Delicious Desserts to Eat During Holy Week
The 4 most typical and easy to make fried sweets of Semana Santa
Spain has a long tradition of sweet making, dating back to the nuns and monks who made them in the monasteries and convents, and in several places, still do. During Easter, shops and bakeries are filled with the delicious aromas of these popular desserts, but you don’t need a holiday as an excuse to make them. These simple recipes can be made at home any time of the year and for any occasion.
Buñuelos de viento - “airy” donut fritter balls.
These super yummy donut balls are light and airy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. They’re cheap and easy to cook which makes them a perfect quick dessert for any occasion. They’re usually eaten during Lent and Easter and can be filled with cream, custard or chocolate.
Recipe:
280ml milk
90g butter
peel of one washed lemon
a stick of cinnamon (or tsp ground cinnamon)
200g flour
pinch of salt
40g sugar
1 packet of dry yeast (1-1.5 tsp)
3 eggs
olive oil
Heat milk and butter with the cinnamon and lemon peel. Take it off heat before the milk boils and leave to rest a couple of minutes before straining.
Add the flour, salt, sugar and yeast and mix well. Beat the eggs and add to the mixture little by little, until it forms a smooth thick paste.
With two spoons, shape the paste into a ball and drop gently into a deep pan of hot oil (though the oil must not be too hot) and let them fry gently until golden and crunchy.
Drain on kitchen paper and coat in sugar. Leave to cool and serve. Other flavours can be added to the mixture, such as anise or liquors.
Leche frita - fried milk
Popular at any time of the year, this simple traditional dessert is especially enjoyed during fiestas such as Easter and Carnival. Somewhere between French toast and a croquette, leche frita is an easy to make, delicious and creamy must-try-at-least-once treat.
Recipe:
600ml milk
150g sugar
100g cornflour (cornstarch)
a few strips of peel from one orange and one lemon
stick of cinnamon (or tsp of powdered cinnamon)
1 egg
50g flour
olive oil
Add the peel and cinnamon to the milk and let simmer gently on the heat for 5 minutes. Strain the peel and cinnamon stick.
Dissolve the cornflour in a little milk before adding it to the rest of the milk along with the sugar. Mix well and simmer for 8 more minutes, stirring continuously on a low heat, so as to avoid lumping.
Grease a shallow dish and pour in the mixture. Leave to cool before putting it in the fridge for a few hours to become firm.
Once firm, cut into large bite-size squares. Coat the square in flour, then beaten egg and drop gently into hot oil.
Fry until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with sugar and powdered cinnamon. Leave to cool and serve.
Pestiños de miel - honey fritters
With tones of anise and sweetened with honey, these fried delights are a popular and easy dessert eaten during Easter, Carnival and Christmas. They come in all sizes and usually in the shape of a folded serviette. Honey can be substituted with sugar.
520g of flour
100ml of olive oil
100ml white wine
10g of anise seeds
200g of honey
pinch of salt
peel of one lemon
olive oil for frying
Put the oil in a pan, add the anise and warm on a low heat. Take it off the heat before it starts to smoke and let cool. Strain the oil and mix it with the wine and 100ml of water. Add the salt and 500g of the flour little by little. Mix to a smooth dough.
Let the dough rest a few minutes and then roll out thinly onto a floured surface. Cut the dough into 6cm squares and fold two opposite corners to the centre of the square joining the corners in the middle.
Fry the pestiños gently in the hot oil (not too hot) till golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.
In a small saucepan, combine 100ml of water, the honey and lemon peel and simmer slowly until it forms a syrup.
Place the pestiños on a wire rack and drizzle the cooled syrup over them. Let them cool before serving. As an alternative to honey, sprinkle sugar over the warm pestiños.
Torrijas - French toast (kinda)
Spain’s softer and less eggy version of French toast is one of the quickest and easiest desserts to make and a great way to get rid of stale bread. Torrijas are eaten any time of the year, but are a special favourite when the whole family gets together during Easter and other festivities. And of course, sweet sherry or liquors can be added to the milk for that extra oomph.
Recipe:
250ml of milk
1 stick of cinnamon (or 1tsp cinnamon powder)
½ loaf of day-old (or older) bread
1 dessert spoon of sugar
1 egg
honey
olive oil
In a saucepan, combine the milk, sugar and cinnamon. Heat until it reaches boiling point, reduce heat and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
Take off heat, cover and let cool. Cut the bread into 2cm thick slices and place them flat in a shallow dish. Pour the milk over the slices until they are soaked through.
Beat the eggs in a bowl. Drain the slices of bread a little before dunking them quickly in the egg mixture and then fry in hot oil on both sides until golden. Let them drain on kitchen paper and leave to cool.
Sprinkle with sugar or honey before serving.
These recipes were adapted from: Cocina Facil. (in Spanish)