Picarones: Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Doughnuts
Picarones are light, crispy, doughnut-like fried treats, traditionally served as a dessert in Peru and Chile, often drenched in a rich spiced syrup.
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Instructions
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Start boiling a large pot of water with cinnamon sticks, anise seed, and cloves.
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Peel and chunk sweet potatoes and pumpkin. Add to boiling water, cooking pumpkin first until soft, then potatoes. Strain cooked vegetables, reserving 1/2 cup of the spiced cooking water; let both cool.
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Mash or mill vegetables to obtain 3/4 cup each of sweet potato and pumpkin purée.
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In a mixer, dissolve yeast and sugar in the warm reserved cooking water; let rest for 5 minutes.
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Add eggs, salt, cooled purées, and pisco; mix with a dough hook until combined.
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Gradually add flour and mix for 5 minutes until a smooth, stretchy, sticky dough forms, adjusting flour if needed.
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Cover and let dough rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until doubled.
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To make the syrup, combine molasses, sugar, orange and lime juices and rinds, cinnamon stick, cloves, and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan; bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes until slightly thickened. Strain the finished syrup to remove rinds and spices.
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Once dough has risen, heat oil in a pot to 350 F.
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Wet fingers in salted water, then form small dough handfuls into rings and fry in hot oil for about 20 seconds per side until golden brown.
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Remove fried picarones to a paper towel-lined plate.
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Serve immediately, drizzling with the warm syrup.