The only remaining tradition celebrating the Feast of the Virgins on 21 October in Mallorca is the appearance of buñuelos. Made from potato and sprinkled with sugar, they resemble small ring doughnuts.

Over time, the simple buñuelo was refined to include cream or custard and even covered with chocolate sauce, so that it came to resemble a profiterole. Cream-filled buñuelos are on sale at bakeries throughout the month of October, prior to the Feast of the Virgins. In Palma, as well as in the towns and villages of the Island, it is common to find buñuelo stalls springing up in the streets and markets to mark the occasion, and these are more likely to provide the real thing.

Traditional recipe
Ingredients
5 medium potatoes (approx 400 g.)
200 g sweet potato
yeast
1 egg
100 cl milk
Small amount lard, the size of a nut
1/2 k flour approx - to make a stiffish dough

Method
Boil the potatoes and the sweet potato in a small amount of water until they can be puréed. Dissolve the yeast in warm water and then add the egg and the lard. Add the purée and the cup of milk. Add the flour, little by little until a stiffish dough is obtained. Put on one side until the dough has doubled or tripled in size. Cook small nut-sized balls in abundant very hot oil (the hole may be made with the thumb), and serve sprinkled with sugar or honey.