Mantecadas are spongy

pastries Pastry is baked food made with a dough of flour, water and shortening (solid fats, including butter or lard) that may be savoury or sweetened. Sweetened pastries are often described as '' bakers' confectionery''. The word "pastries" suggests ...

originating in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. Perhaps the best known mantecadas are from Northwestern Spain, being a traditional product of the city of Astorga,

province of León León (, , ; ; ) is a province of northwestern Spain in the northern part of the Region of León and in the northwestern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. About one quarter of its population of 463,746 (2018) lives in the ca ...

, as well as the nearby Maragateria comarca. They taste very much like

pound cake Pound cake is a type of cake traditionally made with a pound of each of four ingredients: flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. Pound cakes are generally baked in either a loaf pan or a Bundt mold. They are sometimes served either dusted with powd ...

. Other Spanish regions also prepare mantecadas. There is a factory producing mantecadas in Sardón de Duero,

Valladolid Province Valladolid () is a province of northwest Spain, in the central part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It has a population of 520,716 people in a total of 225 municipalities, an area of and a population density of 64.19 people per ...

and another in

Maliaño Maliaño is a village in the municipality of Camargo (Cantabria, Spain). The town is located near the Bay of Santander, 5 km from the regional capital. It is the location of the regionally significant Santander Airport. The population in the ...

Cantabria Cantabria (, also , , Cantabrian: ) is an autonomous community in northern Spain with Santander as its capital city. It is called a ''comunidad histórica'', a historic community, in its current Statute of Autonomy. It is bordered on the east ...

. The ''Casa Salinas'' bakery in

Tudela, Navarre Tudela is a municipality in Spain, the second largest city of the autonomous community of Navarre and twice a former Latin bishopric. Its population is around 35,000. The city is sited in the Ebro valley. Fast trains running on two-track electrif ...

, reputed for its excellent mantecadas, closed down in January 2011. Mantecadas are baked in square or rectangular box-shaped paper ''"cajillas"'' instead of in the typical muffin round paper cups. The mantecada leaves a characteristic cross-shaped silhouette on the paper when it is removed. In the

Alt Maestrat Alt Maestrat (; es, Alto Maestrazgo) is a comarca in the province of Castellón, Valencian Community, Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto ...

''comarca'' the mantecada square paper cups are known as ''"caixetes"''. There is a type of cake known as mantecada in Colombia and

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

where the whole is cut into pieces after baking. Certain brands commercialize packed mini-mantecadas in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

and Latin America. Mantecadas should not be confused with mantecados, a much denser, non spongy very different type of pastry.

Mantecadas de Astorga

The most famous Mantecadas are the ones prepared in Astorga town under the name Mantecadas de Astorga. Their ingredients are

eggs Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...

, flour,

butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread, melted as a condimen ...

and sugar.

Butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread, melted as a condimen ...

is essential in the preparation and differentiates the mantecadas de Astorga from average

bizcocho Bizcocho ( or ) is the name given in the Spanish-speaking world to a wide range of pastries, cakes or cookies. The exact product to which the word ''bizcocho'' is applied varies widely depending on the region and country. For instance, in Spain ...

or magdalenas (muffins).Mantecadas recipe
/ref> They are a protected product as per

Geographical indication A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, ...

in the

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References

External links

Other type of Mantecadas (not of Astorga) recipeMantecada con amor. Colombia style
Spanish pastries Castilian-Leonese cuisine Quick breads Sweet breads {{spain-cuisine-stub

Mantecadas de Astorga

See also

References

External links