Sweet Potato Panellets with Cardamon – Gluten-Free
December 1, 2015
Panellets… oh panellets… the most charming Catalan cookie of the land. The sweet potato lends caramel flavours, while the coconut adds to the chewy texture. The cardamom deepens the sweetness and gives a spicy finish. Then there’s the lemon – the zesty lemon. They are gluten free, no added fat (except from the almonds) and have such an unexpected appeal, you won’t be sorry for making them or eating them.
It’s advisable that you leave the cookie dough in the fridge overnight. This will help the moisture from the sweet potato and the egg white distribute evenly. They’ll be easier to handle and will bake up better.
This recipe is adapted slightly from Alice Medrich’s Panellets in her beautiful book Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt In Your Mouth Cookies. This book rocks and if you love cookies, like me, then this book is an absolute must in your library.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup 226 grams 8 ounces mashed baked sweet potato
- 2 cups 170 grams 6 ounces shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted
- 1 cup 198 grams 7 ounces sugar
- 2 large 70 grams 2.50 ounces egg whites
- ½ teaspoon ½ teaspoon ½ teaspoon salt
- zest from a whole lemon
- 1 cup 141 grams 5 ounces whole roasted almonds, finely chopped
- ¼ to 2 teaspoon ¼ to 2 teaspoons ¼ to 2 teaspoon ground cardamon add to ¼ cup sugar, for rolling
Instructions
MISE EN PLACE COOKIE DOUGH
- Pierce the sweet potato with a fork and set it in the microwave and cook at high speed for 10 minutes until soft, or bake at 400 degrees for about one hour, until the potato is very soft and cooked through. Measure the pulp into a separate bowl and mash lightly with a fork.
- Toast the coconut in a skillet, stirring constantly until well toasted.
- In a food processor, grind the almonds until it’s an uneven meal, but more finely ground. Set aside in a bowl.
- Measure the sugar and salt in a bowl.
- Separate two eggs and set the whites aside.
- Zest the lemon. Read more here on how to zest citrus.
- Mix the cardamon and 1/4 c. of sugar for rolling. Set aside.
MAKE THE COOKIE DOUGH
- In a food processor, whiz together the sweet potato, coconut, sugar, egg white, salt, and lemon zest. Stir in the almonds until fully incorporated. Chill the dough overnight (up to 2 days) in the refrigerator to allow the coconut to absorb moisture and the dough to firm up enough to roll into balls.
- Preheat the oven to 325° F and line two baking trays with parchment paper. Scoop level tablespoons of the dough and roll into balls about 1.5 inches in diameter. Then roll each ball in the cardamom sugar and place one inch apart on the baking tray.
BAKE THE COOKIES
- Bake in a 325ºF oven for about 20-25 minutes until the cookies are crusty on the surface. The surface of the cookie must be undoubtedly hard and crusty. Not to worry, the inside will still be very moist inside. Rotate the pan halfway through baking to ensure even baking. The bottom of the cookie will be nicely browned.
COOL THE COOKIES
- Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheet before storing in an airtight container. Cookies will keep for up to five days.
