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Recipes

Filhós

Filhós are the quintessential fried sweet of the Portuguese Christmas: a light, yeasted dough scented with orange and aguardente, stretched by hand and fried in hot oil. They come out golden and crisp on the outside, soft within, and are dusted while still warm with sugar and cinnamon. No Christmas table is complete without them, and they are made in big batches to share.

Yields
About 25 filhós
Prep
40 min (plus 3 to 4 h proving)
Cook
30 min
Difficulty
Read about Filhós →

Ingredients

  • 500 g Plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 4 Eggs
  • 25 g (or 8 g instant dry) Fresh baker's yeast
  • 150 ml Orange juice (lukewarm)
  • 1 orange Zest of 1 orange
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) Aguardente (or Port wine)
  • 1 tbsp Sugar
  • 30 g Softened butter
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • 1 L Vegetable oil (for frying)
  • to taste Sugar and cinnamon (to dust)

Method

  1. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm orange juice (not hot, max 35 °C, so it does not kill the yeast) with the tablespoon of sugar. Let it stand for 10 minutes, until it begins to foam.

  2. In a large bowl, put the flour, salt and orange zest. Make a well in the centre and add the lightly beaten eggs, softened butter, aguardente and the yeast mixture.

  3. Knead very well, for about 10 minutes, until you have a soft, elastic dough that pulls away from your hands and the bowl. It should be smooth and glossy; if too sticky, add a little flour at a time, but always keep it soft and pliable.

  4. Dust the dough with flour, cover the bowl with a cloth and wrap in a blanket. Leave to prove in a warm, draught-free place for 3 to 4 hours, or until doubled in volume.

  5. When the dough has proved, heat the oil in a wide, deep pan to about 180 °C (350 °F). To test, drop in a small piece of dough: it should rise and turn golden within a few seconds, without burning.

  6. Oil your fingertips. Take walnut-sized portions of dough and stretch them by hand, pulling them over your fingers until thin in the centre and thicker at the edges, forming an irregular disc.

  7. Fry the filhós in the hot oil, one or two at a time so the temperature does not drop, turning halfway, until golden and puffed on both sides (about 1 to 2 minutes each). Drain on kitchen paper.

  8. Mix sugar with cinnamon to taste (for example, 4 tablespoons of sugar to 1 of cinnamon) and dust the filhós while still warm. Serve the same day.