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 |