Puff Pastries of Astorga

 

Spanish confectionery owes much to the Leonese city of Astorga which, for a long time, was advanced in the manufacture of sweets and chocolates. Leon is located at the north west of Spain, in the border line with Portugal.

The Puff Pastries of Astorga, also called "mielitos" (because the syrup that bathes them is made at least in part with honey and "miel" is honey in spanish) are a good example of a sweet created in a city that is replicated throughout Spain and whose origin is unknown to almost everyone.  You can find them in any candy store or supermarket, easily recognizable by their square shape with a hole in the center and the syrup bath.

Astorga puff pastries are easy to make, but if they serve as an excuse to visit Astorga (with its impressive episcopal palace designed by Gaudí, the same architect of Sagrada Familia and Park Güell in Barcelona) and Leon and its magnificent landscapes, don't hesitate. It really is worth it.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 sheets of puff pastry
• 1 egg

for the syrup

• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 cup of water
• 3 tablespoons of honey
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice

Let's first prepare the syrup. In a deep saucepan pour two tablespoons of sugar and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Put on low heat until thick. Then add the rest of the sugar and the glass of water. Bring to a boil, add the honey and lower the heat so that it thickens slightly and above all so that the honey leaves its aroma. Reserve and keep warm.

Separate the yolk from the egg white. We reserve the yolk to later paint the puff pastries and make them shiny.

Place a sheet of puff pastry on a smooth surface. We mark squares of about 5 cm (2 inches) on each side and separate them, taking them to an oven tray on which a baking paper has been placed. We paint the surface of these squares with the white of the egg. That will serve as "glue" for the plate that will go on top.

We also cut squares of the same size in the second plate, to which we will also make a hole with the help of a circular mold. We are placing them on top of the previous ones.

Paint the surfaces with the egg yolk and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees (356 F) until they puff up and brown (look at the puff pastry leaflet and follow the manufacturer's instructions, but it usually doesn't take more than 25 minutes).

Remove and let cool enough to be able to catch them with your hand.

Dip each cupcake in the syrup and let them drain and dry on a rack. When they cool down and the syrup solidifies, they are ready to eat.

They are a real delicacy.