If you are in Madrid for the weekend of San Isidro, there is no doubt you will pass by these delicious delicacies while taking a stroll down the festive streets. Rosquillas are a popular Spanish pastry traditionally eaten in May during Madrid’s San Isidro celebrations. These little doughnuts can be prepared four different ways, and take on a different name depending on how you make them! Here’s a rundown…
Las listas (‘the smart ones’) – rosquillas covered in a lemon sugar glaze
Las tontas (‘the dumb ones’) – regular rosquillas without any coating
Las de Santa Clara – rosquillas covered with a dry merengue coating
Las francesas – rosquillas covered in a sugar glaze with almonds
Rosquillas can be fairly easy to make, and after you have the doughnut base all you have to do is decide what kind of rosquilla you want! Below you will find a recipe for some smart doughnuts, a.k.a. rosquillas listas.
Ingredients: (one dozen rosquillas)
- 250 g of flour
- 100 g of sugar
- 5 g of powdered yeast
- 3 eggs
- 6 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup of aniseeds
- 1 teaspoon of crushed aniseeds
Glaze coating
- 150 g of sugar
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup of aniseeds
Directions:
- In a bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together until you have a fluid consistency. Add the oil, aniseeds and crushed aniseeds.
- Slowly incorporate the sifted flour and yeast into the mixture, and beat until you have a doughy mass.
- Grease oven tray. Cut dough into 12 little balls. Crush them and make a hole in the center of each.
- Separate dough balls onto oven tray, and let them sit for about 30 minutes.
- Cook in oven at medium temperature for another 30 minutes.
*While waiting for the doughnuts to bake, begin preparing the glaze bath…
- Mix in a bowl the egg white, sugar, and lemon juice.
- Beat mixture with a wooden spoon until it is fully white.
- Add aniseeds and 1 tablespoon of water.
- Bathe the donuts immediately after baking. Let them sit in glaze until dry.