Every year during Semana Santa (Easter week), Spain is transformed. The streets of cities and villages are filled with banging drums, dazzling piles of flowers, religious sculpture parades, and a strongly moving mood at all hours of the day and night. It’s difficult to tear yourself away from all the fun… but there’s another attraction hiding among the cake shops and bakeries: Easter’s special delicacies.
Torrijas (French toast)
Torrijas de leche is one of the main Easter desserts. The juiciness and tenderness of this dessert, its mild flavor, the touch of sugar and cinnamon… make it wonderfully delicious. Traditional torrijas in central Spain are usually prepared with a special type of bread for torrijas, which is wider, spongier, and thicker than usual.
Furthermore, there are many ways to make torrijas at home, even with chocolate and cocoa powder if you have a sweet tooth. You can find our torrijas recipe here and try it out.
Bartolillo madrileño
If we’re talking about old pastries in Madrid, we can’t leave out the bartolillos madrileños. One of Madrid’s most iconic sweet recipes, which, together with torrijas, pestiños, and rosquillas, triumphs at any big event in the capital, and especially, the Easter week.
They are delicacies made from a thin, sweet dough that resembles a dumpling and is filled with pastry cream before being cooked in oil. They’re served with sugar sprinkled on top, and they’re much better when eaten hot. Although there are many hypotheses regarding its origins, whether it was the Romans, the Arabs, or the nuns in nineteenth-century convents, this is one of the most classic sweets.
Los buñuelos de cuaresma (Lent fritters)
Lent fritters from the Empordà are delicious and one of the most popular and typical sweets of this time of the year in Catalonia. Each house has its recipe so as with all popular recipes there are a thousand variations, and everyone claims to have «the real thing».
In the past, these buñuelos were found in bakeries on Wednesday and Friday of this period, but now, we can find them every day. Even so, as they are very simple to make, they have always been mostly homemade sweets.
Pestiños de Cádiz
The magic originates from the East, as does the custom of using honey, spices, and nuts in pastries. Some of that charm may be found in the province of Cadiz, where a beautiful Andalusian pastry is created. It’s a typical place in Andalusia that makes a wide range of delicacies and Arab sweets.
These delicacies are typical of Christmas, Easter, and even Carnival. Although the true lovers of sweets can consume them throughout the year.
Leche frita (Fried milk)
In the Malvarrosa neighborhood of Valencia, you’ll find a diverse culinary selection, ranging from the most elaborate dishes to the most exquisite desserts. In terms of desserts, the leche frita stands out not only in Spain but throughout the world.
The origin of fried milk is uncertain, although many people suggest that it originated in San Sebastian. It stands out for being a dessert with low fat and protein content and retains its qualities up to three days after its preparation. Its texture and cinnamon flavor stand out in its tasting, and it is consumed as a dessert and appetizer.
These sweets that come from different Spanish provinces are easy to make and represent the cultural characteristics of Spain during the Easter holidays.
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