CiberCuba Cocina
Merlitones | Photo © CiberCuba Cuisine

Merlitones

Kitchen, Desserts

Cooking, Desserts

Egg
Butter
Preparation Time:
60
Note:
Among the sweets we can find in Havana pastry shops, there are melitones. They are known around the world as Merlitón or Mirlitón. These delicious little baskets, with their almond flavor, are a crunchy delight on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Living outside of Cuba, I thought I would find them in any bakery, but that was not the case. I missed them so much that I started looking for recipes. I have tried several and I’m sharing my version which I hope you will enjoy. If you regularly make this recipe or have your own tips… don’t forget to share!! Before the recipe, I’d like to mention some details I found. The first Mirlitones are probably of French origin and are attributed to Antonin Carême. If you follow our recipes and articles, you already know who I’m talking about, the very creator of croquettes. This chef made melitones flavored with orange blossom, chocolate, pistachios, hazelnuts, apricot jam, and even lemon cream. The recipe has been adapted many times by renowned chefs. In Spain, this dessert is found under the name of Merlitones in traditional bakeries, primarily in Madrid and the Basque Country.
Ingredients:
  • 500 g of shortcrust pastry, or brisa.
  • 4 eggs
  • 100 g of powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of refined white sugar
  • 60 g ground almonds
  • 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
  • 60 g of melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla
  • 100 g sliced almonds
  • Powdered sugar for decoration

    • To make the shortcrust pastry:

    • 150 g of wheat flour
    • 75 g of butter
    • 1 egg
    • A pinch of salt
Instructions:

Important note: If you decide to make the shortcrust pastry at home, you will need to double the ingredients we provide so that you can obtain a dough of 500 grams. The steps are as follows:

In a bowl, put the sifted flour and the butter. Mix with your fingers until you get crumbs. Then add the egg and the salt and continue working the dough with your fingers until you can form a ball with it.

Let it rest covered for an hour at a cool temperature. Then place it on a lightly floured surface, flatten it with a rolling pin to achieve a thickness of about 0.3 cm. Then cut out the shape of the mold you are going to use.

If you buy the ready-made shortcrust pastry, you only need to cut the shapes according to the mold you will use to make the merlitons.

For the Merlitones, you will need to use tartlet or muffin molds. Arrange them in a comfortable work area and grease them with butter, so that when the dough is finished baking, it comes out easily. This recipe makes 18 servings.

Cut circles for the bottom of the mold / CiberCuba Cocina

Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 3 millimeters. Use a glass to cut out circles to cover the bottom and sides of the molds. Once you have them ready, store them in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling dough.

Prepared molds with shortcrust pastry or brisée / CiberCuba Cocina

For the filling:

Separate the yolks and the whites into different containers.

Mix the whipped egg whites and the yolks with powdered sugar and cornstarch / CiberCuba Cocina

In a deep bowl, mix the softened butter with the powdered sugar and the tablespoon of cornstarch. When well incorporated, add the egg yolks and vanilla and continue beating until you achieve a light yellow dough. Set it aside.

Ground almonds over the merliton dough / CiberCuba Cocina

Preheat the oven to 180º C.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and add the two tablespoons of sugar. Gently fold them into the beaten yolks. Finally, add the ground almonds and finish incorporating all the elements. At first, it may seem difficult, but they will integrate very well.

Prepared molds for baking merlitones / CiberCuba Kitchen

Fill the molds you had prepared. This batter rises a little, so it's best not to fill them too much. Just put three-quarters of the mold. Cover them by sprinkling powdered sugar and sliced almonds on top.

Freshly baked Merlitones / CiberCuba Kitchen

Bake them for 30 minutes at 160ºC (320ºF). Before removing them from the oven, check that they are well done by inserting a wooden stick that comes out clean. Take them out of the oven and let them cool before unmolding.

Almond merengue / CiberCuba Kitchen

They are delicious to accompany a coffee with milk, a fruit smoothie, or a soft drink.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Bon appétit!!

Rations:
18
Egg
Butter