Morelianas de Santa Rosa

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Copper cazo or heavy 3-quart pot
• •Long wooden spoon
• •Dry comal or heavy skillet
• •Food processor or metate for grinding walnuts
• •Half-sheet pans with parchment
• •Offset spatula
• •Cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast the walnuts

   Heat a dry comal or heavy skillet over medium-low. Toast the nuez de Castilla, stirring often, until the nuts smell warm and sweet, about 5 minutes. Do not let them darken hard. Burned walnut turns bitter faster than a bad mood in a hot kitchen. Let them cool, then grind 1 cup finely and chop the remaining 1/2 cup for finishing.

2. 2

   Start the cajeta

   In a copper cazo or heavy-bottomed pot, combine the goat's milk, granulated sugar, piloncillo, cinnamon stick, and salt. Warm over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the dissolved baking soda slowly. It will foam up, so use a pot with room. Lower the heat and keep the milk at a steady, gentle bubble.

   Cajeta is goat's milk candy. Cow's milk dulce de leche is softer and less sharp. A substitution is a compromise, not an upgrade.
3. 3

   Cook until thick

   Cook the cajeta for 60 to 80 minutes, stirring every few minutes at first and constantly near the end. Scrape the bottom and corners of the pot so the milk solids do not catch. The color should move from cream to tan to deep amber. It is ready when a spoon dragged through the pot leaves a path for two seconds, or when a drop on a cold plate holds its shape. Remove the cinnamon stick and stir in the vanilla.

4. 4

   Make the walnut batter

   Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until loose and foamy, not stiff. Stir in the powdered sugar, flour, finely ground walnut, melted butter, and 2 tablespoons goat's milk. The batter should spread thinly, like heavy cream with body. If it sits in a lump, add goat's milk 1 teaspoon at a time. Rest it for 10 minutes so the walnut softens.

5. 5

   Spread thin rounds

   Heat the oven to 350F. Line two sheet pans with parchment. Spoon 1 level tablespoon of batter onto the parchment and spread it into a 4-inch circle with an offset spatula. It should look almost too thin. That is correct. Morelianas are not thick cookies. If you make them thick, you lose the whole point.

6. 6

   Bake the discs

   Bake 7 to 9 minutes, until the edges turn light amber and the centers look set and dry. Let the discs sit on the pan for 2 minutes, then slide them onto a rack. They will firm as they cool. Repeat with the remaining batter, stirring the bowl between batches because the walnut settles.

7. 7

   Bathe with cajeta

   Warm the cajeta gently until it loosens enough to spread. Spoon 2 teaspoons over each walnut disc and push it to the edge with the back of the spoon. Sprinkle the chopped toasted walnut over the top while the cajeta is still tacky. The surface should be glossy, not flooded. This is candy work, not soup.

8. 8

   Set and store

   Let the morelianas sit uncovered until the cajeta firms to a soft sheen, about 30 minutes. Store them in a tin with wax paper between layers. They should bend a little at the center and crack at the edge when you bite. Serve on a green-glazed Michoacán barro plate with coffee de olla. Recetas probadas y garantizadas.

Chef Tips

• •Buy fresh nuez de Castilla from a busy vendor. Smell the walnuts before you pay. If they smell like old oil, they are rancid, and no amount of cajeta will save them.
• •Do not rush the cajeta. High heat scorches the milk solids and gives you a bitter bottom. Low heat and a wooden spoon do the work. No me vengas con atajos.
• •If you find Mexican wheat obleas at a dulcería, you can set the walnut disc on one before adding cajeta. Some Morelia sweet shops do it that way. This home version keeps the walnut in the disc because most kitchens do not own an oblea iron.
• •The discs must be thin. Thick morelianas eat like ordinary cookies, and that is not what Santa Rosa gave Morelia.

Advance Preparation

• •The cajeta can be made up to 2 weeks ahead and refrigerated in a sealed jar. Warm it gently before spreading.
• •The walnut discs can be baked 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight tin before adding cajeta.
• •Finished morelianas keep 5 days at room temperature with wax paper between layers. Do not refrigerate them, the sugar turns dull and the discs soften.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 60g)