Sweet treats for November holiday

SWEET treats which make their appearance around the November 1 holiday can now be found in local bakeries.
The best known are panellets, which are generally round in shape, made with ground almonds and covered in pine kernels, although they can also be filled with chocolate or flavoured with vainilla and the shapes may vary. The price is usually between 31 and 36 euros a kilo, depending on the quality of the raw materials.
Also on display are the rosaris, strings of panellets, biscuits and sweets resembling a set of rosary beads.
According to Bulletin historian Miquel Ferrà i Martorell, the rosaris date from the 18th century. The ‘medallion' at the end is usually made of chrystalised pumpkin because it resembles the colour of old gold. One of the best places to try these sweet treats is Cas Netin Plaza del Mercat Vell, just behind the Borne.
Master baker Bartolomé Amorós says that no colouring agents or preservatives are used and all the ingredients are either Spanish or Majorcan.
The basic mix for the panellets is made of almonds, sugar and fresh eggs, and the flavour can be changed by adding coffee, grated coconut, cinammon, chocolate, lemon, vanilla or strawberry. The almonds can also be replaced by hazelnuts. Another bakery noted for its panellets is Patisseries Pomar, in the Calle Baron Sta Maria del Sepulcro in Palma, and also in Campos.
Like Cas Net, there are different flavours including strawberry, lemon, coffee, walnut and chocolate.
The price of the rosaris starts at around eight euros, and they are a traditional gift from grandparents or from godparents to godchildren.
They are usually very eyecatching, as each sweet or biscuit is wrapped in different coloured paper.
Some are nothing but an industrial product, but those at good bakeries feature hand-made panellets, chocolates and crystallised fruit.
Sometimes the medallion instead of being round is shaped like a heart, a book, a star, and Bartolomé Amorós continues the tradition of decorating it with a religious motif, unlike some bakeries which use fairy-tale characters. The time to try them is now, for although panellets are available all year round, the rosaris are made for the November 1 holiday only and are not found at any other time of the year.