Huesos de Santo recipe

Total: 1 h 40 min Diners: 12

When the feast of All Saints in Spain approaches the windows of bakeries are filled with small sweets in the form of marzipan baskets with various fillings such as strawberry, praline or egg yolk cream, which is the most classic. They are the “huesitos” or huesos de santo and, although their origin is uncertain, they have been part of the gastronomic and cultural heritage of our country for centuries.

Although like panellets they can be found in any bakery, making them at home is simple and fun, so this year of confinements can be an entertainment option for the whole family with the happiness of being able to enjoy them at the end.

Nutritional properties of almonds

Apart from sugar, the main ingredient of the huesos de santo are almonds, a food that, according to the Spanish Nutrition Foundation “presents a high content of fats —especially monounsaturated—, source of vegetable proteins, and to a lesser extent, provides carbohydrates. Its caloric value is quite high due to its high fat content and low water content. The fiber content of the almond stands out from the rest of the nuts.

Among the minerals it is a source of calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. A 25 g serving of shelled almonds provides 18% of the recommended daily intakes of phosphorus for the study population.

As for vitamins, almonds are a source of vitamin E, riboflavin, thiamine, niacin and folates. A serving of 25 g of shelled almonds provides 42% of the recommended daily intakes of vitamin E for the study population.”

How to make homemade saint’s bones

That said, they are not exactly light, as their high sugar content makes them a food that should not be abused.

Ingredients

For the marzipan

. Ground almonds, 250 g Sugar, 250 g Water, 100 ml Zest from the peel of one lemon Sugar glacè, to sprinkle on the worktop when kneading

For the filling

. Egg yolks, 6 Sugar, 150 g Water, 75 ml

For the icing

Glacè sugar, 200 g Water, 50 ml

Step 1<

Heat the water in a saucepan with the sugar and heat, stirring occasionally until it boils and the sugar is completely dissolved. Let it boil for a couple of minutes until a light syrup is formed but without letting the sugar take color.

Step 2

We sift the almond flour over a bowl that can withstand the heat and gradually add the syrup that we will integrate with a spatula until it forms a dough that is not too wet. Depending on how dry the almond flour is we will need more or less syrup, so it’s okay if we have a little left over.

Step 3

When the dough is manageable is the time to add the grated lemon peel, kneading well until fully integrated.

Step 4

Form a ball with the dough and let it rest for two or three hours to harden a little.

Step 5

Divide the dough into three or four portions and sprinkle the worktop with icing sugar. We take a portion of dough and stretch it to a thickness of a couple of millimeters. Then cut the sheet of dough into strips six centimeters wide. The dough can be left smooth or make the typical ribbed with the help of a skewer stick.

Step 6

Cut the strips of dough into six-centimeter pieces to form squares that we will shape into a canutillo with a tubular mold. Press the edges well so that they do not open, remove them from the mold and let them dry for a few hours (it can be overnight).

Step 7

To prepare the egg yolk cream filling, separate the egg yolks from the egg whites, beat them and set them aside in a large temperature-resistant bowl.

Step 8

Again, in a saucepan, heat the water with the sugar for about five minutes until the sugar dissolves and a syrup is formed. Remove from the heat and add it in a trickle over the beaten egg yolks while whisking continuously with the help of a hand whisk. Put the bowl with the yolk mixture in a bain-marie and cook for about 25-30 minutes until the cream thickens. When it cools it will thicken more, but in no case should it be liquid, because we need it to be a dense cream to fill our bones of saint.

Step 9

When the cream is very cold, put it in a piping bag and fill the reserved marzipan cannoli.

Step 10

Finally, prepare a simple glaze by mixing 200 g of icing sugar with about 50 ml of water that we will add little by little because we need a thick paste, but manageable enough to coat in it our bones of saint.

Step 11

After dipping them in the icing, leave them on a rack until the icing dries and we can handle them without them sticking to our hands.

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