Rosquillas
Rosquillas are a little cookie made from corn masa. The pastry originates from the little village of El Viejo in Chinandega Northern Nicaragua. The city is located close to the Honduran border. The area around the village is sugar country. A lot of sugar cane is grown in this part of Nicaragua. Rosquillas is used one of many local specialties from El Viejo. Rosquillas are sold all over Nicaragua but many would still say that the best ones are bought in small shops in El Viejo where they are still made with love and by hand.
Rosquillas are unlike most other pastries but is sometimes compared to Italian Biscotti. This comparison is understandable since they are both very dry pastries with a slightly brunt flavor but the two pastries are still rather different from each other.
Rosquilla are traditionally served with a cop of hot coffee and the correct way to eat them is to let them soak for about 30 seconds in your coffee before you eat them. It is worth nothing that Nicaraguan Coffey generally is served rather weak and if you use an American cup of coffee you might want to reduce the time you let it soak to 10-15 seconds.
More then half a ton Rosquillas are exported to Miami each Christmas. A lot more is brought into the united states by Nicaraguans visiting relatives in the US.
Ingredients (makes 100 Rosquillas)
- 3 lbs of Nicaraguan Queso seco. Mexican Cotija de Montaña will work as a substitute if you can not find Nicaraguan Cheese.
- 3 lbs masa (a special type of corn flour)
- 2 eggs
- 4 tablespoons of butter
- 4 tablespoons of lard from beef
- 2 tablespoons of lard from pork
Making rosquillas
- Turn on the oven an preheat it to 350 degrees
- Grate the cheese. The finer the better.
- Mix the cheese and the masa.
- Add eggs to the mix
- Add butter and both types of lard to the mix.
- Work the mix until everything is well mixed.
- Roll the dough out to a ½ sheet.
- Use a cutter to cut small rings of though.
- Place the cookies on a sheet.
- Place the rosquillas in the oven and cook until the start to turn yellowish brown.
- Take the cookies out of the oven and allow them to cool down.
- Put them back in the oven at 200 Degrees F.
- Leave them in the oven until they turn crispy.
- Bake until they are crispy.
- Sprinkle sugar on top.