TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
PestiñosPestiños: Andalusian Honey-Coated Pastries
- Total
- 2 hr 35 min
- Difficulty
- ★★★☆☆
- Serves
- 6 servings
- Prep 45 min
- Cook 50 min
- Rest 1 hr
These Andalusian fried pastries combine sherry with olive oil scented with anise and citrus peel. Thin dough is folded with overlapping corners, fried until golden and coated with honey.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
This is the standard recipe, exactly as it’s made where it comes from — the highest Authenticity Score possible. Substituting ingredients changes this score; the app shows exactly how, ingredient by ingredient.
Ingredients (6 servings)
100Authenticity- Plain cake flour320 g300 g for the dough and 20 g for dusting. Use plain soft-wheat cake flour without added starch or leavening.
- Mild olive oil for the dough100 mlUse a mild oil, including blends with refined olive oil
- Fino sherry100 mlDry, pale sherry
- Anise seeds4 gSmall anise seeds; use to scent the oil, then remove
- Roasted white sesame seeds4 gUse whole seeds, not ground sesame. Use whole roasted white sesame seeds.
- Fresh unwaxed lemon peel3 gUse only the yellow part of washed fruit Use washed unwaxed lemon; remove only the colored peel, leaving the white pith behind.
- Fresh unwaxed orange peel3 gUse only the colored part of washed fruit Use washed unwaxed orange; remove only the colored peel, leaving the white pith behind.
- Salt1 g
- Mild olive oil for frying1300 mlApproximate amount to have ready. Use only enough for a depth of 3cm in the pot and reserve the rest
- Honey150 gUse honey, not a syrup with added sugar
- Water30 mlFor the honey coating
Method
Heat the citrus peel and anise in oil
- 1 Wash the lemon and orange, and use a vegetable peeler to remove thin strips of colored peel. Remove the white pith and weigh the amounts listed in the ingredients.
- 2 Put the olive oil for the dough and the measured peel in a small saucepan over low heat. When the peel starts to color lightly, add all the anise seeds and heat for about 30 seconds.
Ready when
Turn off the heat and continue when the peel is lightly golden and the anise is fragrant.
Cool the infused oil
- 1 Take the saucepan off the heat and leave for about 20 minutes to cool to room temperature.
Ready when
Continue when the oil and the bottom of the pan are no longer hot.
Mix the dough with flour and sherry
- 1 Strain the cooled oil through a fine strainer to remove the peel and anise seeds.
- 2 Mix 300g cake flour, salt and toasted white sesame seeds in a bowl, then add the fino sherry and strained oil.
- 3 Knead by hand for about 8 minutes.
Ready when
Continue when no dry flour remains and the dough is smooth and does not stick to your hands.
Rest the dough
- 1 Cover the dough with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Ready when
Continue after 30 minutes, when the dough yields slightly without resistance when pressed.
Roll thinly and overlap the corners
- 1 Lightly dust the work surface with the 20g flour reserved for dusting. Divide the dough into manageable portions and roll to 2mm thick.
- 2 Cut into 7cm squares and position each as a diamond. Fold the left and right corners toward the center, overlapping them, and press firmly with your fingers.
- 3 Gather the scraps, roll to the same thickness and shape them too.
Ready when
Continue when the overlapping corners stay attached and both ends remain open.
Fry in small batches until golden
- 1 Use a pot with a base 16cm across and at least 10cm deep. Add frying olive oil to a depth of 3cm; adjust by depth rather than pouring in the entire amount.
- 2 Heat to 170°C and add enough pastries to leave gaps between them without overlapping. Fry for about 2–3 minutes per batch, turning them during cooking.
- 3 Lift out with a slotted ladle and drain on paper towels. Bring the oil back to 170°C before frying the remaining pastries in the same way.
Ready when
Continue when both sides and the folds are golden and the surface is crisp.
Tips
Increasing the servings increases the number of batches and total time. Keep the oil depth, temperature, batch size and frying time per batch unchanged.
Coat with honey
- 1 Put the honey and water in a small saucepan 12–16cm across and warm over low heat, stirring. Turn off the heat when it starts to boil.
- 2 Add the fried pastries in small batches and turn to coat both sides. Lift out with tongs, let excess liquid drain and arrange on a plate. Coat the rest in the same way.
Ready when
Continue when both sides of every pastry have a thin, glossy coating of honey.
Let cool briefly and serve
- 1 Leave the pastries on the plate for about 10 minutes to cool, then divide into the required servings.
Ready when
They are ready when they are no longer very hot and the honey coating remains on the surface.
About this dish
Andalusian pestiños are sweet fried pastries served during Holy Week and at Christmas. Some are coated with honey, others with sugar and cinnamon; their appearance varies from place to place and household to household, even under the same name.
In the southern port city of Cádiz, people gather to share them at an event called the Pestiñada. This free celebration marks the start of Carnival: people meet in a square to eat pestiños while listening to singing and the sounds of guitars, bandurrias and drums.
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