OK, I've seen this in travel shows before where some of the convents in Spain will sell dulces thru a "lazy susan" or revolving window. Where abouts are these convents? We will be in Madrid then onto Andalucia.

Thanks.

I know there are a few in Andalucia; where are you going? It is really interesting to buy these products, often made by cloistered nuns, hence the shielded window or lazy susan.

I know we bought some in Sanlucar..

The towns we are staying in are: Madrid, Seville, Jerez, Ronda, Granada and Toledo. We'll have a car after we leave Seville. If anyone know the locations of these convents, please let me know.

We did this in Granada. It was in the Albaicin neighborhood and of course I can't remember the name of the convent but I think it was a Franciscan convent and monastery.

Dana

In Toledo you MUST eat mazapan; please see my trip report for the name of the famous makers of this sweet..I am sorry I cannot remember.

In Jerez, go to the Madres Dominicas on Espiritu Santo, #9 or the Madres Agustinas Ermitanas at Santa Maria de Gracia, #2.

In Sevilla, Convento de Santa Ines, Dona Maria Coronel, #5 or Convento de San Leandro at Pza San Idelfonso.

There are others but these should get your started. The Toledo recommendation is for the specialty of the city; I believe it is made by nuns along with regular makers in Toledo.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34810840

"dulces de monjas de clausura" will help you find out when you arrive at a city.

not sure if madrid still has one that sells to the public but toledo and sevilla do, for sure, as mentioned.

the egg yolk candies should not be kept very long. i don´t think they have any preservatives although they are cooked. i had to throw some out i was HOARDING and dosifying because they were so good!

just east them and enjoy them -. they are quite sweet though, and the cookies are pretty heavy.

it is the buying process that is interesting. have had better pastries/ candies/cookies elsewhere.

some of these convents are online now they said on a t.v. program!

Every year, for the past eight, there is a fair in Madrid, called "Expoclausura" it goes for 10 days in the ABC Serrano, shopping center, In the last edition there where 27 convents from all over Spain selling and offering their products.
I am trying to find a list of them but for the moment not succeding.
The product offered is traditional sweets and some wines and mermelades.
It will be interesting to elaborate a list.

i was unaware of this fair! it seems it goes on for 10 days before xmas.. from the 8-18th or so, more or less.

will have to make a point to go to try some new things.

thanks for the update, car.

ekscrunchy, thanks for the addresses. I noted them down. It would be fun for the kids.

You're welcome. It is a really fascinating experience, better than the actual sweets in my limited experience, as Lincas has already said.

Please do not skip the mazapan in Toledo, even if you think you do not like marzipan. If you are interested in reading about this sweet, there is a wonderful chapter in James Michener's book, Iberia, that discusses the manufacture and history.

I am an usual shopper at convents. Pastries etc. are hand made, with no additives, and a prayer. The revolving window is called the Torno. In old times, unwanted babies were left there for the nuns to care. Most enclosure convents have now permission to attend the customer directly, and not many still use the torno exclusively.
The marzipan in city of Toledo I buy at Convento de Santo Tome.

Darnit! Wish I knew about this when I was in Spain a few years ago. Will have to search out convents for future Spanish pastries...

We did this in Madrid, wish I could remember the address but we read about it in either lonely planet or rough guide. You have to know exactly where you're going or it's impossible to find.It's strange and memorable and the cookies are delicious.