#WeeklyRecipe - Hibiscus Kissed Picarones - Peruvian Inspired Fried Pastry

 

Picarones are a fried Peruvian pastry served with an aromatic syrup. I remember eating them freshly fried for "merienda" time, do you know what merienda is? - It's a wonderful time, if you ask me.

My grandma (Luz Guillen) used to cook these pastries for my siblings, cousins and myself, they were delicious and we always wanted more. She used to make her syrup with raw sugar cane, cinnamon, star anise and cloves. 

Fast forward 17+ years, and here I am, adapting her recipe to accomodate for quick cooking, and to play with the flavours we've been developing at Playingw/Food.

This recipe is extra special to us today because we're making it to celebrate Hanukkah. It's amazing how this dish originated in Lima during the viceroyalty, it's a type of donut brought to the colonies by Spanish conquistadors, Peruvians made it their own, my grandma (Luz Guillen) introduced it to me while we lived in Venezuela. Now I live in Canada, and I developed this recipe to celebrate Hanukkah, using our mexican inspired spice, WOW!

We hope you are having a wonderful time with family and friends, and that you enjoy this recipe!

Hibiscus Kissed Picarones - Peruvian Inspired Fried Pastry

Ingredients:

150g water
30g sweet potato
30g squash
100g unsalted butter cubed at room temp
200g AP flour
113g large eggs, 2 eggs
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp white sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract Oil for frying

Procedure:

1. Place salt, water, sugar and butter in a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
2. When the water is starting to boil add the flour, do this with the saucepan away from the heat, vigorously mix the flour in, so that it absorbs all of the water, use a wooden spoon or spatula to do this.
3. When the flour has absorbed the water and it's forming a dough, return the pan to the stove.
4. Cook the dough for 2 minutes, once the dough pulls away from the sides, turn it off and stir in one egg at a time. Once incorporated. It’s ready!
5. Put the dough in a piping bag or zip top bag, whatever is available, allow to cool on the counter before frying.
6. Heat up oil to 350°F, fry until golden, pour syrup on pastries right before eating!

Picarones Syrup:

Ingredients:

100g Water
75g Hibiscus Kissed Sugar
25g Dark Brown Sugar
1 Star Anise
1 Cinnamon Stick

Procedure:

1. Add all ingredients to a saucepan, allow the sugar to melt, cool before use.
2. Enjoy with your favourite pastries, fried doughs, pancakes or waffles!