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Pristiños

Name: Pristiños
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tsp anise seeds, ground; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 cup butter or lard, softened; 2 large eggs; 1/4 cup warm water, as needed; 3 cups vegetable oil, for frying; 1 1/2 cups panela or dark brown sugar, grated; 1 cup water, for the syrup; 1 cinnamon stick; 2 whole cloves

Crisp anise-scented dough twists soaked in spiced panela honey — the golden Christmas treat of Cuenca’s highland kitchens.

⏱ 30 minPrep time

🔥 20 minCook time

🍽 6Servings

🏷 DinnerCategory

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Pristiños are the festive fried pastries of Cuenca and Ecuador’s southern highlands, made every Christmas alongside colada morada. Twisted strips of anise-scented dough are fried until golden and crisp, then bathed in a warm syrup of panela, cinnamon, and cloves until they turn glossy and irresistible.

Golden twists in a panela honey bath

Each twist is shatteringly crisp, with a gentle anise perfume, and the warm panela syrup soaks into every crevice, turning the edges into sticky, candied bliss. The cinnamon-clove syrup adds a holiday warmth that makes these dangerously easy to keep reaching for.

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Step by stepInstructions

Make the syrup first: simmer the panela, 1 cup of water, cinnamon stick, and cloves for 10 minutes until it thickens into a light honey; keep warm.
Mix the flour, salt, and anise in a bowl, rub in the butter, then add the eggs and enough warm water to form a soft dough; knead for 5 minutes and rest for 20 minutes.
Roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thickness and cut into strips about 1 inch wide and 4 inches long.
Twist each strip into a spiral or tie it into a loose knot.
Heat the frying oil to 350°F and fry the twists in batches for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side until golden and crisp; drain on paper towels.
Dunk the warm twists in the syrup (or pour it over) and let them set on a rack before serving with coffee or hot chocolate.

💡 Chef tips & storage

The syrup should coat like honey, not pool — simmer it a little longer if it is too thin. Pristiños soften in the syrup over time; for maximum crunch, store them plain and syrup them just before serving.

Recipe details

Prep30 min

Cook20 min

Servings6

CategoryDinner

PublishedAugust 17, 2026

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

Pristiños

Golden twists in a panela honey bath

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Pristiños

Golden twists in a panela honey bath

Step by stepInstructions

💡 Chef tips & storage

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Recipe details

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

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