Pan De Plata

This recipe comes from an early 20th-century handwritten Mexican manuscript titled 'Resetas de Cocina: Refrescos, Reposteria, Dulces,' dated 1910 and authored by Carmen Volante. The book reflects the transition between 19th-century traditions and an emerging modern domestic culture. Recipes like Pan de Plata showcase the increased availability of refined ingredients—such as white sugar and flour—that were once costly luxuries, now signaling status and celebration in home baking. The inclusion of almonds and the emphasis on egg whites evoke the light, delicate pastries favored by Mexico's upper-middle class during the Porfiriato era, a period marked by French culinary influence and the rise of home entertaining.

In 1910, cooks would have mixed the batter by hand, using large earthenware or metal bowls and sturdy wooden spoons. Almonds would be blanched by briefly boiling then peeling by hand, before being 'martajadas', or roughly crushed with a mortar and pestle. Egg whites would be beaten vigorously with manual balloon whisks until stiff—a laborious but important step for achieving the signature lightness. The batter would be poured into tin or ceramic molds, generously greased with butter, then baked in wood-fired or early gas ovens, requiring attentive monitoring for even baking.