Share
Spanish sweet treats are something that you must absolutely not miss if you're visiting Spain's culinary scene. They are highly regarded for their flavourful and pleasant textures and will definitely leave your taste buds wanting more. Spanish sweets, such as rich churros and creamy flan, are distinguished by their flawless fusion of basic and opulent ingredients.
You'll discover that every region of Spain has a unique twist on classic sweets as you travel around the country. While the chilly temperature of Northern Spain is ideal for thick and rich pastries like the cosy tarta de queso, a Basque cheesecake, the warmth of Southern Spain produces delicacies like pestiños. You can fully enjoy the varied sweetness that symbolises Spanish culture by sampling your way through these many desserts.
Turrón De Jijona
Made with almonds, honey, sugar, and egg whites, Turrón de Jijona is a soft nougat. It was given the name Jijona (Xixona), after the little Valencian village where it was born. Cooking sugar, honey, almonds, and egg whites result in this nougat. It's a pale shade of brown with little chunks of almond scattered throughout.
In the so-called boixets, the ingredients are cooked, ground into a paste, and then cooked one more time. After that, the mixture is put into moulds and left to solidify. Wafers are not included with this nougat. The almonds are sourced from the Mediterranean region, and honey of various kinds, such as orange blossom and rosemary honey, can be used to make it.
Basque Cheesecake
This straightforward yet extraordinarily creamy cheesecake version is a decades-old local delicacy of the La Viña Bar in San Sebastián and is simply known as tarta de queso or gazta tarta in its native Basque. The Basque form of cheesecake is made without a crust, in contrast to its more widely known cousins, and is simply made with sugar, heavy cream, eggs, and cream cheese.
Rather, it is baked at a high temperature, which keeps the centre mushy and the exterior hard, darker, and somewhat burned. The world loves Basque cheesecake, and although it originated in La Viña, it is now available in many patisseries around the globe in many forms.
Churros
Long, crispy, crunchy, and very aromatic, churros are made of yeast dough that is deep-fried and covered in sugar. The appeal of churros throughout the globe doesn't appear to be diminishing, despite the fact that some may argue against eating these sugary delicacies and caution others about the harmful effects of sugar and fat on human bodies.
These oddly shaped, cinnamon-sugary twists were first created by Spanish shepherds, who could quickly cook them in a pan over an open flame. Today, they are most frequently consumed as a hot breakfast dish in Spain and Latin America, served with a strong cup of coffee or a thick hot chocolate.
Pestiños
Pestiños are olive oil-fried pastries from Spain. In addition to wheat, yeast, and sesame seeds, the dough occasionally contains orange juice and cinnamon. Traditionally, sugar or honey is added to the dough after it has been fried. Since the sixteenth century, people have made these crispy fritters for Christmas and Holy Week. They are often served with coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or sweet wine.
Crema Catalana
A traditional Spanish delicacy called crema catalana is produced by baking a custard made of eggs, milk, and cornflour in an oven. The delicacy is baked, cooled, then coated with sugar and burned with a torch to crisp up the top layer of caramel.
Crema Catalana can occasionally be flavoured with orange, lemon, or cinnamon zest. Since the dessert is customarily made on March 19, the day that honours the saint, it is also known as Crema de Sant Josep. Dating back to the fourteenth century, it is also the oldest custard dish in Europe.
Leche Frita
A crispy fried shell made of eggs and flour encases a sweet, firm milk custard, making leche frita a delectable Spanish delicacy. Flour, cornflour, sugar, eggs, milk, butter, and olive oil are the ingredients. Cinnamon is used throughout the mixture to flavour it.
Fried milk, or leche frita, is best enjoyed hot, cold, or at room temperature, and tastes best with a scoop of ice cream on the side. Though the history of this ancient dish is hazy, it is thought that nuns who sold these sweets in the past produced the earliest iterations in order to support their convents.
Quesada Pasiega
Quesada pasiega, a classic Cantabrian creamy cake, is similar to a cheesecake and is created with butter, sugar, milk, flour, eggs, and either ricotta or cheese curds. Usually, lemon zest and cinnamon are used to flavour it. Quesada pasiega has a texture that is comparable to a thick pudding. It can be eaten hot or cold after baking. To enhance its flavour even more, fruit jams should be spread on top.
