Christmas is approaching and, with it, the meals, family dinners and, above all, the desserts of this time of the year. Why, is there Christmas without sweets? We think not, since they are an essential part, if not the most important, of Christmas celebrations.
Therefore, we bring you a list with the best Christmas desserts with Valencian seal, from typical sweets of the Comunitat that we only eat here, to others that we have imported around the world, such as nougat from Jijona.
Sweet potato cake
We could not start this list without mentioning the traditional sweet potato pie. And there is no house that, during this time of the year, is not filled with this typical product of the terreta.
It is a small sweet made with sweet potato, sugar and anise, which are of Arab origin. You can buy them in local bakeries, although, if you prefer to prepare them yourself in the traditional way, here is the recipe on how to make them.
Casca, the Valencian “roscón de Reyes
Surely you have eaten roscón de reyes all your life, but did you know that before this tradition was imported, in Valencia we had our own roscón? It is the casca, a typical Valencian sweet in danger of extinction .
The sweet is made of marzipan and, although it appears to be shaped like a snake, it represents the Valencian eel. Inside it has candied sweet potato, although more modern recipes add cream, meringue or cinnamon.
Nougat noodles
Yes, as strange as it may sound, there is a noodle nougat. It is called Burruecos and is typical of Requena-Utiel. It is made of flour, eggs and, of course, cassalla. Once the dough is made, it is given this typical shape of noodles and fried mixed with honey syrup. A real Christmas bomb.
Cristina Coke
Coca Cristina is a typical dessert, especially in l’Horta Nord. It is usually sold throughout the year, although it is at Christmas when it is most consumed.
Almonds are the star ingredient of this sweet, which contains flour, eggs and wafers, among others. It has a very characteristic texture and looks like a giant cookie.
Erasetas, the most contemporary sweet
Who said that all Christmas sweets have to have a long tradition? Last year, the pastry shop Eras Pan created the erasetas, a combination between panetone and a bollicaco .
This is a newly created Valencian Christmas dessert, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve a place on our list. The filling can be Suchard nougat, Ferrero Rocher, Jijona nougat, salted caramel or pistachio.
Jijona nougat
Is there anything more typical than a Jijona nougat? And the fact is that this sweet is never missing in Valencian homes at this time of the year.
Jijona nougat is consumed not only in the rest of Spain, but also all over the world.for centuries, this Valencian municipality has earned the reputation of the capital of nougat. So when we go to buy one, if we see that it is made there, it means that it has an indisputable seal of quality.
Our favorites are the ones made with almonds and honey, as they have an indisputable Christmas flavor.