Piononos

Piononos de Santa Fe

A small cylindrical sponge cake from Santa Fe (Granada) that is soaked in rum syrup, filled with toasted-cream custard, and finished with a caramel glaze and a dusting of cinnamon.

Prep

35 min

Cook

18 min

Total

53 min

Serves

10-12 piononos

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •3 whole (3 large) eggs, separated, room temperature
• •75 g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
• •65 g (½ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
• •15 g (1 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• •1 g (¼ tsp) salt
• •250 ml (1 cup) whole milk
• •40 g (3 tbsp) caster sugar (for custard)
• •20 g (2 tbsp) cornflour (cornstarch)
• •2 whole (2 large) egg yolks
• •1 tsp vanilla extract
• •30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter (for custard)
• •200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) heavy/double cream, cold
• •120 ml (½ cup) water (for syrup)
• •100 g (½ cup) sugar (for syrup)
• •1 strip lemon peel
• •1 cinnamon stick cinnamon stick
• •60 ml (¼ cup) dark rum, Spanish ron, preferably; +1 tbsp for custard if liked
• •80 g (⅓ cup) sugar (for caramel glaze)
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) water (for caramel)
• •2 g (½ tsp) ground cinnamon (to finish), canela en polvo

Steps

1. 1 Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F / Gas 6). Line a 25 x 35 cm sheet pan with parchment and grease lightly.
2. 2 Whisk the 3 egg yolks with 25 g (2 tbsp) of the sugar until pale and thick. In a separate bowl, beat the 3 egg whites with the salt to soft peaks, then sprinkle in the remaining 50 g (¼ cup) sugar and beat to a firm, glossy meringue.
3. 3 Fold the yolk mixture into the whites in three additions, alternating with the sifted flour, folding gently to keep the volume. Stream in the melted butter and fold just to combine.
4. 4 Spread the batter in a thin, even rectangle (about 5 mm thick) in the prepared pan. Bake 8-10 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and the sponge springs back when pressed (internal temperature about 96°C / 205°F).
5. 5 Turn the sponge out onto a clean tea towel, peel off the parchment, and roll loosely from the short side with the towel inside. Let cool 10 minutes; this sets the roll shape.
6. 6 Meanwhile make the custard: whisk 2 yolks, 40 g sugar, cornflour and a splash of the cold milk in a saucepan. Add the remaining milk, vanilla and lemon peel, and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens to a thick pudding that briefly holds a boil (about 1 minute) — this pasteurises the yolks (reaches ~75°C / 165°F).
7. 7 Stir the 30 g butter and 1 tbsp rum (if using) into the custard. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface and chill until cold, at least 1 hour.
8. 8 Make the syrup: combine 120 ml water, 100 g sugar, lemon peel and cinnamon stick in a small pan. Simmer 4 minutes until lightly syrupy. Remove from heat, discard aromatics and stir in 60 ml dark rum.
9. 9 Whip the 200 ml cold cream to soft peaks and fold it into the cold custard in two additions to keep it light and airy — this is the traditional 'crema tostada' filling.
10. 10 Unroll the sponge. Brush it generously all over with the rum syrup. Trim the dry edges, then cut into rectangles roughly 4 x 12 cm.
11. 11 Place a generous tablespoon of the cream filling along the short edge of each rectangle and roll up tightly into a small cylinder about 2-3 cm tall. Stand them seam-side down on a rack over a tray.
12. 12 Make the caramel glaze: heat 80 g sugar with 30 ml water in a light-coloured pan without stirring until amber (about 170°C / 340°F). Off the heat, dip the base of each pionono into the caramel and place back on the rack; or spoon a thin layer over the top.
13. 13 Let the caramel set 2 minutes, then dust each pionono generously with ground cinnamon. Serve at room temperature the same day.