 |
| Rosquillas de San Isidro--ring cookies for the saint's day. |
Did you pay homage to San Isidro yesterday (May 15)? Patron saint of Madrid, San Isidro is the cause for a week’s celebration in the city, with deliciously old-fashioned customs such as donning the traditional puffy-sleeved chulapa dress with a pair of red carnations tucked in your kerchiefed head (or for the gentlemen, white shirts and checkered vests) and dancing the chotis; drinking the curative spring water at the saint’s shrine, and, even if you don’t take a picnic to the Pradera de San Isidro (San Isidro's meadow), at least partaking of a few rosquillas listas y tontas.
 |
| La Pradera de San Isidro, sketch by Francisco de Goya (Museo del Prado) |
Rosquillas are ring cookies, a kissing cousin to doughnuts. They come both “listas” and “tontas”—"smarties" or "dummies". They are basically the same cookies, but the “smarties,” with sugar glaze, are fancier than the plain “dummies.”
Did you know that Madrid is the only European capital with Muslim origin? At the time of San Isidro’s birth (1070), the village of Madrid was part of the taifa (Islamic emirate) of Toledo. His family belonged to the Mozarab population, Christians who lived in a Muslim culture. (The word “mozárabe” comes from Arabic and means “would-be Arab”). Following the Christian reconquest of Toledo, Madrid would become part of the Christian kingdom of Castilla. Known as the patron saint of campesinos, peasants and farm workers, the devout San Isidro is often depicted at prayer while angels plow the fields.
Rosquillas de San Isidro
Ring Cookies for San Isidro Day
 |
| Rosquillas are perfect for a tea party--or a picnic. |
These cookies are not overly sweet. Too much sugar makes a sticky dough that is hard to work with. If you like more sweetness, go for the rosquillas listas, with a white icing. The ingredients given for the icing/glaze, with a whole egg white, will make enough for 16 rosquillas. If you’re only glazing half of them, you’ll have leftover icing.
If you like the flavor of anise a lot, add a tablespoon of anise liqueur to the dough in addition to the aniseed. If you don’t like it at all, substitute cinnamon for the aniseed.
Knead the dough very briefly with only a little additional flour to make a soft dough that, although slightly sticky, can be rolled into small balls. Let the dough rest before rolling into balls to shape the rosquillas. Dip fingers into additional oil to roll the dough. Place the rings well separated, as they will expand in baking. Some may even bake closed in the center. (I wonder if these are the smarties or dumb-ies?)
The ring cookies are perfect for dunking—in coffee, tea, milk, or an herbal tisane. They are also a perfect accompaniment to sweet wine. Pack them on a picnic to the shrine of San Isidro or serve them for breakfast or snack any time of the year.
 |
| Looped on cords of rushes for picnic |
Makes 16 (3-inch) ring cookies.
2 ½ cups flour + more for shaping dough
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons aniseed
4 eggs (1 separated)
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil + more for shaping dough
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Sift together the 2 ½ cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the aniseed.
In a mixing bowl on medium-high speed, beat 3 eggs with the sugar until the eggs are light in color, increased in volume, and very slightly thickened. Beat in the oil.
Add the flour mixture to the eggs and combine well to make a soft dough. Knead in just enough additional flour so that the dough can be gathered into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and rest the dough 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate for longer.
Preheat oven to 425ºF with convection fan (or 450ºF without fan). Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Place a spoonful of oil in a small bowl. Dip fingers into the oil to prevent dough from sticking. Divide dough into 16 walnut-size balls (approx. 1.4 ounces each). Place them 1 ½ inches apart on the baking sheet.
Dip a finger into the oil and press into the center of each ball of dough to open a hole and stretch the dough into a ring.
Mix 1 egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of water. Brush the tops of the cookies. Bake them until nicely browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool cookies on racks.
Place 1 egg white in a bowl and beat until foamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat at high speed 4 minutes. Beat in the lemon juice.
Place half of the cookies on a rack over sheet pan or paper to catch the drips. Either spoon the egg white glaze over them or else carefully dip them, topside down, into the egg white glaze. Place the rack in turned-off oven to dry for 15 minutes. The remaining unglazed cookies are the tontas.
More recipes for roscos/rosquillas:
Orange-Scented Ring Cookies (Roscos de Naranja)
This recipe appears in FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain (Hippocrene Books; 2025). (See below for where to order.)
This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking.
Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. (Hippocrene Books)
Order on IndiePubs (USA)
Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.
***
Order on amazon (USA)
(If you order on Amazon, please give my book a review!)
***
No comments:
Post a Comment