Rosquillas de Semana Santa: Spain Easter Treat

Just when the fiestas of Las Falles and Carnival have come to an end, Spain is flooded with the fervor and spirituality of Holy Week, “Semana Santa.” The first day of Semana Santa begins on Palm Sunday and every day is a ritual right up to the Monday after Easter.

Celebrating Easter in Spain varies from one town to the next depending on the folk customs, ancient rituals, and traditions within from centuries past. The austerity and silence of the celebrations play in certain areas, such as Madrid. By contrasts you will find fireworks, floats and pageantry while in Seville. In the villages of Aragon, the processions demonstrate the pagan religious dedication with the sound of drums.

In the northeastern Catalonian city of Gerona, the "Dance of Death" is mime theater in which two adults and three children dress up as skeletons forming a troupe marching through the streets preceded by a young boy playing the drum. One holiday, one country and yet there are so many differences when celebrating Semana Santa in Spain.

Although the celebration of Easter may differ from region to region, there are similarities that are shared throughout Spain. During this traditional and religious time, the tables all throughout Spain are filled with simply scrumptious sweets, such as “Rosquillas de Semana Santa.”

This is a homemade recipe with a simple preparation. Although it may look like a doughnut, it contains no yeast. Get your sweet tooth ready and you, too, can enjoy this shortbread just as others do in every corner of Spain this Easter season.

Makes 16 servings

Ingredients:

2 eggs (separate the whites from the yolks)
½ cup Aniseed
¼ cup virgin olive oil
½ cup sugar
Lemon and orange peel
½ cup milk
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (optional)
oil for frying
additional sugar for icing

Directions:

1. Place the skins of lemon and orange peels in the microwave for 20 seconds and then place in into the oil for flavoring.
2. Beat the egg whites until the eggs have become light and fluffy peaks. Add to the yolks and gently blend.
3. Mix in the milk with the eggs, anise and sugar and incorporate the oil flavored with citrus and sugar. Mix well.
4. Gradually add the flour to create a soft dough.
5. Flour your hands, knead the dough and form balls of equal size (about the size of a biscuit). Make a small hole in the center to form a doughnut.
6. Fill the frying pan with the oil set aside for frying and heat. Add 4 dough rings at a time and cook, uncovered, for 1½ minutes each side or until golden brown. Use tongs to transfer to paper towel to remove excess fat.
7. Sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon while still hot and serve immediately when cool.

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Tags: Easter, Spain, celebration, dessert, recipe, shortbread, sweets

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Comment by Veronica Shine on March 29, 2010 at 1:43am: Alas not. But it is all natural!