Crispy and sugary orelletes are a typical dessert made under various names such as « garrifes », « aurelhetas », or « crespells » in Occitan lands; « orellanes » in the Balearic Islands; or « crespeth » in the Aran Valley. The Andorran name is Pla de l’Urgell.
These desserts were traditionally made for Easter and reviewed in the « Llibre de Sent Soví », a handwritten jewel from the 14th century, one of the oldest recipe books in Europe and originally written in Catalan.
Tradition has it that they stretched the dough over their knees in the olden days and dipped their hands in oil to prevent it from sticking. The Ca l’Orelleta bakery, in the old quarter of Andorra la Vella, was, among others, one of the bakeries where this dessert was prepared, which delighted children returning from school.
To fully enjoy this delicacy just follow the recipe, and flour liberally. You’ll love it!
RECIPE
Preparation for 4 people:
Place the flour on the kitchen table and make a hole in the middle.
Slowly add a pinch of salt, egg, sugar, yeast, water, and milk in the hole as you work the dough.
Knead the dough for a while, cover with a soft, warm cloth and let it rest for 1 hour.
Then, place some flour on the counter, under the dough, and shape the « ears » with your fingers.
Finally, fry them in a pan with hot oil, drain and sprinkle a little sugar on top. A simple dessert that is also ideal as a snack.
Ingredients to prepare orelletes
-400 g of flour
-125 ml of milk
-1 egg
-1 tablespoon of yeast dessert
-100 ml of water
-1 pinch of salt
-Sugar
