Sopa de Almendras Castellana

Sopa de Almendras Castellana belongs to Christmas in Castilla, especially the old Nochebuena table: milk infused with cinnamon and lemon, ground almonds, sugar, and thin bread to thicken it into a sweet bowl before the turrón comes out. This is cocina de cuchara, spoon food, but on the sweet side. Plain, pale, and better than it looks if you treat it properly.

The method that decides it is the milk. Bring it up gently with the cinnamon and lemon, then let it steep so the flavour gets into the milk before the almond goes in. Boil it hard and the milk catches, the lemon turns sharp, and the whole thing tastes tired. Low heat, steady stirring, and bread cut thin enough to soften without turning the soup heavy. That's all.

If you can get Spanish marcona almonds, use them. If not, good blanched almonds ground fine will do, and almond flour works if it smells fresh and sweet, not dusty. What changes is the texture: fresh-ground almonds leave a little body under the spoon, while almond flour makes it smoother. No hace falta haber pisado España. You need good milk, fresh almonds, stale bread, and patience.

In the Margin beside this one, I keep the same warning every year: don't drown it in sugar. It should taste of almond first, then cinnamon and lemon, then sweetness. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.