With the arrival of December has come a polar cold front. The Sierra de las Nieves have a dusting of light snow.
At this time of year in Malaga province all types of festive cakes and cookies are appearing in the stores. Known as ‘Polvorones’,
‘Roscos’, ‘Alfajores’ and ‘Mantecados’, these treats are truly iconic of Christmas time for
the Andalusians.
Made to ancient recipes, dating back to the 17th Century, they use ingredients abundant in Malaga, including of course olive
oil, almonds, oranges, honey and anise. There are also many recipes made with cinnamon which has been a very common flavour in Spanish food for centuries.
Historically these festive products are made by Andalusian monasteries, with the nuns of Antequera being amongst the
most acclaimed artisans of Christmas biscuits.
These cookies easily crumble and flake and are quite dry. As an alternative there is the soft, sweet almond flavour of artisan
marzipan (a personal favourite) and of course ‘Turrón’, the Spanish nougat made with sugar, honey and eggs. Large tablets of ‘Turrón’, with nuts, or covered in chocolate are piled high in stores and supermarkets from now till January.
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