Almoixàvena: Valencian recipe

Lent is just around the corner and, with it, come endless traditions. These, of course, include culinary traditions. Among its typical desserts, a popular one stands out in the Valencian
Community which is known by a different name depending on the area. You will hear it called almoixàvena, moixàvena or even monjàvena.

Of Arabic tradition and originating from both from Xàtiva and the whole of the La Costera region, moixàvena is a dessert, an ideal choice for snacks. Although it was historically prepared on Carnival Thursday, now it can be found in any patisserie. A simple yet perfect choice for the whole family, since you can obtain a delicious mixture with just a few ingredients.

One of the easiest ways to make this recipe is to use a food processor. Let’s look at how to make almoixàvenes in the Thermomix.

Ingredients for the moixàvena or almoixàvena recipe

If you want to make this homemade dessert in the Thermomix, you just need a few simple ingredients and to follow the recipe carefully:

• 180 g water
• 110 g mild virgin olive oil or sunflower oil
• 120 g wheat flour
• 1 pinch of salt
•  5 medium eggs
• Sugar to sprinkle on the dough surface
• 1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon to sprinkle on the dough surface

How to make traditional almoixàvena or monjàvena

1. Place the glass of water and oil in the Thermomix and heat it for 9 minutes at 100ºC, speed 2.

2. Add the flour all at once to blanch it with a pinch of salt and mix for 10 seconds at speed

4. Leave the temperature to reduce to 37-40 ºC so the eggs don't curdle when we add them. When it reaches this temperature, continue following the recipe.

3. Put the Thermomix onto speed 4 without setting a time, and add the eggs one by one. Don’t add the next egg until the previous one has been incorporated thoroughly into the mixture.

4. Prepare the oven tray. Line it with baking paper and spread the dough out as much as you can with a spatula or spoon. It doesn’t need to cover the whole tray, but don’t worry about it being too thin as it will rise a lot in the oven. Once the mixture has been stretched out, cover it with plenty of sugar to give the dessert that sweet taste and sprinkle some cinnamon powder on top.

5. Preheat the oven to 200ºC with top and bottom heat and bake for 20 minutes.

6. Remove the dough and leave to cool before cutting into portions to serve.

At this point, you will be wondering: What if I don’t have a food processor, can I still make this recipe? Of course you can, and it will be just as delicious. To make it in the traditional way, you
need to use the same ingredients mentioned above and follow these steps:

1.  Firstly, start by putting a saucepan on to boil with the water and oil. When it starts to boil, add the flour all at once and the pinch of salt, stirring quickly until the mixture comes away from the pan. When this happens, remove the pan from the heat and set aside so it cools slightly.

2. Next, and when the mixture is lukewarm, add the eggs. Add them one at a time, stirring well so you get a smooth and shiny dough.

3. Now, line a baking tray and spread the mixture onto it with the help of a spatula. It needs to be in as fine a layer as possible.

4. Finally, sprinkle the dough generously with sugar and cinnamon and place in a preheated oven at 200ºC for 20-25 minutes until you can see the surface has turned golden. By the
way, don’t worry if you see the dough start to deform as it cooks, this is completely normal and, in fact, this gives it its characteristic appearance. Enjoy!