Pristiños

Layla Pujol’s pristiños are Christmas fritters from Ecuador, usually shaped as crowns and served with miel de panela. This selected fried version uses cinnamon-, clove- and anise-flavoured water in a butter-and-egg dough, with aguardiente and lemon juice.

A cup of water simmers with three cinnamon sticks, two cloves and a teaspoon of anise seeds in a small saucepan for fifteen minutes. The mixture is strained to remove the spices, and the flavoured water is left warm for the dough.

The selected processor combines the listed flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, then mixes in butter and two eggs. Lemon juice, aguardiente and half a cup of the same spiced water are added. Extra spiced water is added by the tablespoon if the dough is dry, then the dough is worked into a ball and rests at room temperature for about an hour.

The dough is divided in two. Each portion is rolled thin on a floured surface, cut into long strips with small cuts along one side, and joined into crowns with the fringes facing outward.

The crowns fry on both sides in a medium pot of oil until golden, then rest on a paper-towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. They are served immediately with the selected prepared miel de panela and an optional dusting of ground cinnamon.