Filhós

Filhós are Portugal’s Christmas fritters — golden, lacy fried ribbons of dough scented with lemon, port, and cinnamon, drenched in a honey or sugar syrup and dusted with cinnamon. They are the essential sweet of the Portuguese holiday table, made in huge batches in the weeks before Christmas, and every family has its own recipe and its own way of shaping them. Crisp, syrupy, and faintly boozy, they are the taste of a Portuguese Christmas.

Why this recipe works: The dough is a simple flour, egg, and butter mixture flavored with lemon zest, port, and cinnamon, rolled thin and cut into ribbons or shapes. Fried in hot oil until golden and blistered, they are immediately drenched in a warm honey (or sugar) syrup that soaks in and glazes them. A final dusting of cinnamon finishes them.

Key ingredients

• Flour, eggs, and butter: the dough.
• Lemon zest and cinnamon: the perfume.
• A splash of port or white wine: the traditional flavor.
• Oil for frying: at 350°F.
• Honey and sugar: the soaking syrup.

Tips for perfect filhós

Knead the dough until smooth and let it rest briefly. Roll it thin and cut into ribbons or your family’s traditional shape — bows, strips, or knots. Fry in hot oil until golden and puffed, about 2 minutes per side. Drain, then immerse immediately in warm honey syrup so it soaks in. Dust with cinnamon and sugar, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Variations and storage

Shape them into roses by winding strips around a wooden spoon before frying, or add a spoonful of orange zest. Filhós keep 1 week in an airtight container at room temperature — the syrup preserves them — and are a staple of the Portuguese Christmas table.

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