Pionono

Pionono is a thin sponge cake rolled around a filling, a party staple of the Argentine table, brought by Spanish immigrants from Granada, where the dish originated (named after Pope Pius IX, pio nono). In Argentina it is made in both sweet and savoury versions: sweet, rolled with dulce de leche, whipped cream or pastry cream; savoury, rolled with ham, cheese, hard-boiled eggs and mayonnaise, sliced into spirals for parties. The sponge is baked in a thin sheet in a Swiss-roll pan, turned out, spread with filling, and rolled up while still warm and flexible. The Argentine version is characteristically generous with the filling, especially the dulce de leche version.

A soft, thin sponge rolled tight around a generous layer of dulce de leche or savoury ham and cheese, sliced into spirals that show the swirl. Each bite is soft, sweet (or salty) and comforting, the sponge barely there beneath the filling.

The technique is a thin sponge rolled while warm. Eggs and sugar are beaten until pale and thick, flour folded in gently, and the batter spread very thin on a lined Swiss-roll pan. Baked at 200 degrees C for 8 to 10 minutes, no longer, the sponge must remain flexible. The hot sponge is turned out onto a cloth dusted with sugar, the lining paper peeled off, and the filling spread immediately while the sponge is warm. The sponge is rolled up tightly using the cloth, then cooled seam-side down. The warmth is critical: a cold sponge cracks when rolled. The thinness is critical: too thick and it cannot roll without cracking.