Pristiños & Syrup: Traditional Ecuadorian Christmas Pastries

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This recipe for Pristiños and Piloncillo Syrup comes from my podcast guest, Sofia Alarcon. Make sure you listen to her episode, Christmas in Ecuador, while you make her delicious Delicious Ecuadorian Pristiños with Miel de Panela (Piloncillo Syrup)!

​These delicious Pristinos & Syrup from my podcast guest, Sophie Alcaron are an Ecuadorian Christmas (and New Year's) tradition that the rest of the world will love!

Pristiños are made from a simple (and delicious!) dough, rolled very, very thinly, then cut into long strips, and shaped into circles. Slits are cut all around the circle, making the Pristiños in the shape of a crown.

In my opinion, the real magic comes from the Piloncillo syrup, which is made from Panela (see below for more on this amazing sugar), lots of zested citrus (at least in Sophie's recipe), and all the warming Christmas spices - cinnamon, anise, and cloves.

Before Sofie shared this traditional recipe (infused with her love of citrus), another podcast guest, Melissa Sampedro, gave me another Pristinos recipe so I combined the two recipes in this post!

Sofie's Memories of Pristiños

Here's what Sofie said about her love of Pristiños, which her grandmother made any time of the year:

The first thing that comes to mind when we talk about Christmas are Pristiños, a deep-fried, crunchy pastry in the shape of a crown, served with panela syrup (piloncillo or brown sugar syrup). I remember that as kids, my grandma, my mom, my aunts, and my cousins always gathered to make Pristiños. It's a recipe that brings everyone together, and anyone can join and have fun. And since they are fried and crispy, who doesn't love them, right? They are delicious when freshly made. In my home, we make them every Christmas when the whole family gathers at my parents' house. Now that the family is spread out, we don't make them as often, but I've made them here for my husband.

I love the smell of the Kitchen when we make the spiced syrup, it smells like Christmas (the cinnamon, cloves, and anis seeds).

Listen to Sofie's Episode: Christmas in Ecuador

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History and Meaning of Pristiños in South America

The first time I tried a recipe for Pristiños was a Vegan Pristiños recipe shared by my podcast guest, Melissa Sampedro, who shares memories of gathering with her cousins in the cold room of her grandmother's house with a brick oven. Together in that room, they would talk, laugh, and roll batches of these pristiños. Melissa explains that the crown is a celebration of the kings who brought gifts to the baby Jesus. This is why pristiños are made for Christmas Eve (Nochebueno) and New Year's Day in Ecuador.

What is Panela?

• Panela is a type of sugar made from boiling sugar cane until all the moisture evaporates.
• The result is a very, very hard cone (or sphere, in the type that I bought) of flavorful sugar that hasn't been stripped of the nutrients that naturally occur in sugarcane.

Instructions

• Pristiños are a traditional Andean pastry made at Christmastime, usually for large family gatherings, and coated in a simple, spiced syrup. Both podcast guests who shared this recipe had memories of sitting around a table with lots of cousins, shaping the dough in whatever shapes their imaginations gave them.
• Pristiño dough is a very simple dough to make.
• Even better, Melissa assured me that there is no right or wrong way to make Pristiños. In fact, she says that you may receive a different version of Pristiños from every home in Ecuador!
• Some recipes call for spiced water, but Sophie leaves all the spice to the syrup and flavors her dough with orange zest alone.

Top tip

• Don't do what I did! I shaped the dough, then cut the slits once they were formed into circles.
• Instead, it will be easier if you cut the slits along the side of the dough before you shape them into circles.

Serve With 

This traditional Andean pastry made at Christmastime is served with other classic Ecuadorian Christmas favorites:

• Canelazo: According to Sophie, this "Is a popular Ecuadorian beverage made from naranjilla fruit, which is native to the Andes region of South America. This refreshing drink is prepared by blending naranjilla pulp with water, sugar, local sugar cane alcohol called punta or aguardiente, and cinnamon. It has a tangy and slightly sweet flavor, often likened to a combination of pineapple and citrus. It's a popular choice to warm up during the Christmas season."
• Dulce de Higos - Figs in syrup
• Everything goes with a cup of coffee 😉

Equipment

• Zester
• Deep fat fryer
• Heavy-bottomed saucepan that pours
• Mixing bowl

Storage

• In general, as with all fried dishes, these should be made and eaten fresh.
• If you're in a hurry, you can mix the dry and wet ingredients for the dough separately in advance, then mix the day you'll be shaping and frying the Pristiños.

Frying Safety

Frying yields delicious results, but it can be quite dangerous. Here are a few tips:

• Never, ever allow water into the fryer or the hot oil. It is dangerous if it splatters dangerously. Make sure your utensils are quite dry.
• Don't Overfill the Pot or Pan: To prevent hot oil from overflowing and causing a fire, avoid overfilling the frying pot or pan. When food is added, the oil level may rise, and overcrowding the pot can lead to dangerous spills. It's generally recommended to fill the pot or pan no more than halfway with oil. This precaution helps maintain control over the frying process and reduces the risk of accidents.

More Central or South American Recipes

More Christmas Desserts Around the World

Recipe

Ecuadorian Pristiños with Piloncillo Syrup Recipe

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5 from 4 reviews

• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 15 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Description

Thin, crispy, fried Ecuadorian Pristinos pastries for Christmas along with a Piloncillo (Panela) Syrup spiced with citrus zest and all the Christmas spices - cinnamon, anise, and cloves.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For Pristinos

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Zest of one orange or tangerine

For Piloncillo (Panela) Syrup

• 2 cups water
• 2 cups panela or brown sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 -3 cloves
• 1 -2 strips of orange or lemon peel
• 2 tbsp orange or lemon juice

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Instructions

Cue Up The Episode

1. Make sure to listen to Sofia's episode of The Storied Podcast, Christmas in Ecuador while you make her festive Pristiños!

Make the Dough

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together until well mixed.
3. Gradually add the melted butter, milk, vanilla extract, and orange zest to the egg mixture.
4. Slowly incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing until you have a smooth dough.

Form and Fry the Pristinos

1. Roll out the dough on a floured surface.
2. Use a knife to cut the dough into strips about 4 or 5 inches long by 1 inch wide. Cut small, ½ inch notches on one side of the strips. Bring the two ends of the strip together to form a circle, notched sides facing out. Pinch ends together and drop it in the hot oil 350-375°F / 175-190°C. Fry until a deep golden brown.
3. Remove pristiños from the oil and drain on paper towels.
4. Prepare the Syrup:
5. In a separate saucepan, combine the water, sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves, orange peel and juice. Bring this mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until it thickens slightly into a syrup.

Notes

Make sure to listen to Sofia on The Storied Recipe Podcast, Christmas in Ecuador, while you make her Pristinos recipe!

• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Baking, Christmas, Dessert
• Cuisine: Ecuador, Pies and Pastries, South American

Nutrition

• Calories: 218
• Sugar: 31
• Sodium: 111
• Fat: 4
• Saturated Fat: 2
• Carbohydrates: 44
• Fiber: 1
• Protein: 3
• Cholesterol: 30