How elegant is this Sardinian dessert. We are talking about the candelaus

Preparing the candelas at home takes a bit of effort but we can guarantee that the result will pay off all your efforts.

The Sardinian candleus, or better is the candleus, are a typical dessert of the area of ​​Quartu Sant’Elena whose production has now spread throughout the Campidano. They are defined as “fine druccis” due to the elegant decoration based on royal ice that covers the surface. All this elegance, however, is certainly not a coincidence: the almond candelabus are in fact the dessert par excellence for special occasions, from weddings to baptisms and engagements.

Originally they were prepared by the wealthiest families, owners of almond orchards, and the reason is soon said: almonds , together with sugar , are the protagonists of the candelas. The preparation requires a little patience and a large amount of almonds, which makes the candelabus one of the most expensive Sardinian desserts, but we can guarantee you that when you taste it you will forget everything that happened before.

How to prepare the candelas with the original Sardinian recipe

1. First, prepare the royal pasta (you can also buy it ready-made). First, grind 1 kg of almonds into flour.
2. In a pot, combine 600 g of granulated sugar , 3 glasses of water and 1 glass of orange flower water . Let it cook until you get a spun syrup that is a compound that if taken between two fingers forms a thread of about half a centimeter before breaking.
3. Then add the almonds , mixing well, and let the dough cool.
4. By hand, model containers of any shape you like: baskets, small glasses and everything your imagination suggests you. Keep in mind that they will have to accommodate a filling.
5. Let them air dry for 2 days then put them in the oven at 50 ° C for 2 hours .
6. After the two days, prepare the icing by pouring 1 kg of sugar into a saucepan with 600 ml of water.
7. Scented with a few drops of orange blossom and cook as before. This time the thread that must be formed by taking a small amount between the fingers must be longer, about 1 cm.
8. Once ready, brush the baskets on the outside twice, waiting for it to dry in between.
9. The time has come to dedicate ourselves to the filling. Gather 1.3 kg of sugar in a saucepan and pour as much water as you need to cover it for half a centimeter.
10. Scented with 3 tablespoons of orange flower water , add the sliced ​​almonds and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, making sure that everything does not dry out excessively.
11. Once ready, let it cool before filling your baskets with this mixture.
12. Now prepare a glaze with 1 kg of sugar , 600 ml of water and a few tablespoons of orange blossom water .
13. Once thickened, cover the candelabra with two layers, waiting for them to dry between one and the other.
14. Once the surface is nice and smooth and dry, proceed with the last decoration with the royal icing prepared by dissolving the icing sugar with the lemon juice and the egg white. For more precise decorations, we recommend using a parchment paper croissant and a pastry pen.

Candleus are certainly not the only delicacy of this region. Try the other Sardinian desserts we have selected for you and you will discover a new world of flavors.

storage

Candleus, the most sumptuous Sardinian sweets of all, can also be kept for a couple of weeks in an airtight container. However, keep them away from heat sources or they will tend to melt.