Spanish Easter Treat – From Unbridled Vengeance – Book 5 – Of Gold & Blood

A traditional Easter cake, La Mona de Pascua, played a tender part in bringing about reconciliation between the key characters – Caleb Stewart and his beautiful French neighbor Madeleine Laurent in Unbridled Vengeance, Book 5 in the Of Gold & Blood series.

I’ve had a desire to try my hand at making one of these very special Easter treats ever since I discovered it and put it onto the Rancho Del Oro Sunday table. Caleb and Madeleine are making tentative steps back toward friendship after a harrowing time battling false accusations of a vicious double murder. Caleb has Spanish-Scottish ancestry, and his Spanish-Mexican mother maintains the old traditions which bring him a sense of peace in the surrounding turbulence.

The story behind the ‘Mona’ cake tradition

Easter week in Barcelona, known as Semana Santa (holy week), wouldn’t be a true Easter celebration without La Mona de Pascua. Traditionally godparents call their godchild Mona, a Moroccan word meaning “gift.”

There are two types of Mona de Pascua. The traditional cake consists of a giant doughnut covered with hard-boiled eggs (the number of eggs corresponding to the age of the godchild). Why eggs? Because observant Catholics did not eat meat or eggs during Lent – therefore the eggs were kept and used to make the egg for Easter weekend.

The more recent version of La Mona de Pascua doesn’t contain as many eggs. As pastry techniques advanced, bakers began making the eggs out of chocolate and added some apricot jam to fill the cake. Today, La Mona de Pascua is covered in chocolate frosting, almonds, chocolate eggs, colored feathers, and cartoon characters.

The tradition has become so popular that Catalonian bakers sell up to 600,000 cakes every year during the Easter season.

Here is how it unfolds in Unbridled Vengeance

Epilogue

Easter Sunday, April 17, 1870.

They gathered in the welcoming comfort of the Rancho Del Oro family room and watched as Dona Valentina wielded the big carving knife, slicing into the brightly festive Easter cake – La Mona de Pascua – Spain’s traditional Holy Week dessert – the centrepiece on the big oak lunch table.

Sir John raised a toast. ”To the vines. And to our two families. To quote an ancient Greek: ‘Where there is no wine, there is no love.’ I think you’d all agree, we’re blessed with both.”

A piece of the brightly decorated cake arrived at his elbow. It smiled up at him, the chunk of eggy sponge, enhanced with yeast, butter and almond flour to add to its deliciousness, finished off with a chocolate glaze and dotted sugared almonds. They looked like nothing as much as pastel bird’s eggs in pink and aqua, the most over-the-top confection you could imagine, with a final absurd finishing touch of a bright pink feather.

It took him right back to his childhood when his “godfather” Dougal and Aunt Dominga had been the ones to make and present the Easter cake.

He reached for the plate and turned in happy anticipation to thank the person delivering it. Madeleine stood there, her hand trembling as she extended the plate toward him.

He jumped to his feet, plopping the cake down on the table with a clumsy thunk as he stood.

“Madeleine . .  I . . .” His vocal chords locked up and he couldn’t get another word out. Even if he’d had an idea what that word should be. He considered the white sponge, the dark chocolate, the layers of glistening apricot jam, and had the irrepressible urge to dip into it. He wiped his index finger across the face of the cake and it came up dripping with jam and chocolate.

He sucked his finger, savored the sweet sugary rush, and then grinned over his shoulder. His voice had returned.

“I see you’ve been given the honor of distributing the cake! That’s no small feat.  When I was a child it was a much fought-over task!”

Her sea-green eyes widened in momentary shock, as if she’d steeled herself for rejection. The corners of her mouth crimped up.

“Oh no, Caleb. I’m quite undeserving, as you know.  But your family and Sir John’s have shown me nothing but grace and acceptance ever since I stepped onto these shores.”

Her voice quavered as she stood before him, holding on, not moving.

“There is so much packed into that statement, Madeleine.” He shook his head in mocking disagreement. “So much we wouldn’t agree on. It could take us all night to get to the bottom of it.”

He pushed back his chair from the table so that he was no longer standing with his back half turned to her. Her hands were empty.  The cake had apparently all been shared out, and around the table family members were happily tucking in, taking no notice of them. Or purposefully avoiding them. 

Aristide was calling for coffee, which Josefa was merrily dispensing. The seat next to him, which had been occupied by Mateo, was suddenly empty. The twins had disappeared outside, no doubt for a game of bochas.

“Madeleine, why don’t you sit down here? Share my cake. And tell me how it’s been going for you. If there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that both of our families are very glad you’re here. I know that’s the case for Josefa, and I’m pretty sure Graysie would say the same.”

Madeleine’s eyes seemed to darken to a deeper blue-green as he gazed into them. She slipped into the chair beside him, and gave a light silvery laugh.

“It’s a relief to be talking,” she said.  “Because I still haven’t had a chance to properly say thank you for saving my life.”

He caught Josefa’s sparkling eyes, one ironically raised eyebrow. 

This is your chance, brother. Don’t stuff it up.

He raised his brow in ironic response.

I haven’t got a clue what you’re getting at.

And Josefa laughed, a pealing joyful laugh like he hadn’t heard from her for a very long time. Before Rory even re-appeared in their lives.

Yes. Things are definitely changing for all of us.

Recipe for Special Spanish Easter Cake

Although the Dona Valentine baked would have contained yeast, I decided to make life easy for myself and choose a more “modern” version which does not bother with yeast….