← Nouns Cooking · Spanish

Ingredients

• 250 ml Water
• 40 g unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 lemon, zest only
• 150 g plain flour
• 4 medium eggs
• 1 l sunflower oil, for frying
• 100 g caster sugar, for coating
• 200 ml whipping cream, whipped, to fill (optional)

Method

1. Put the water, butter, 1 tbsp sugar, salt and lemon zest in a pan and bring to the boil over medium heat.
2. Tip in all the flour at once, take the pan off the heat and beat hard with a wooden spoon. Return it to low heat and keep beating for 1–2 min, until the dough forms a smooth ball that leaves the sides of the pan.
3. Let the dough cool for 5 min, then beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully mixed in before adding the next. It should be smooth, glossy and drop slowly from the spoon.
4. Heat the oil in a deep pan to 170°C (340°F); too hot and they brown before puffing. Drop in heaped teaspoons of dough, a few at a time, using a second spoon to push them off.
5. Fry for 5–7 min, until they puff up, turn themselves over and are golden all round. Drain on kitchen paper and roll in the caster sugar while warm.
6. Eat as they are, or pipe whipped cream into the hollow centres once cool.

Tips

• Wet the spoons in cold water between scoops so the dough slides off easily.
• Hot oil is dangerous: use a deep pan no more than one-third full and keep children well back.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Bon Viveur Spain on a Fork Directo al Paladar