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Truchas de batata
Sweet potato and almond pastries
Truchas de batata: Canarian Christmas pastries filled with sweet potato, almonds and anise
Despite the name, there is no trout in these: truchas are crisp half-moon pastries that Tenerife and Gran Canaria fry by the hundred in the week before Christmas, and they are what neighbours bring each other on Christmas Eve. The filling is mashed sweet potato with ground almonds, sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon and anise, wrapped in a thin olive-oil dough. Some families add a spoon of anise liqueur or sweet wine to the dough; this version uses neither and is vegan. Chef's tip: let the filling cool completely and keep it thick, or the steam softens the dough and it bursts in the oil.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 ⅓ lb sweet potatoespeeled, in chunks
- 3 ½ oz ground almonds
- 4 oz sugar
- 1 lemonfinely grated zest
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground anise seed
For the dough
- 14 oz plain flour
- 1 pinch salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¾ cup warm wateror swap 2 tbsp for anise liqueur
To fry and finish
- 4 ¼ cups sunflower oil, for frying
- 1 ¾ oz icing sugar or caster sugar
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Boil the 1 ⅓ lb sweet potatoes in water for 15–20 minutes until very tender. Drain well and mash until smooth.
20 minStep 2: Return the mash to the pan with the 3 ½ oz ground almonds, 4 oz sugar, 1 lemon, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and ½ tsp ground anise seed. Stir over a low heat for 8–10 minutes until it thickens into a paste that holds its shape on a spoon. Cool completely.
10 minStep 3: Mix the 14 oz plain flour and 1 pinch salt, add the ¼ cup olive oil and ¾ cup warm water and knead for 5 minutes into a smooth, elastic dough. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
25 minStep 4: Roll the dough out thinly, about 2 mm, and cut 10 cm rounds. Put a heaped teaspoon of filling on each, fold into a half-moon and press the edges with a fork to seal tightly. A common mistake is leaving air or flour on the edge; it stops the seal and the filling leaks into the oil.
25 minStep 5: Heat the 4 ¼ cups sunflower oil, for frying in a deep pan to 350°F. Fry the truchas 3–4 at a time for 2–3 minutes, turning once, until puffed and golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
15 minStep 6: Toss with the 1 ¾ oz icing sugar or caster sugar while warm. They keep in a tin for several days.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does truchas de batata take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sweet potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of ground almonds?
- Ground cashews, same amount.
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