Panellets
Panellets are traditional Catalan almond sweets made with sweet potato, ground blanched almonds, eggs, sugar and pine nuts. The Thermomix steams the potato, grinds the almonds and blends the dough into a cohesive mass, giving these festive treats their moist interior and crunchy coating with minimal effort.
About this recipe
Panellets Thermomix TM7 are the quintessential Catalan treat for All Saints' Day, and this recipe brings them within easy reach of your all-in-one kitchen machine. These small round sweets combine steamed sweet potato with finely ground blanched almonds, eggs and caster sugar into a marzipan-like dough, which is then rolled in pine nuts and baked until golden. Searching for panellets recipes usually leads to labour-intensive methods, but the Thermomix TM7 handles the heavy lifting: the Varoma gently steams the sweet potato until fork-tender while the bowl grinds the almonds to an even flour. The result is a moist, fragrant interior contrasting with a crunchy pine nut shell. Serve them as a festive dessert or snack with a glass of sweet wine or coffee. They are naturally gluten-free, making them an excellent choice for guests with dietary requirements, and they disappear from the plate within minutes every single time.
Preparation tips
- Steam the sweet potato until completely soft before blending, as any firm pieces will make the panellets dough lumpy and difficult to roll into smooth balls between your palms.
- Let the ground almond and sweet potato mixture rest in the fridge before shaping; chilled dough is far less sticky and holds its round shape beautifully when rolled in pine nuts.
- For an even crunchier coating, press the pine nuts gently into each ball and brush with a little beaten egg from the recipe before baking, giving the nuts a lovely golden shine without extra ingredients.
Recipe variations
- Coconut panellets: replace the pine nuts with desiccated coconut and add a spoonful of grated coconut to the almond dough for a tropical twist on the traditional Catalan sweet.
- Coffee panellets: dissolve a pinch of instant espresso powder into the sweet potato purée before mixing, giving these almond sweets a subtle bitter note that pairs wonderfully with the caramelised sugar crust.
Thermomix TM7 Benefits
- Weighing the caster sugar and almonds directly in the mixing bowl saves dirtying a separate scale and guarantees accurate panellets dough proportions every time.
- Grinding the blanched almonds to an even flour gives the panellets their signature marzipan-like texture far more quickly than a hand-cranked mill.
- Steaming the sweet potato in the Varoma keeps it moist and flavourful, creating a tender base for the almond dough without a saucepan of water.
- Mixing the sweet potato, almonds, sugar and egg into a uniform mass takes seconds, avoiding the sticky hands traditional kneading demands.
- Whipping the egg with the butterfly whisk ensures a light coating layer so the pine nuts adhere evenly to every panellet before baking.
Ingredients
- sweet potato
- blanched almonds
- medium eggs
- caster sugar
- pine nuts