Wine-soaked Panetelitas

Panetela

1. Preheat the oven to 375 °F (190 °C).
2. Separate the egg whites from the yolks and beat the whites to stiff peaks with a pinch of salt.
3. Add the sugar little by little without stopping beating.
4. Incorporate the yolks and the vanilla, and integrate all ingredients well.
5. Sift the flour with the baking powder and add it to the mixture with folding movements, so that the batter traps air and the panetela becomes very fluffy.

   

6. Grease the bottom and sides of a square mold (preferably the oven tray) with butter and dust it with flour. It should have a very thin layer without lumps; otherwise, when flipping the panetela, there will be areas with excess flour.
7. Pour the mixture into the mold: it should form a thin layer of batter.
8. Bake at 350 °F (180 °C) until well golden and, when inserting a skewer in the center, it comes out dry.
9. Let the panetela cool before removing it from the mold.

Syrup

10. In a saucepan, put the water, wine, sugar and a cinnamon stick over low heat and mix well.
11. Cook slowly until you obtain a light syrup, without thickening it too much. The ideal point is the thread stage: when lifting the spoon, the syrup falls forming an unbroken thread.

Assembly

12. Cut the panetela into equal parts and place them on a tray.
13. Pour the syrup over them until they are well soaked.

    

14. Let them cool and decorate them to your liking, for example with a touch of meringue and fruit.