Little Cake, Big Attitude
It´s small and round and you can eat in it two bites, but the pionono is as much a part of traditional Granadino cuisine as free tapas, bread from Alfacar or salt cod and orange salad. A roll of sponge soaked in syrup, infused with cinnamon and topped with baker´s custard - this is the exalted pionono of Santa Fe. It is consumed every day in cafes and homes throughout Andalucia but is hardly known outside Spain. But what accounts for the pionono´s curious name and what are its connections with the historic town of Santa Fe?
From Moorish To Moreish
The origins of many familiar dishes are shrouded in mystery and the genesis of the pionono is not without controversy. What is certain is that its key ingredients were important elements in the cuisine of 10th and 11th-century Arab Spain. When the Arabs arrived in North Africa and southern Spain and named the territory Al-Andalus, they brought with them their love of sweetmeats, sugar and exotic spices such as cinnamon. It seems that making confectionery remained a tradition here, and perhaps this Arab legacy helped lay the foundations for the next chapter in the pionono´s history.
The Papal Connection
The story now moves forward to 19th-century Santa Fe. This town near Granada is famous because it is from here that the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, accomplished the downfall of Boabdil, Spain´s last Moslem ruler. It is here, too, that Christopher Columbus was granted permission by the Catholic Monarchs to make the voyage that led to the discovery of the New World.
It is also the disputed birthplace of our protagonist, the pionono. Recent evidence suggests that its origins are debateable: one researcher believes it was first produced in Cadiz while another story credits it to three widowed sisters. However, the most popular legend attributes the pionono to a confectioner from Santa Fe called Ceferino Isla Gonzalez and it is to him that we owe its popularity.
Ceferino was apprenticed to a confectioner named Manuel "El Gallego" before setting up his own shop on the site of the modern Casa Isla. He was a devout Catholic with a special devotion to the Virgin Mary. It so happened that the Italian Pope Piux IX also had a strong devotion to the Virgin and in 1858 he proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. This stated that Mary was conceived without original sin and elevated her status within the Catholic faith.
Sweet Inspiration
In honour of this papal decree, Isla created a cake in 1897 that embodied the distinctive characteristics of Pius IX. The cylindrical base recalls his somewhat rounded personage, while the paper case in which it sits represents his white robes. A topping of toasted custard completes the likeness - this is the papal skullcap! To this day, it bears the name of this illustrious pope, for Pio Nono is Italian for Pius IX.
Royal Patronage
In 1914, King Alfonso XIII of Spain was visiting his friend the Duke of San Pedro de Galatina at his country estate in Lachar when the duke served his royal guest piononos from Santa Fe for afternoon tea. The king was so taken by these tasty sweets that he made Casa Isla the official purveyor of piononos to the royal household. By the middle of the decade, the piononos made by Casa Isla were already well known and appreciated both in Granada and throughout the province.
The King´s approval gave Casa Isla the right to place the royal crown above their crest, although this had to be removed in 1931 during the anti-monarchist tenure of the Spanish Second Republic. In modern times, a restored monarchy has again shown its appreciation of the piononos of Santa Fe, but with or without royal approval this tiny cake continues to make an impression on the Granadino palate far greater than its diminutive stature.
Making Your Own
Today, piononos are made by many confectioners in Spain and throughout the world. Each have their own recipes, and there are numerous variations containing different ingredients such as rum (the piononos made by Casa Isla do not contain alcohol and are therefore suitable for children). Undoubtedly, however, it is Casa Isla who have done most to popularize this tasty little treat.
If you are not fortunate enough to visit the wonderful city of Granada and try an authentic pionono from Santa Fe, you can make your own version at home:
Pionono
Custard:
- 500 ml milk
- 100 g sugar
- 30 g flour
- 30 g cornflour
- 6 egg yolks
- 2-3 drops vanilla essence
Sponge:
- 4 eggs
- 80 g sugar
- 80 g self-raising flour
Syrup
- 100 g sugar
- 150 ml water
- small glass dark rum
Method
Place ingredients in a saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Custard: Put milk and sugar in a pan, stir over medium heat until it starts to steam. Remove a little and mix both flours in well before returning to pan. Stir in rum and vanilla, add beaten eggs and keep stirring until creamy and thick. Remove from heat and cover with clingfilm. Sponge: Beat egg whites into peaks, slowly add sugar then broken yolks while mixing. Fold in the flour, spread mixture on greaseproof paper in a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes at 170º C. Turn sponge upside down onto a damp cloth and peel off paper. Allow to cool then pour syrup over sponge. Spread with a thin layer of custard then sprinkle with cinnamon.
Carefully roll sponge in the manner of a Swiss roll. Cut into 4 cm lengths, placing each on end in a paper cake case. Top with a spoon of custard, sprinkle with sugar and caramelize with a blowtorch. Sprinkle with cinnamon, chill in fridge for several hours and enjoy!
References
Casa Isla: The Official Website of Casa Isla and Pionos de Santa Fe.
Piononos (convencional) (Th): Las recetas de Sara www.lasrecetasdesara.com
Piononos.net - el portalito del pionono www.pionono.net
Peter Ashby - Peter Ashby lives near Granada in southern Spain, is an expert on natural history, and a dedicated traveller, writer and hispanist.
Join the Conversation