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Almojábanas
Almojábanas: Aragon's light, hollow choux rings brushed with a crackling sugar glaze
In Aragonese bakeries, almojábanas are the rings stacked by the till at Easter and for local fiestas: rings of choux-like dough that puff up hollow and airy in the oven and are then brushed with a white sugar glaze that cracks as you bite. The name comes from Arabic, and versions are found from Teruel to the Ribagorza, some flavoured with lemon and others with anise. They are best the day they are made, with a coffee or a glass of cold milk. A common mistake is opening the oven early: choux collapses if the steam escapes before the shells have set. Chef's tip: beat the eggs in one at a time and stop when the paste falls from the spoon in a thick, glossy V; you may not need the last egg.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the choux
For the glaze
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan) and line two trays with baking paper. Draw twelve 7 cm circles on the paper with a pencil, then turn it over.
Step 2: Put 1 cup water, 1 ¾ oz unsalted butter, 2 tbsp mild olive oil, 1 tbsp caster sugar, 1 pinch salt and 1 tsp lemon zest in a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil, until the butter has melted.
Step 3: Take off the heat, tip in 5 ½ oz plain flour all at once and beat hard with a wooden spoon. Return to a low heat and keep beating for 2 minutes, until the paste forms a smooth ball and leaves a thin film on the base of the pan.
3 minStep 4: Tip into a bowl and cool for 5 minutes. Beat in 4 eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition, until the paste is glossy and drops from the spoon in a thick V shape.
8 minStep 5: Spoon into a piping bag with a 1.5 cm plain or star nozzle and pipe rings along the drawn circles.
Step 6: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes without opening the door, until well puffed, deep golden and light when lifted. Turn off the oven, pierce each ring once with a skewer and leave in the oven with the door ajar for 5 minutes to dry out.
30 minStep 7: Whisk 5 ½ oz icing sugar, 2 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp water to a thin glaze. Brush over the warm rings and leave on a rack until set and crackly, about 15 minutes.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 140 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does almojábanas take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of unsalted butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of mild olive oil?
- Vegetable, sunflower or rapeseed oil, same amount (for cooking; keep olive oil for dressings if you have a little).
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