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Panelitas
Panelitas: small squares of milk fudge with panela and cinnamon from Santander
Small paper-wrapped panelitas are sold by the bagful at roadside sweet stalls through Santander, often next to obleas and bocadillo. They are milk boiled with sugar and panela until it becomes a thick caramel, then beaten off the heat until it loses its shine and sets into a soft, crumbly fudge with a warm cinnamon and molasses taste. Kids and grandparents both reach for them after lunch with a coffee. The batch here makes a tray of bite-sized squares that keep for a week. Most failures come from beating too little: the mixture stays glossy and never sets beyond soft arequipe, so keep going until it turns matte and starts to hold its shape. A pinch of bicarbonate of soda stops the milk from curdling as the panela heats. Chef's tip: lightly score the squares while the fudge is still warm, then cut through once cold, for neat edges.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Grease a 20 x 20 cm tray with ⅓ oz butter.
Step 2: Put 4 ¼ cups whole milk, 7 oz sugar, 3 ½ oz panela, 1 cinnamon stick and ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda in a wide, heavy pan. Stir over a medium heat until the sugars dissolve.
Step 3: Boil for 30–35 minutes, stirring often and constantly towards the end, until it becomes a thick, light-brown paste that leaves the bottom of the pan in a sheet.
33 minStep 4: Take off the heat and remove the cinnamon. Beat hard with a wooden spoon for 3–5 minutes, until the mixture loses its gloss and starts to thicken and look grainy.
4 minStep 5: Spread quickly into the tray, smooth the top and score into 24 squares.
Step 6: Leave for 1 hour, until firm and cool, then cut along the score lines. Store in an airtight box.
60 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does panelitas take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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