruit sauce. Below recipe is similar to the one from the restaurant, I only reduced the amount of sugar. Feel free to increase the amount if you wish to.

09/06/2023

Torrejas: French Toast from Uruguay

We were served torrijas at a Spanish wedding. I was quite surprised that this rather simple dessert aka French toast was actually served at a wedding. Just like for French toast, you will dunk old bread in milk first and then dip it in eggs before you fry it with some olive oil in a frying pan. However, wehn we were served these torrijas at the wedding, my hubby got so excited, he managed to eat two servings despite the fact that we had been served an endless amount of courses beforehand. I am sure the simple French toast was made extra special, the milk was replaced with heavy cream and homemade bread used. Spanish torrijas are normally served during lent, you try to offer something filling even if it may be plain and simple.

25/02/2023