Five of the best traditional Easter sweet treats in Spain.

If you are lucky enough to live in the beautiful Marina Alta on the Costa Blanca, you will have noticed the special counter in the supermarket for Easter pastries and desserts. In the UK, there are rows upon rows of Easter eggs, all overpackaged and, in our opinion, overpriced.

Chocolate definitely features here in Spain too, but there are also some delicious baked products and pastries that you will find in the bakeries and pastry shops. Baked fresh daily, these delicious treats are part of the fascinating traditions that surround Lent and Easter in the Valencia region of Spain. Here are 5 of the most popular Easter time treats in Spain:

1) The Mona de Pascua

This one is instantly recognizable by the hard boiled egg or chocolate egg (added after baking) that is baked into the middle of it. It is a sweet bread, similar in taste to the French Brioche, usually round in shape with the egg nestled in the middle. Sometimes they are shaped like crocodiles with the egg in its mouth. Traditionally this was given to children by their godparents with a brightly coloured, hard boiled egg in the middle, but nowadays they are often baked by grandparents or other family members and have a chocolate egg and sprinkles on top, you can also get them iced or covered in chocolate. Easter often involves a family picnic and the Mona is the star of the table!

2) Torrijas

Torrijas, pronounced Torreejas (with the ‘j’ like ‘ch’ in the Scottish loch), are very much like French toast aka “eggy bread”. Torrijas are eaten as a snack with coffee or a delicious dessert after lunch. They also feature sometimes on the menu in very select restaurants. Stale bread is soaked in milk, which has been infused in a saucepan with lemon rind, sugar and a cinnammon stick. The bread is saturated (but not soggy) in the milk then dipped in egg and fried on both sides in hot oil. They are then dusted with sugar and cinnamon, sometimes covered in syrup or honey, and served immediately either on their own or with fruit and ice cream. Absolutely delicious!

3) Buñuelos

Pronounced Boonyooeloss, these are sweet doughballs deep fried and often filled with cream and covered with sugar.

4) Panquemado

Pronounced pankaymadoh and literally translated as “Burnt Bread”. This is basically the same recipe as the Mona de Pascua but it is plain, round and toasted a little darker than the Mona. it is also coated with egg glaze and covered in sugar before baking so it is very crispy on the outside and soft inside.

5) Pestiños

Pronounced pesteenyoss, these sweet pastries originate in Andalucia and the recipe dates back to the Muslim rule of Spain. A dough is made with flour, oil (which has been infused with lemon peel and anise seeds) and white wine. This is then shaped into a square or rectangle, with two corners folded in to the centre, fried in hot oil, cooled and either covered in honey or sugar.

As with many of the recipes that are a part of Spanish tradition these sweet recipes are very easily made with store cupboard ingredients and therefore inexpensive, even if you buy them from your local panadería or pastelería. The bakery and pastry shop, La Vicentica in Jalón, has a particularly tempting selection.

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The team at Jacaranda Spain would like to wish all our friends and clients a very sweet and delicious Easter!