Tortas de la Abuela (Honey Soaked Fried Dough)
Tortas de la abuela are delicious Lent sweets from Spain. These honey-soaked fried dough fritters are totally delicious and are easy to make!
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Resting Time: 1 hour hour
Servings: 25 tortas
Ingredients
For the Fritter Dough
- ▢ ½ cup extra virgin olive oil like arbequina or Picual; plus more for frying
- ▢ 1 strip lemon peel
- ▢ 2 teaspoons anise liquor optional
- ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ▢ ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ▢ ½ cup dry white wine
- ▢ 2 tablespoons baking powder or one packet in Spain
For the Honey Glaze
- ▢ ½ cup honey or more if needed
- ▢ 2 tablespoons water
- ▢ 1 tablespoon sugar optional
Instructions
- Infuse the olive oil by pouring the olive oil, lemon peel, and liquor into a small saucepan. Slowly heat until the lemon peel begins to brown, then remove from the heat and let it cool completely. Strain out the peel before using.
- To prepare the dough, combine the flour, baking powder, orange juice, white wine, and infused oil in a large bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until you can no longer stir it, and then mix with your hands until the dough is evenly combined.
- Cover the bowl of dough with the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in another saucepan, slowly heat the honey, sugar, and water, stirring occasionally, until it creates a thick, warm syrup.
- Knead the dough a few times, then divide the dough into walnut-sized chunks. Roll the chunks into discs until they are thin but not translucent.
- Heat a frying pan with extra virgin olive oil. Fry each disc in the hot oil until golden on both sides, turning them halfway through. Remove the torta with a slotted spoon and douse it in the hot honey.
- Remove and place the tortas on a serving plate, making layers as you continue this process.
- Enjoy these tortas de la abuela while they’re warm and fresh!
Notes
- Using good quality, extra virgin olive oil (like Picual) is the best option for this recipe. It has a high smoke point and is perfect for frying the tortas.
- The anise liquor can be omitted if you like, or swapped for a different type of liquor if you prefer.
Nutrition
Serving: 1torta |
Calories: 104.69kcal |
Carbohydrates: 14.62g |
Protein: 1.09g |
Fat: 4.43g |
Saturated Fat: 0.61g |
Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g |
Monounsaturated Fat: 3.16g |
Sodium: 102.68mg |
Potassium: 27.93mg |
Fiber: 0.3g |
Sugar: 6.54g |
Vitamin A: 9.96IU |
Vitamin C: 2.62mg |
Calcium: 59.49mg |
Iron: 0.65mg |
