Frixuelos
Frixuelos: Asturias's thin Carnival crêpes, rolled with sugar or honey
When Antroxu, the Asturian Carnival, comes round in February, kitchens from Avilés to the Oriente villages fill with the smell of butter and batter, and plates of frixuelos stack up for anyone who calls in. They are thinner and lighter than a pancake, flavoured with lemon zest, and are rolled or folded while warm with a dusting of sugar, a drizzle of honey or a spoon of rice-pudding cream. Grandmothers also make them on cold Sunday afternoons, so they are hardly kept for Carnival alone. Chef's tip: rest the batter for at least 30 minutes so the flour softens and the frixuelos turn out lacy and tender instead of rubbery.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 4 ½ oz plain flour
- 2 eggslarge
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp lemon zestfinely grated
- 1 oz buttermelted, plus a little for the pan
To serve
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar (optional)
- 4 tbsp honey (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Whisk 4 ½ oz plain flour, 1 tbsp caster sugar, 1 pinch salt and 1 tsp lemon zest in a bowl. Make a well, crack in 2 eggs and whisk in a little of 1 ¼ cups whole milk at a time until the batter is smooth with no lumps.
Step 2: Stir in half the melted ½ oz butter. The batter should be as thin as single cream; add a splash more milk if it coats the spoon thickly. Cover and leave it for 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge.
30 minStep 3: Heat a 20–22 cm frying pan over a medium heat and wipe it with a little of the remaining ½ oz butter on kitchen paper. It is hot enough when a drop of batter sizzles and sets at once.
2 minStep 4: Pour in about 2 tablespoons of batter and tilt the pan quickly so it spreads into a very thin round. Cook until the edges lift and turn golden and the top looks dry, about 1 minute.
1 minStep 5: Flip with a spatula or your fingertips and cook the other side for 20–30 seconds, until freckled with brown. A common mistake is making them too thick: if you can't almost see the pan through the batter, use less next time.
1 minStep 6: Stack the frixuelos on a plate under a clean tea towel to keep them soft, greasing the pan lightly every two or three. You should get about 12.
20 minStep 7: Serve warm, sprinkled with sugar and rolled up, or folded into quarters with a drizzle of honey.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does frixuelos take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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 plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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