Mantecados Felipe II, one of the jewels of Christmas pastries
Tick... tock... time is running out. So that? To put on boots by way of christmas feast And we all know how they end, separating you from the table and making room for your girls to roam freely.
Furthermore, the moment of end of all Christmas agape It is served on a silver tray on which all kinds of sweets are arranged as a Christmas still life. Chocolate nougat, guirlache, sugared almonds and, of course, shortbread and shortbread.
Could these be the last to be finished? Why have we relegated a treasure so much ours to die of grief? As always, and in everything, there are bad and very good.
And that's why we talked to two of the heavyweights of Spanish mantecados to tell us their story and the secret of their success.
North or South? What shortbread do you stay with?
The origin of shortbread and shortbread goes back to the century XVI. As fate would have it, at that time there was a surplus harvest of wheat and lard. And what did they do for Andalusia? Prepare a sweet with these ingredients.
Much has been said about its original origin. could be in the Convent of Santa Clara de Estepa, but the credit certainly went to him Micaela Ruiz Téllez, alias 'the Mattress'.
It is to her that we owe the beginning of the large-scale trade of mantecados from Estepa, improving the recipe with flour to allow its durability. And so a story arose that goes back to our days, being his the oldest house in Estepa.
However, the production of these today is circumscribed to the south, to areas such as Antequera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda or Almería, as well as north of spain in Navarra, Bilbao or Vitoria-Gasteiz. So we have decided to tell you the story of one of each house, a fight to be victorious between north and south.
Nobody becomes bitter by a candy!
MANTECADOS FELIPE II, THE JEWEL OF THE NORTH
They say that in the sixteenth century the Count of Benavente offered this magnanimous sweet to the lord of him, King Philip II and his wife, that of course, they were amazed with him.
Little by little the recipe was perfected to make this a sublime bite. So much so that they began to wrap themselves in tissue paper.
In 1903, this Alava confectionery presented its shortbread, made with wheat flour, sugar, lard and Marcona almond flour, at the Madrid International Exposition, where, for the first time in history, a shortbread received the Gold medal and a First Class Honors Diploma.
For this reason, since the dawn of the 20th century this brand has delighted every self-respecting gourmet, becoming one of the jewels of Christmas pastries Throughout the Spanish territory.
There was a time when they were made in Seville and Bilbao, later moving to Vitoria-Gasteiz. In all these years, the awards and mentions have been happening, both nationally and internationally.
Felipe II, the mantecados of the north
Lisbon, Geneva, Paris, Vienna or Buenos Aires These have been some of the cities where this artisan workshop has been awarded trophies and gold medals. In 2017, they were awarded 2 stars for Superior Taste Award by ITQI , considered as the Michelin Guide to food.
A couple of decades ago, the company changed hands and fell to Snow White Weaver, that yes, without modifying a bit of what was done there, but rather, considering it as a continuity.
Snow White soaked up everything she had to learn to continue with the maxims of these shortbreads: use the highest quality ingredients, remain a family business and stand out for its handmade and limited production. Eat a shortbread with a serial number? Yes, because in Felipe II, they are the only ones that, in each mantecado, include a piece of paper with the batch number and shortbread.
Unlike other sweets, Felipe II mantecados are totally seasonal. They begin to be made in October and last until the end of Christmas. Where to find them? They sell them through their website, in gourmet stores and in El Corte Inglés. Run they fly
In each shortbread they include a piece of paper with the batch number and shortbread
SAN PANCRACIO, ANTEQUERAN HIGH CONFECTIONERY
And from the north we go to the south. To Antequera specifically, to the sweet paradise of the sisters Pilar and Carmen Aguilera. Throughout her life, her family worked in the ice cream industry.
Of twelve siblings, Pilar and Carmen, with a difference of eight years of age, always made good friends. They grew up and stopped working with their father, but by no means distanced themselves from the family tradition. During the mantecados season, they helped their brother prepare them to “get some money for the Kings,” Pilar tells us.
They were doing so well, after three years they decided to set up a workshop themselves, in which everything was going to be done by hand, thus distancing himself from the industrial production of his family.
In the center of Antequera they found a place, practically in ruins, in which only one thing was preserved, there, on a half-destroyed bookcase, there was a Saint Pancras. When they visited the space to grant them the building license, the two agreed that their workshop had to be called San Pancracio.
When visiting the space that his workshop now occupies, they found a Saint Pancratius on a shelf.
His story began by selling his brother's sweets, but they realized that since they had set up a workshop, they could devote themselves to making other Christmas sweets and cakes.
Thus they arose its marzipan, its truffles and other delicatessen, that soon had the praise of the public, who only demanded what they prepared and in just six years open, theirs has positioned itself as one of the best ice cream makers in the country.
At this time of year, demand exceeds production and for 2019 they have planned to get a larger workshop, so that no one is left without tasting their delicacies.
In their confectionery they sell Almond mantecados, wheat flour, sesame, cinnamon and covered in icing sugar, whole almond shortbread, wine donuts....
San Pancracio, the sweet jewel of Antequera
And two years ago, thinking about the current trend of taking care of oneself, they put on sale the 'bites', which are like smaller sized mantecados, made with olive oil instead of lard. this line with EVOO, has outsold even the traditional ones.
But they do not end with the usual flavors, because in their recipe book they include novelties such as vanilla and walnut mantecados, another with hazelnuts from Cordoba... And to test them? You will have to go to their store Calle Calzada, 2 in Antequera or buy them through their website.
And now that you know the story behind these Christmas sweets, we tell you: Try, spread and love, above all things, the ice cream and the shortbread.
To the rich ice cream!