Rosquillas look deceptively similar to donuts. But if you bite one without warning, you are up for a surprise, because they are crumbly, and sweet, and a bit tangy, and they taste like childhood, at least like my childhood. I remember being an enthusiastic sous chef while making these with my mom when I was little. Probably even with my grandma. My favorite part was eating the raw dough, decades before I grew scared of salmonella, aka, old.
I also remember my mom making rosquillas with my niece when I was a less enthusiastic teenager who wasn’t at all interested in cooking. But even at that time, I would still steal a few of these while passing through the kitchen. By then I liked them cooked, even a little burnt.
Then, I moved away, far far away, and one afternoon, when I had run out of ideas to entertain a toddler, I remembered the rosquillas. So I called my mom and asked her for her recipe. In a very motherlike fashion, she gave me very vague instructions. And for once, “harina la que coja” (pardon, my Mexican friends) is an accurate measure. It turns out that the amount of flour you need depends on the size of the eggs.
The most challenging step of this recipe is finding the anise liquor. I usually buy Marie Brizard at Binny’s. Every now and then I will find Anís el Mono, which is even better, and immediately transports me to the cabinet below the TV in my home in Spain. There was a cabinet like that in every house, and every family I know used it to store their spirits.
Once you gather and mix the ingredients, bring in your little chefs. They will be delighted to roll the play-doh like dough, and even more delighted to eat a few of these afterwards.
In just a few steps, you will not only feed them a homemade treat, but you will also provide them with sensory input. At least in our house it is much needed after three months of quarantining.
Rosquillas are perfect with coffee, or by themselves, and, in any case, but above all, they are perfect with kids.
Rosquillas
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup EVOO
- 1 cup anise liquor
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder You can add a bit more if you want them to be fluffier.
- 2-3 cups flour My mom always says "as much as it takes". That means that you should keep adding flour until you get a play-doh like consistency.
- 1.5 cups vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Beat the eggs and sugar together.
- Add the cup of anise liquor and the cup of EVOO and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour and the baking powder.
- Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
- Keep adding flour until you have a dough you can work and shape.
- Roll them in little long cylinders that you can tie to form rings.
- Heat the vegetable oil, and when it is hot, fry the rosquillas in it. After one minute, turn them so they are evenly cooked.
- Place them in a plate lined with paper towels to soak the excess oil.
- Enjoy!
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