Buñuelos, a sweet Fallas treat - made with pumpkin
During las Fallas the smell of fireworks are all around, neighbours come together and the celebration in the city squares return. The classic Valencian food holds a special place in people's hearts during these festivities. In this article we will talk about one of the most famous ones: the “buñuelo de calabaza”, a pumpkin fritter.
The history of the buñuelos de calabaza is inextricably linked to Las Fallas. Back in the day when the carpenters’ union asked the City Council for permission to burn the remaining wood and furniture, the Valencian community joined them which led to the celebration of Saint Joseph’s Day (Día de San José) a family-friendly celebration. The Valencian women used their culinary skills to create a new tradition that gradually spread throughout the town.
With ingredients as basic as yeast, flour, water and salt, along with an easy preparation method, a crispy and sweet kind of donut was created: the buñuelo. Local tales say that the pumpkin fritter took a few years before it was integrated into the Fallas cuisine, but when it finally was, it gave this dessert a sweeter and different touch.
Below is the recipe to make this simple, but delicious Fallas treat.
With ingredients as basic as yeast, flour, water and salt, along with an easy preparation method, a crispy and sweet kind of donut was created: the buñuelo. Local tales say that the pumpkin fritter took a few years before it was integrated into the Fallas cuisine, but when it finally was, it gave this dessert a sweeter and different touch.
Below is the recipe to make this simple, but delicious Fallas treat.
Ingredients for 60 servings:
| Wheat flour | 125g |
| Pumpkin | 300g |
| Baking powder (half a teaspoon) | 3g |
| Eggs, size "Medium" | 2 |
| Sugar | 25g |
| Orange zest | 1 |
| Pinch of salt |
Baking difficulty level: Easy
Total time: 45 mins
Preparation time: 25 mins
1. Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds, chop into pieces and cook it in boiling hot water. Let it boil until the pumpkin is soft, then drain (and reserve) the water and crush the pumpkin until it has a thick, creamy consistency. The cooking water will be reserved for later on.
2. Separate the yolks from the egg whites. Sift the flour in a bowl and add the yeast, sugar, salt, orange zest and the two egg yolks. Mix until everything is thoroughly combined and then add about 12 tablespoons of the pumpkin cooking water.
3. Next, add the pumpkin puree and mix to get a dough like consistency. Finally, add the egg whites and mix.
4. Heat plenty of sunflower/ vegetable oil in a small frying pan, when it is hot enough drop small portions of the dough into the pan with the help of a knife so that it comes off easily. Turn the portions so that they become brown on all sides. After taking them out of the oil, drain them on absorbent paper and coat in sugar.
5. That’s it! You are now ready to enjoy delicious Valencian food along with a cup of hot chocolate.