Old Fashion Donuts Basque Rosquillas Recipes

ROSQUILLAS (SPANISH DOUGHNUTS)

Steps:

• Heat oil in a deep pan and add rind of 2 lemons.
• Cook until browned.
• Place aniseeds in a small sieve and fry in the same oil.
• Set aside and drain.
• Allow oil to cool.
• Whisk eggs until creamy and fluffy.
• Slowly add sugar, lemon rind and aniseeds, liquor.
• Take four tablespoons of the oil used to fry lemon rind and aniseeds and add to mixture.
• Add flour and baking powder bit by bit, mixing well each time to make a dough.
• Knead dough on a floured surface and make donut shapes by taking a large spoonful of dough and rolling it between hands and joining well to make donut shape.
• Heat the oil again and fry doughnuts until browned.
• Drain and roll in sugar.
• Allow to cool before storing in an airtight container.

SPANISH ROSQUILLAS (FRIED CAKES)

Steps:

• Sift flour into a bowl; add sugar, egg, baking powder, vanilla, and butter.
• Mix with wooden spoon until you have a firm dough.
• Leave in warm room to let dough rise slightly.
• Shape into circlets or half moons about the diameter of a silver dollar, and spread as evenly as possible so that they'll cook through.
• Fry in a small amount of hot butter about 4 minutes but do not burn.
• Sift confectioners' sugar over and serve warm.
• Makes about 18 cakes Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery.

THE BEST OLD-FASHIONED DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, 1 1/4 teaspoons of the salt and the nutmeg in a large bowl until completely combined. Whisk together 2/3 cup of the buttermilk, the sour cream, eggs, yolks, 1 tablespoon of the vanilla paste and the oil in a medium bowl until completely combined. Fold the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients just until a soft and sticky dough comes together (do not overwork).
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and liberally dust with flour (about 1/3 cup).
• Scrape the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Dust your hands and the top of the dough with more flour, then gently pat the dough to 3/4-inch thick.
• Working on the baking sheet, punch out as many rounds as you can with a 3 1/4-inch cutter. Then use a 1 1/4-inch cutter to punch out the center of each round. Dip the cutters in flour before each cut to avoid sticking. Gather the dough scraps and gently re-roll without overworking the dough. Repeat cutting until all the dough has been used (you should have 8 doughnuts).
• Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and line a second rimmed baking sheet with several layers of paper towels. Fit a large heavy pot with a deep-fry thermometer and pour in oil to a depth of 3 inches. Heat over medium-high until the thermometer registers 375 degrees F.
• Fry the doughnuts in batches until deep golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the wire rack and let cool slightly. Fry the doughnut holes until deep golden brown, about 90 seconds per side. Transfer to the wire rack and let drain for 1 minute. Then transfer to the paper-towel lined baking sheet to cool for 10 minutes before glazing. (This two-step process gets a lot more oil out of the doughnuts than using only one method.) Repeat with the remaining dough, making sure the oil returns to temperature between batches.
• Whisk together the confectioners' sugar, the remaining 6 tablespoons buttermilk, the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla paste and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl until the glaze is smooth and the consistency of honey; add more confectioners' sugar or buttermilk if necessary.
• Dip each doughnut into the glaze on one side (we like the craggy side, it has more texture for an appetizing appearance), letting the excess drip back into the bowl, then return it to the wire rack. Toss the doughnut holes in the glaze to coat completely and return to the wire rack. Let the glaze set for 10 minutes before serving.

ROSQUILLAS

Steps:

• Place anise seeds and extra virgin olive oil in a pan. Fry anise seeds for about 30-60 seconds (Be careful since seeds will burn very quickly). Allow to cool.
• Whisk eggs with sugar, lemon rind from the 2 lemons, anise extract, milk and anise seeds and oil.
• Add flour and baking powder bit by bit until dough is firm and not sticky. (If dough appears dry you can add a little bit more milk).
• Knead dough on a floured surface and make doughnut shapes.
• Heat the oil and fry doughnuts until brown.
• Drain and roll in sugar. Store in an airtight container.

HAM CROQUETTES

Steps:

• Place melted butter and 2/3 cups flour in a heavy 2 quart saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk constantly. When the mixture turns into a thick paste, gradually whisk in the scaled milk. When the milk is consumed, gently stir parsley, green onion and ham into the butter, flour and milk mixture. Chill this mixture for several hours or overnight.
• Shape the filling into the size of a small thin kiwi. Dip croquettes into the flour and then into the egg mixture. Roll them in bread crumbs. Deep fry them at 400 degrees until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.