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Alegrías

The amaranth popped a spoonful at a time on a bone-dry pan, because a handful steams itself and nothing pops.

Vegetarian, but not vegan — contains honey.

Ingredients

Method

  1. THE AMARANTH IS POPPED A SPOONFUL AT A TIME ON A BONE-DRY PAN, because a handful steams itself and nothing pops. Amaranth seeds are tiny and they pop like miniature popcorn -- but only if each seed is in direct contact with very hot metal. A tablespoon scattered across a wide hot pan pops in about five seconds with an audible hiss and roughly triples in volume. Half a cup tipped in at once sits in a layer, the seeds at the top never reach temperature, the moisture driven off the bottom layer steams the rest, and what comes out is a pan of toasted unpopped seed that is gritty and inedible. Two hundred grams therefore takes fifteen or twenty separate spoonfuls, which is the actual work of the dish.
  2. THE PAN IS BONE DRY AND VERY HOT, AND IS TESTED WITH THREE SEEDS. No oil at any point. Three seeds dropped in should pop within two seconds; if they sit there the pan is too cool, and if they scorch it is too hot. The test is worth repeating every few spoonfuls because the pan cools as cold seed goes in.
  3. EACH SPOONFUL IS TIPPED OUT IMMEDIATELY. Into a bowl, the moment the popping stops -- about five seconds. Left in the pan another ten seconds they scorch, and burnt amaranth is bitter and will be noticeable in the finished bar.
  4. THE SYRUP IS TAKEN TO THE SOFT-BALL STAGE AND NOT FURTHER. Piloncillo, honey and water boiled until a drop in cold water forms a soft pliable ball -- about 118°C. Under that, the bars never set and stay sticky. Over it, they set rock hard and break teeth rather than crumbling.
  5. IT IS MIXED AND PRESSED FAST, BECAUSE THE SYRUP SETS AS IT COOLS. The popped amaranth and the fruit and nuts are already in a warmed bowl; the syrup goes in, it is turned through in about twenty seconds, tipped into a lined tray and pressed down hard with a wetted palm or an oiled spatula. A minute's hesitation and it has set into a mass that will not press flat.
  6. The amaranth popped in batches: a TABLESPOON at a time on a wide BONE-DRY pan over a high heat.
  7. TESTED first with 3 seeds -- they should pop within 2 SECONDS.
  8. Each spoonful tipped OUT into a bowl the moment the popping stops, about 5 seconds. Fifteen to twenty batches in all.
  9. The pumpkin seeds, raisins and peanuts stirred into the popped amaranth. The bowl WARMED.
  10. A tray lined with greaseproof paper and a spatula oiled.
  11. The piloncillo, honey, water and salt brought to the boil in a small heavy pan.
  12. Boiled to the SOFT-BALL stage -- about 118°C, or until a drop in cold water forms a soft pliable ball.
  13. Poured AT ONCE over the amaranth mixture.
  14. Turned through FAST, about 20 SECONDS, until everything is coated.
  15. Tipped into the lined tray and PRESSED DOWN HARD with the oiled spatula into an even slab about 1.5 cm thick.
  16. Left 20 MINUTES to set, then cut into bars while still slightly warm -- fully cold it shatters rather than cuts.
  17. Cooled completely. Keeps 2 weeks in a tin.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Mexico · All recipes