Rosquillas-msg

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Rosquillas-msg - 6/20/01

A late-period Spanish pastry which "look like bagels and taste like biscotti".

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NOTICE -

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.

Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).

Thank you,

Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous

Stefan at florilegium.org

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Date: Tue, 30 Nov 1999 01:02:44 -0500

From: "Robin Carroll-Mann" <harper at idt.net>

Subject: SC - Rosquillas (recipe)

I've been doing some more baking. Below is a period Spanish recipe

(and my redaction) for rosquillas. The name means "little rings".

Modern rosquillas are generally leavened with baking powder, fried, and

glazed. (I understand that in the Spanish-language version of "The

Simpsons", Homer's constant cry is, "Oooh.... rosquillas!"). Period

rosquillas are sweet egg-leavened rings, which are boiled, then baked.

One of my friends commented, "I like them, but they're confusing. They

look like bagels and taste like biscotti!"

Source: Diego Granado, _Libro del Arte de Cozina_, Spanish, 1599

Translation and redaction: Lady Brighid ni Chiarain (Robin Carroll-Mann)

PARA HAZER ROSQUILLAS -- To make rosquillas (little rings)

For forty egg yolks, a pound of ground sugar, and as much white wine

as will fit in the shell of an egg, and a little anise, and a little cinnamon,

and a little cow=92s butter, and a little orange flower water. Knead

everything with fine flour, and cast in what should be necessary to

conform to the quantity of eggs. Knead with a light hand, so that you

do not break the dough, which should not be very hard, nor very soft, but

well pummelled, and being good, make the rosquillas the size that you

wish. Have on the fire a kettle of water, and when it begins to boil, cast

the rosquillas within, in such a manner that they do not go one on top of

another, and cast them in until they ascend. Upon ascending they are

cooked. Put them in some kneading troughs, and being cooled, remove

them and send them to the oven to cook, which should be quite

temperate.

Rosquillas

20 egg yolks (medium or large)

1/2 pound sugar (1-1/4 cups)

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon white wine

2 tablespoons orange-flower water

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground anise

5 to 5-1/4 cups all purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Fill a large, wide pot with water, at least 4-5

inches deep, and bring it to a boil. Adjust the heat so the water is at a

constant simmer.

Beat the egg yolks lightly in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer equipped

with a dough hook. Stir in the sugar, butter, wine, orange-flower water,

and the spices. Add 3 cups of the flour and mix well. Gradually add

flour, kneading continually, until you have a dough of medium firmness.

It will be sticky, and it will *not* form a ball on the dough-hook or clean

the sides of the bowl. It will more closely resemble a sugar-cookie

dough than a bread dough. Add just enough flour to make a dough that

can be handled and shaped. Knead well, about 8-10 minutes. The

dough will be fairly smooth.

Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a flat surface. Cover with a damp

cloth so it does not dry out. Roll a piece of dough into a ball about 1-

1/2 inches in diameter. Flatten the ball slightly, and with your thumb

and forefinger, pinch a hole in the center of the disc. Enlarge the hole

and shape the dough until you have a doughnut-like ring, about 2-1/2

inches in diameter and 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick.

When you have shaped several rosquillas, drop them, one at a time,

into the simmering water. (You did get the pot of water ready, didn't

you?) They will sink like stones to the bottom of the pot. Watch out for

scalding-hot splashes, and make sure that the rosquillas do not settle

on top of each other. They will begin to expand slightly, and to become

whiter and wrinkled. In about 4-5 minutes, the rosquillas will suddenly

float to the surface of the water. As each one rises, remove it gently

with a slotted spoon or a skimmer, and place on a rack to cook and dry.

Continue shaping and simmering rosquillas until all the dough is used

up.

When the rosquillas are cool to the touch, place them on an ungreased

cookie sheet, and bake 20-25 minutes at 350 F until lightly browned.

Cool on racks. Makes about 2-1/2 dozen.

Notes:

My redaction is half of the original recipe, as it makes a quantity that

is convenient for a home kitchen. A quarter-recipe also works well. I

made two test batches using my KitchenAid mixer. One batch, which I

hand-kneaded for 10 minutes, did not turn out well. They took twice as

long to rise in the water, and then they drifted up languidly. After

baking, they were unpleasantly dense. A long period of hand-kneading

would probably solve that problem.

I decided to conduct an egg size experiment. After separating out the

yolks from 10 medium eggs, I weighed them. The yolks varied in size,

but the total came to 165 grams (5-3/4 oz.) in weight. I then started

weighing the yolks of large eggs, on the assumption that I would need

fewer of them. These also varied in size, but 10 large yolks came to

166 grams. I do not know how the yolks from larger or smaller eggs

would compare.

The anise and cinnamon flavors blended subtlely and pleasantly. Even

my anise-hating husband pronounced the rosquillas acceptable. I could

not detect the flavor of the orange-flower water, even when I increased

the quantity to 2 tablespoons. I suspect it could be omitted if

unavailable, without much noticeable change.

The rosquillas are good for dipping in tea or coffee. They would probably

keep for at least several days in an air-tight container.

Lady Brighid ni Chiarain

Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)

Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 16:56:11 -0500

From: Ian Gourdon <agincort at raex.com>

Subject: SC - Re: Rosquillas

The redacted recipe as passed to me by Ceinwen:

Rosquillas:

Boil 4 qts. water

20egg yolks

11/4c.sugar

4T.butter

1T.white wine

1T.orange ext.

1/2t.cinnamon

1/2t.ground anise

5-51/4c. flour

Preheat oven 350. In mixer, beat eggs. Cream in sugar, butter, wine,

extract, and spices. Gradually incorporate flour, use a dough hook if

you have one. This will resemble a sticky cookie dough. Knead with

floured hands to form 11/2in. balls. Pinch a hole in the center to form

rings. Drop into boiling water...do not pile. Remove rings when

floating. Allow to dry. Bake 20-25 min. until just beginning to brown.

(Granado, 1599)

Perhaps someone has the original...

Ian Gourdon

Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 20:56:36 -0500 (EST)

From: Robin Carroll-Mann <rcmann4 at earthlink.net>

Subject: RE: SC - Re: Rosquillas

Ian Gourdon <agincort at raex.com> wrote:

>The redacted recipe as passed to me by Ceinwen:

>Rosquillas:

[snip]

>Perhaps someone has the original...

>Ian Gourdon

This seems to be the redaction I sent to the list last year, except that

orange extract has been substituted for orange-flower water. I am very

impressed by any cook who is willing to make rosquillas in feast quantities.

I believe the redaction is in the Florilegium, but here's a copy, with the

translation of the original recipe, and more detailed cooking instructions:

I've been doing some more baking. Below is a period Spanish recipe (and my

redaction) for rosquillas. The name means "little rings". Modern

rosquillas are generally leavened with baking powder, fried, and glazed.

(I understand that in the Spanish-language version of "The Simpsons",

Homer's constant cry is, "Oooh.... rosquillas!"). Period rosquillas are

sweet egg-leavened rings, which are boiled, then baked. One of my friends

commented, "I like them, but they're confusing. They look like bagels and

taste like biscotti!"

Source: Diego Granado, _Libro del Arte de Cozina_, Spanish, 1599

Translation and redaction: Lady Brighid ni Chiarain (Robin Carroll-Mann)

PARA HAZER ROSQUILLAS -- To make rosquillas (little rings)

For forty egg yolks, a pound of ground sugar, and as much white wine as

will fit in the shell of an egg, and a little anise, and a little cinnamon,

and a little cowís butter, and a little orange flower water. Knead

everything with fine flour, and cast in what should be necessary to conform

to the quantity of eggs. Knead with a light hand, so that you do not break

the dough, which should not be very hard, nor very soft, but well

pummelled, and being good, make the rosquillas the size that you wish.

Have on the fire a kettle of water, and when it begins to boil, cast the

rosquillas within, in such a manner that they do not go one on top of

another, and cast them in until they ascend. Upon ascending they are

cooked. Put them in some kneading troughs, and being cooled, remove them

and send them to the oven to cook, which should be quite temperate.

Rosquillas

20 egg yolks (medium or large)

1/2 pound sugar (1-1/4 cups)

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon white wine

2 tablespoons orange-flower water

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground anise

5 to 5-1/4 cups all purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Fill a large, wide pot with water, at least 4-5

inches deep, and bring it to a boil. Adjust the heat so the water is at a

constant simmer.

Beat the egg yolks lightly in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer equipped with

a dough hook. Stir in the sugar, butter, wine, orange-flower water, and

the spices. Add 3 cups of the flour and mix well. Gradually add flour,

kneading continually, until you have a dough of medium firmness. It will

be sticky, and it will *not* form a ball on the dough-hook or clean the

sides of the bowl. It will more closely resemble a sugar-cookie dough than

a bread dough. Add just enough flour to make a dough that can be handled

and shaped. Knead well, about 8-10 minutes. The dough will be fairly

smooth.

Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a flat surface. Cover with a damp

cloth so it does not dry out. Roll a piece of dough into a ball about 1-

1/2 inches in diameter. Flatten the ball slightly, and with your thumb and

forefinger, pinch a hole in the center of the disc. Enlarge the hole and

shape the dough until you have a doughnut-like ring, about 2-1/2 inches in

diameter and 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick.

When you have shaped several rosquillas, drop them, one at a time, into the

simmering water. (You did get the pot of water ready, didn't you?) They

will sink like stones to the bottom of the pot. Watch out for scalding-hot

splashes, and make sure that the rosquillas do not settle on top of each

other. They will begin to expand slightly, and to become whiter and

wrinkled. In about 4-5 minutes, the rosquillas will suddenly float to the

surface of the water. As each one rises, remove it gently with a slotted

spoon or a skimmer, and place on a rack to cook and dry. Continue shaping

and simmering rosquillas until all the dough is used up.

When the rosquillas are cool to the touch, place them on an ungreased

cookie sheet, and bake 20-25 minutes at 350 F until lightly browned. Cool

on racks. Makes about 2-1/2 dozen.

Notes:

My redaction is half of the original recipe, as it makes a quantity that is

convenient for a home kitchen. A quarter-recipe also works well. I made

two test batches using my KitchenAid mixer. One batch, which I

hand-kneaded for 10 minutes, did not turn out well. They took twice as

long to rise in the water, and then they drifted up languidly. After

baking, they were unpleasantly dense. A long period of hand-kneading would

probably solve that problem.

I decided to conduct an egg size experiment. After separating out the

yolks from 10 medium eggs, I weighed them. The yolks varied in size, but

the total came to 165 grams (5-3/4 oz.) in weight. I then started weighing

the yolks of large eggs, on the assumption that I would need fewer of them.

These also varied in size, but 10 large yolks came to 166 grams. I do not

know how the yolks from larger or smaller eggs would compare.

The anise and cinnamon flavors blended subtlely and pleasantly. Even my

anise-hating husband pronounced the rosquillas acceptable. I could not

detect the flavor of the orange-flower water, even when I increased the

quantity to 2 tablespoons. I suspect it could be omitted if unavailable,

without much noticeable change.

The rosquillas are good for dipping in tea or coffee. They would probably

keep for at least several days in an air-tight container.

Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2001 10:16:32 -0500

From: "Robin Carroll-Mann" <rcmann4 at earthlink.net>

Subject: Re: SC - PARA HAZER ROSQUILLAS

And it came to pass on 24 Jan 01, , that Debra Hense wrote:

> Has anyone trying freezing after making them? How do they taste? How is their texture?

I haven't tried it. OTOH, many cookies freeze well, and these are

essentially cookies.

Lady Brighid ni Chiarain

Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)