Convent sweets: delicacies of tradition and modernity

Ronda/Polvorones, pestiños, wine roscos, or mantecados are some of the traditional sweets that are usually present in every home during Christmas. There are many producing companies, although those made in cloistered convents have a quality stamp that attracts many sweet lovers to purchase them.

However, during this long weekend of the Immaculate Conception and the Constitution Day, there is an opportunity to buy them without having to go to the convents, although, in a way, they have come out to meet potential customers without really leaving the convents. The convent of Santo Domingo in Ronda, now converted into a congress and exhibition palace, hosts during this festive long weekend a display of conventual sweets in which seven congregations from Ronda, Cañete la Real, Antequera, Málaga, and Coín participate.

These dates are when a good portion of the sales, which represent one of the main incomes to meet their economic needs throughout the year, take place. Indeed, since the sisters cannot leave their convents, a broad network of collaborators is responsible for transporting their creations and attending the various stands. "We have to help them and lend them a hand," was the most repeated phrase during the start of the event, which will last until Monday.

A display where none of the traditional Christmas sweets are missing, to which other sweets from ancient recipes such as gañotes, sweet breads, donuts, muffins, cortadillos, tortas de aceite, tocino de cielo, or quince meat are added. These creations have also incorporated much more modern ones that are comparable to those found in any traditional bakery.

Many of them have decided to incorporate chocolate into their productions, creating different products and some have even decided to go a step further and create chocolates with a presentation worthy of the finest gourmet shops. They also make them for diabetics and vegans, thus aiming to open up the potential market.

And it is that the presentations have made substantial changes towards the new trends where not only the quality and tradition of the product count, but also the presentation is very important when choosing them to give as a gift to friends or family. Of course, the usual bags in which the assortments of mantecados and polvorones delight lovers of conventual sweets are also present.