These sweet repápalos are a typical dessert from the region of Extremadura. Like many other desserts, they are usually made at Easter, or on other holidays such as All Saints’ Day. This recipe is very typical in the rural areas of Extremadura. It is also prepared in some parts of western Andalusia.
This curious sweet is mainly made of bread, along with other ingredients such as eggs and milk. It is important that the bread is of good quality, with a lot of crumb, so that it is easier to form the balls. This is a dish with many salty versions, the most usual is made with parsley and garlic, although it can be cooked with many other ingredients. They are also known as “sapillos” or “pelluelas”. A unique dessert.
Sweet repápalos | Shutterstock
Ingredients for the sweet repápalos:
- 4 medium eggs
- 1 glass and a half of crumbled bread
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder
- 200 g of sugar
- 1 l of milk
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- Cinnamon powder to taste
- 2 tablespoons of vanilla
- 2 lemons
- 1 orange
- Sunflower oil for frying
Hot to make the sweet repápalos:
- The first step will be to take a large bowl to mix all the ingredients. First, beat the eggs well. Add the sugar, ground cinnamon to taste, a spoonful of baking powder, the zest of the two lemons and a bit of vanilla essence to taste. Whisk the mixture again and add the crumbled bread. Stir the dough and leave it to rest.
- Next, bring a large saucepan to a boil with the milk. Add the sugar, a piece of orange zest and the remaining lemon zest. When peeling the fruit, it is important not to pick out the white part, so that the milk does not get a bad taste. Stir the mixture well so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Now, add the cinnamon sticks and the two teaspoons of vanilla essence. Let it cook for a while, so that the flavours soak into the milk.
- Take a large frying pan and add plenty of sunflower oil to fry the cabbages well. From the reserved mixture from the first step, medium small balls in the shape of croquettes. You can use a soup spoon to help you form them. Place the repápalos in the frying pan and cook them on both sides. Set the frying pan over medium or low heat, so they don’t burn. Once they have turned golden brown, remove them from the heat and allow them to drain the excess oil on some kitchen paper.
- Finally, take the pan with the infused milk and remove the zests. You can leave the cinnamon sticks if you wish for decoration. Put the repápalos in the milk and let them simmer for about 5 minutes. When the time is up, leave to cool. You can put the dessert in the fridge if you wish, or eat them warm. We prefer the cold version, because the flavour of the milk mixes even more with the repápalos, although it is a challenge to wait for the impatient.
