Coca of almonds or coca Cristina

How to make coca from almonds or coca Cristina

The Cristina Coca is a sweet traditional typical of the Valencia which is made with almonds, as the main ingredient, eggs, flour and sugar and flavored with lemon and cinnamon.

It is very popular and is sold in almost all the pastry shops in the towns and the capital, although not always by the same name. In some areas it is known as Coca d’ametló or almond coca .

In its elaboration, the dough is finely spread on wafers and baked with them. Although it is not uncommon to find Coca Cristina in the form of a cake .

A good alternative if we do not find wafers (although many specialized stores sell them and can also be purchased online) or we like this presentation more.

This recipe is very simple to prepare, it only takes half an hour and the result is fabulous. It is reminiscent of Allariz almonds , but it is still a dessert with an incredible almond flavor, such as the tart of Santiago , the tart of Mondoñedo or the cat of Mallorca .

Halfway between a sponge cake and a cookie , the height of this coca should not exceed one centimeter. Keep in mind that it does not have yeast, so this is easy to get.

It is worth it to let this almond coca or Cristina coca enter your kitchens.

Assemble the whites and the yolks

1. We separate the yolks from the whites, reserving the latter.
2. With the whites we prepare a meringue, beating with some rods (better electric) until they start to take consistency.
3. In case of having the eggs in the fridge, we remove them and let them temper so that the whites mount better and faster .
4. Add the icing sugar, little by little, while continuing to beat with the rods until obtaining a bright and dense meringue .
5. Then we beat the yolks and add them to the meringue. We stir gently so that the air incorporated with the shake is not lost.

Preparation of the mass of almond coca or coca Cristina

1. We incorporate the lemon zest, the finer the better (the ideal is to use a microplane), and the ground cinnamon.
2. Finally we add the ground almond in batches, stirring gently until incorporated before adding the next one.
3. If you have obtained wafers, we spread the dough obtained on them and place them on a baking tray covered with vegetable paper.
4. If not, we cut squares or circles of baking paper and use them in the same way.
5. We place them on a baking tray and spread the coca mass on them.
6. We give it a circular shape, without reaching the edges of the paper, and let them lie flat, no more than 1 centimeter thick.
7. Sprinkle with plenty of white sugar so that a crisp layer forms in the oven.

Coke baking and final presentation

1. We introduce in the oven, preheated to 180º C for about 12 minutes or until they begin to brown slightly.
2. They should be pale, but not raw on the inside.
3. We remove the tray from the oven and let it temper before moving the cocas to a rack where they cool completely before consuming.

You can see all the photos of the step by step recipe for coca de almendras or coca Cristina in this album.

Tips for a perfect Coca Almond or Coca Cristina

• The mass of the coca de almendras or coca Cristina is very easy to prepare, but it is important to make sure that the air that we incorporate at the beginning with the whipping of the whites is not lost later when we add the rest of the ingredients.
• Patience and softness in mixing are key to getting light and fluffy coconuts.
• Wafers are available online, but are not required. We have managed with vegetable paper and they have been great. Of course, unlike wafers, this paper is not eaten.
• In case of storing the eggs in the fridge and not having time for them to warm, we beat the egg whites in a saucepan with gently boiling water on the fire.
• The steam greatly facilitates the task and the whites are extremely fluffy.