Read in Catalan

This week, for El Nacional's dessert section, our chef, Romain Fornell, and pastissiers Eddi Artega and Rocío Parejo have prepared us some aniseed doughnuts, or rosquilles d'anís, to give them their Catalan name. And because we'll bake them they're easier and a touch healthier than the deep-fried versions you might be familiar with.

In Catalonia, these are one of the classic sweet pastries of the Easter period. Others to try if you have the chance being llesques amb ou and bunyols. Easter is a slightly bigger deal in Spain than in the UK or the US, and around the peninsula you can find a huge range of recipes for the season. That doesn't mean though that people only make and eat them in Spring...

Rocío shows us how to make these very easy treats in the video (written instructions below). We give the classic recipe a special something from orange zest, but if you prefer lime you can go for that instead for a slightly more acidic result. 

Ingredients:

  • all-purpose flour - 180g / 6.3oz / 1.5cups
  • granulated sugar - 35g / 1.2oz / 3tbsp
  • granulated sugar - 150g / 5.2oz / 0.75cups
  • egg - 40g / 1 small
  • anisette (anise-flavoured liquer) - 40ml / 2.5tbps
  • milk - 40ml / 2.5tbps
  • baking powder - 4g / 1tsp 
  • grated orange zest
  • splash of olive oil
  • white whine - 30ml / 2tbps
  • water - 150ml / 5fl.oz / 0.5cups

Recipe:

  1. Beat the egg and mix in the 35g of sugar
  2. Add the splash of oil and mix in
  3. Mix the flour and baking powder, then start adding this mixture in batches
  4. Add the milk, then the white wine, then the anisette
  5. Once all this is incorporated add the zest of one orange
  6. Cover and leave to rest in the fridge
  7. After 20 minutes, flour a surface, and, relatively gently, break the dough into balls
  8. Roll these balls into sausage shapes (see video) and form into doughnut rings
  9. Place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper
  10. Brush with egg
  11. Bake at 170ºC / 340ºF for 20 minutes
  12. Make a syrup with the water and a third of the remaining sugar
  13. Bathe the doughnuts in the syrup
  14. Roll them in the remaining sugar