Hojuelas are a popular Colombian fried pastry made from a simple dough of eggs, flour, sugar, milk, and salt, topped with a syrup of butter, brown sugar, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon, and dusted with powdered sugar. Rolling the dough out gently is crucial for the correct texture, and the strips are fried until crunchy and bubbly. They are often served alongside other traditional Colombian holiday desserts such as buñuelos and natilla.
Hojuelas are a fried pastry revered by Colombians and other Latino cultures, particularly around Christmas time. These thin, crunchy strips of dough are simple concoctions of eggs, flour, sugar, milk and salt. After a stir-fry, they’re often topped with a simple syrup of butter, brown sugar, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon, then dusted in a thin layer of powdered sugar.
It is imperative that the hojuelas paste is rolled out gently. Otherwise, the final product will not have the correct texture. One recipe calls for a standard sweet dough of two eggs for every 1 cup (about 125 g) of flour. First, the eggs are beaten with 1 teaspoon (about 5 g) of sugar and a touch of salt, then about 0.5 cup (about 118 mL) of milk is stirred into the mixture. Once mixed, a mound of flour is dented in the middle and the mixture can be poured and kneaded.
After a solid ball of dough has formed, many chefs will let it rest for at least 10 minutes before rolling it out with a rolling pin. During this time, the syrup can take shape on the stove. It starts with melting the butter over medium heat, to which brown sugar, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon are added until it sticks firmly to a spoon. After this mix is syrupy, it is removed from the stove to cool a bit.
The final steps to making hojuelas are to roll out the dough extremely thin and cut the strips about two fingers long and wide. Some will cut them into triangles; others prefer thin rectangles. Size isn’t as important as the heat of the oil, which should be at least 350°F (about 177°C), but no hotter than 400°F (about 205°C).
Once browned, the hojuelas are placed on a paper towel to soak up the extra oil. The strips should be crunchy, with a slightly bubbly texture. On the dish, they can be doused in syrup and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
A plate of hojuelas is often served alongside other traditional Colombian holiday desserts. Treats that also overshadow hojuelas in popularity are the pancakes known as buñuelos, which are like donut holes for pies or hushpuppies. Another favorite is a vanilla-coconut custard called natilla, which is made from cow, coconut, and condensed milk, with shredded coconut, cornstarch, vanilla extract, butter, sugar, and salt.
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