Pestinos — Andalusian honey-glazed pastries

i. Origin & history

Pestiños have Moorish origins, dating back to the Andalusian Caliphate. The technique of frying dough and dipping in honey is shared with North African and Middle Eastern sweets like luqaimat.

ii. Ingredients

Makes 24 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust

• 250 g plain flour
• 60 ml olive oil
• 60 ml sweet white wine
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp aniseed
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Pinch salt
• 1 litre oil for frying
• 200 g honey
• 60 ml water
• 1 tbsp orange-flower water

iii. Method

1. Toast sesame and aniseed in olive oil over low heat 2 min; cool. Stir in wine and zest.
2. Mix into flour with salt to a soft dough. Rest 30 min.
3. Roll out very thin (2 mm). Cut 8 cm squares. Fold opposite corners to meet in the middle, pinch (or simply roll into cylinders).
4. Fry at 180 °C until golden. Drain.
5. Warm honey with water and orange-flower water. Dip each pestiño briefly in honey. Drain on a rack.

iv. Tips & common mistakes

• Use the freshest ingredients you can. The recipe relies on them.
• Read the method through first. Several steps must be ready in advance.
• Season patiently. Sweetness and salt are tuned at the end, not the start.

v. Variations

Sevillano pestiños are the canonical. Sugar pestiños coat in sugar rather than honey. Modern pestiños use cinnamon-sugar coating.

vii. More from Spanish & Portuguese

• Luqaimat — Arabic honey fritters
• Rosquillas — Spanish ring biscuits
• Torrija — Spanish French toast
• Mantecados — Andalusian crumble cookies
• Polvorones — Iberian crumble cookies
• Chak-Chak — Central Asian honey-fried