CHRISTMAS, this consensual Season.
If you look for the meaning of Christmas in to a Dictionary or an encyclopedia, you will find something like “The annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth”. Although a Christian holiday, Christmas is widely celebrated by millions of non-Christians, all around the world. But Christmas is much more then this celebration. Christmas is tolerance, compassion, blessing, sharing and so many other noble feelings people should practice everyday… Never forget, Christmas is every time people want!
Of course, Christmas is also a relaxing season to be with your family and friends, to stay home, to cook, to seat around the dining table, eating and talking. That’s why I say Christmas is SWEET, VERY SWEET…
This Christmas I selected three different delicacies from Portugal, traditionally prepared in this Season to stand over the table as far as it lasts.
All are deep-fried in vegetable oil and powdered with granulated sugar mixed with ground cinnamon. But all with a low portion of sugar in its composition. So, don’t be scared.
SONHOS, The Portuguese word for “dreams”, is basically a deep fried batter of boiled pumpkin pure with all-purpose flour and egg.
FILHÓS is a deep fried dough molded in a flat square shape. It is a combination of all-purpose flour, orange juice, boiled fennel water, aguardente (same kind of Italian grappa), some sugar and oil or butter.
PASTEIS DE GRÃO are small pies shaped in pillows. Using the same dough of the previous FILHÓS, pillows are stuffed with a paste made from chickpeas pure, almond, sugar, orange juice and egg yolk.
As this three recipes have basically the same ingredients, you can prepare it all at the same time and use the same vegetable oil to fry it. I’m sure you will like all of this suggestions.
Wish you all a VERY SWEET CHRISTMAS.
SONHOSYOU WILL NEED:
500 gr / 1 lb and 1 ½ oz of boiled pumpkin;
325 gr / 11 ½ oz of all-purpose flour;
1 tablespoon of yeast;
3 eggs;
Pinch of salt;
Vegetable oil to fry;
Granulated sugar and ground cinnamon to powder.
METHOD:
Chose a pumpkin of good quality, with a sharp orange color, with more then 1 kg / 2 lb and 3 ¼ oz (you should get 500 gr / 1 lb and 1 ½ oz of pulp). Remove seeds and skin and boil it covered with water for around 20 minutes;
Drain the boiled pumpkin using a sifter and reserve it until cold;
In a bowl, using a fork, smash the pulp making a pure;
Wisk organic yeast in one or two tablespoons of warm water and add it to the pumpkin pure;
Gradually, add all-purpose flour to the pure and incorporate it very well;
Add the whole eggs and a pinch of salt and incorporate it very well again;
Reserve your batter in a warm place (ideal around 35º C / 95º F) and let it probe for around 40 minutes;
In a frying pan or pot, heat a good portion of vegetable oil (should be deep enough to allow the fritters to float);
Using an ice-cream spoon or two tablespoons, shape small balls of batter and fry it until golden brown (the size of ice-cream balls);
Place over paper towels to dry;
Powder the fritters all around with mixed granulated sugar with ground cinnamon and let it cool before serve.
Chose a pumpkin of good quality, with a sharp orange color, with more then 1 kg / 2 lb and 3 ¼ oz (you should get 500 gr / 1 lb and 1 ½ oz of pulp). Remove seeds and skin and boil it covered with water for around 20 minutes;
Drain the boiled pumpkin using a sifter and reserve it until cold;
In a bowl, using a fork, smash the pulp making a pure;
Wisk organic yeast in one or two tablespoons of warm water and add it to the pumpkin pure;
Gradually, add all-purpose flour to the pure and incorporate it very well;
Add the whole eggs and a pinch of salt and incorporate it very well again;
Reserve your batter in a warm place (ideal around 35º C / 95º F) and let it probe for around 40 minutes;
In a frying pan or pot, heat a good portion of vegetable oil (should be deep enough to allow the fritters to float);
Using an ice-cream spoon or two tablespoons, shape small balls of batter and fry it until golden brown (the size of ice-cream balls);
Place over paper towels to dry;
Powder the fritters all around with mixed granulated sugar with ground cinnamon and let it cool before serve.
FILHÓSYOU WILL NEED:
700 gr / 1 lb and 8 ¾ oz of all-purpose flour;
1 egg;
Pinch of salt;
Juice of one orange;
1 cup of boiled fennel seeds filtered water (at least 2 tablespoons of seeds);
2 tablespoons of sugar;
50 cl / 1 ¾ fl oz of aguardente (or grappa, or cognaque);
2 to 3 tablespoons of butter or vegetable oil;
Vegetable oil to fry;
Granulated sugar and ground cinnamon to powder.
METHOD:
If you want to knead the dough by yourself, prepare all ingredients before. If you use a bread machine or similar to knead it, just follow the same ingredients adding order;
Pile the flour on to a clean surface and make a well in the centre. Into the well, pour the egg, half the boiled fennel seeds filtered water, pinch of salt, orange juice and sugar. Start to bring the flour in to the centre until the flour absorbs all liquids;
Add remaining fennel seeds water, butter, aguardente and continue to knead until it's well incorporated;
Flour your hands and knead the dough, pushing, folding and rolling it around, over and over, for at least 10 minutes until you have a soft elastic dough (adjust with a little more butter if it isn’t with a good consistency to mould);
In a warm place (ideal around 35º C / 95º F) allow it to rest for about 40 minutes;
Flour a clean surface and pick up small portions of dough. Use your fingers and lightly press the dough flat. You have now prepared the dough for rolling. Use a rolling pin and further flatten it in rectangles (A5 paper size), as thinner as you can (you can save half of this dough to make the next recipe);
Use a knife to shape the fritters, removing the dough excess. Make some slashes along the rectangles to allow a better and faster fry;
In a frying pan or pot, heat a good portion of vegetable oil (should be deep enough to allow the fritters to float);
Fry your rectangles until golden brown and remove it gently from the frying pan;
Place over paper towels to dry;
Powder the fritters all around with mixed granulated sugar with ground cinnamon and let it cool before serve.
PASTEIS DE GRÃO YOU WILL NEED:
DOUGH:
You can use half of the FILHÓS dough to make this recipe, or make a dough with half of those mentioned ingredients, following the same method.
STUFFING:
200 gr / 7 ¼ oz of boiled chickpeas;
100 gr / 3 ½ oz of peeled almond slices;
150 gr / 5 ¼ oz of sugar;
Juice and zests of one orange;
2 egg yolks;
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon;
Vegetable oil to fry;
Granulated sugar and ground cinnamon to powder.
METHOD:
Use canned and boiled chickpeas to save time. Just wash and boil it for 10 minutes more;
Drain the boiled chickpeas using a sifter and make a pure in a blender;
In a small pot, bring sugar to a clear liquid stage (160º C / 320º F);
Add chickpeas pure and almond slices. Stir very well;
Add orange juice and zests and stir again;
On low heat, add cinnamon and egg yolks and keep stirring;
Cut the heat when you have a pure with a good consistence to stuff your fritters. Let it cool down;
Now you can stuff your fritters. Flour a clean surface and pick up small portions of dough. Use your fingers and lightly press the dough flat. Use a rolling pin and further flatten the balls into 15 cm / 6 inch circles, as thinner as you can;
Place a proportional spoon of pure in the center of your dough circles and fold it in a half moon shape, closing it with your fingers. If you need, use a brush with water to wet the dough and close it better.
In a frying pan or pot, heat a good portion of vegetable oil (should be deep enough to allow the fritters to float);
Fry your fritters until golden brown and remove it gently from the frying pan;
Place over paper towels to dry;
Powder the fritters all around with mixed granulated sugar with ground cinnamon and let it cool before serve.
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