In the morning of the 6th of January, Spanish children get up early and eagerly run to check what the Three Wise Men brought from the East. A similar tradition to Father Christmas but it is three of them instead of a fat one and they travel around the world riding their dromedaries, not raindeers.
The kids leave stale bread and water the night before so that the animals and the kings can fuel up and continue their journey leaving presents for all the kids who behaved well the year before... candy coal for the naughty ones.
A big moment for kids, this date is well looked-forwarded by adults too, especially those who love the Roscón. This brioche style cake is the delicious 'last sweet' of Christmas holidays in Spain and it is particularly enjoyed by people who, like me, do not like typical Christmas sweets like turrón, polvorones or mazapán.
As it is only eaten once a year, having it for breakfast (with a mug of hot chocolate if you want to follow the tradition) is as magical as the Three Wise Men for the kids. You will recognise its characteristic orange flower scent and enjoy every bite of delicious roscón.
The dought is flavoured with orange and lemon zest, plus orange flower water, which is the key ingredient. The typical decoration consist on glazed fruit - to make it resemble the crown of one of the kings -, sliced almonds and a good sprinkle of sugar, previously moistened with a few drops of water.
Apart from the plain versión of the Roscón, you can find other versions, consisting mainly in a plain Roscón filled with cream, custard or chocolate mousee.
The thing is, I do not like the 'accesories' (that is fillings or glazed fruit) so this year I have made my own version, which is also dairy-free (I have substituted the butter and milk for sunflower oil and soya milk). And I want to work on an egg-free version for next year.
A big moment for kids, this date is well looked-forwarded by adults too, especially those who love the Roscón. This brioche style cake is the delicious 'last sweet' of Christmas holidays in Spain and it is particularly enjoyed by people who, like me, do not like typical Christmas sweets like turrón, polvorones or mazapán.
As it is only eaten once a year, having it for breakfast (with a mug of hot chocolate if you want to follow the tradition) is as magical as the Three Wise Men for the kids. You will recognise its characteristic orange flower scent and enjoy every bite of delicious roscón.
The dought is flavoured with orange and lemon zest, plus orange flower water, which is the key ingredient. The typical decoration consist on glazed fruit - to make it resemble the crown of one of the kings -, sliced almonds and a good sprinkle of sugar, previously moistened with a few drops of water.
Apart from the plain versión of the Roscón, you can find other versions, consisting mainly in a plain Roscón filled with cream, custard or chocolate mousee.
The thing is, I do not like the 'accesories' (that is fillings or glazed fruit) so this year I have made my own version, which is also dairy-free (I have substituted the butter and milk for sunflower oil and soya milk). And I want to work on an egg-free version for next year.
I must say I have only had compliments on it and nobody guessed it was dairy free :) It is such a light and spongy cake, low in sugar and fat, that you can eat one piece after the other without realising so control yourself! Anyway, it is only once a year that you get to taste after all...
So, if you want to make and eat your own Roscón, delicious but withoutextra sweet decorations that only hide the real goodness of its characteristic dough, follow the recipe in English or Spanish by clicking on the continue button ;)
So, if you want to make and eat your own Roscón, delicious but withoutextra sweet decorations that only hide the real goodness of its characteristic dough, follow the recipe in English or Spanish by clicking on the continue button ;)