For the first time ever, the recipes for pintxos—the small dishes found in bars in Basque Country—are gathered to present the definitive bible on this significant food of Basque culture, along with the history and people who created them, written by award-winning author Marti Buckley. 

* Named a Best New Cookbook of Spring 2024 by Epicurious

Nestled in the Old Town of San Sebastián, Spain, is a culinary tradition unlike any other in the world: the pintxo. Ranging from a simple anchovy-and-pepper toothpick skewer to a decadent dish of tender beef cheek over creamy potatoes, pintxos are impressive, well thought-out dishes, distilling ingredient know-how and creative cooking techniques into just a few bites. Bar owners take pride in their pintxo recipes, which are often closely protected and passed down through generations. In the first authoritative book on this subject, author and Basque transplant Marti Buckley defines what makes a pintxo, traces its history back several decades, and shares the recipes so home cooks can authentically recreate these tiny morsels in their own kitchens.

Through 70 recipes, bar profiles, histories, and vivid photographs, The Book of Pintxos unlocks a window into this dynamic Basque food culture for curious eaters everywhere.

Mini Ice Pops

Mini Polo

The cuteness factor of this pintxo is off the charts. These ice creams are the ubiquitous premium industrial frozen dessert offering in Spain, and this pinto riffs on their familiar shape with a totally gourmet and artisan twist. A tiny ice pop mold is filled with a mixture of cream and Idiazabal cheese, which has been melted into a smooth cream and folded, semifreddo-style, into whipped cream. The frozen pops are bathed in white chocolate and sprinkled with dried raspberries—a delicious, show-stopping dessert.

MAKES B

1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream

5 ounces (140 g) Idiazabal cheese, grated

7 ounces (200 g) white chocolate, chopped

2 tablespoons cocoa butter drops (see Note)

2 tablespoons roughly chopped freeze-dried raspberries

Black olive powder (optional)

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

8 mini silicone ice pop molds with wooden sticks

Prepare a hot water bath by setting a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, or use a double boiler. Add ½ cup (120 ml) of the heavy cream and the cheese to the bowl or the top of the double boiler and stir gently, being careful not to let them scorch, until the mixture is smooth and creamy, a minute or two.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.

In a large bowl using a handheld mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the remaining ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream to stiff peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the cooled cheese mixture.

Place the sticks in the ice pop mold and fill just to the top with the cheese-cream mixture. Transfer to the freezer and freeze until completely solid, at least 12 hours or up to overnight.

Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water or in the top of a double boiler, stirring occasionally. Alternatively, you can heat the chocolate in the microwave in 15-second bursts, stirring after each burst, until most of the chocolate is melted.

When the white chocolate is almost completely melted, remove from the heat, stir in the cocoa butter drops, and let stand, stirring occasionally, until the cocoa butter has melted; the mixture will look slightly grainy. Return to the hot water bath once or twice if necessary to melt the cocoa butter drops fully. Then stir the mixture well; the chocolate should look smooth and not at all grainy, and the temperature should be around 87°F (29.5°C).

Unmold the frozen cheese pops. One by one, coat them in the melted white chocolate, rotating to coat all sides, and then, before the chocolate has fully set, decorate with a sprinkling of raspberry pieces and, if using, a dash of olive powder, and set on a baking sheet. Transfer to the refrigerator and let set completely.

The coated pops can be refrigerated for up to 6 hours before serving. You can also make them further ahead and keep them frozen until you are ready to use them. Allow them to defrost overnight in the refrigerator to prevent condensation from forming on the pops.

NOTE

The cocoa butter drops used in this recipe are to be used at 10 to 15 percent the weight of the chocolate. If using a different type of cocoa butter or a cocoa butter powder, follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding proportions.

Excerpted from The Book of Pintxos: Discover the Legendary Small Bites of Basque Country by Marti Buckley (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2024. Photographs Copyright © 2024 by Simon Bajada.