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Picarones, Peruvian Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Donuts on a Made In Baking Slab

Picarones: Peruvian Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Donuts

Kristin
These picarones, Peruvian butternut squash and sweet potato donuts topped with miel de chancaca, will make you want to grow your own ingredients and get a real knife.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Resting Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine South American
Servings 12 people
Calories 297 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients  

Picarones

  • 24 oz sweet potatoes
  • 24 oz butternut squash
  • 1 tablespoon anise seeds
  • ⅓ oz dry active yeast
  • 1 tablespoon stevia
  • 1 cup water room temp or warm
  • 16 oz all-purpose einkorn flour
  • avocado oil for deep frying

Miel de Chancaca

  • 14 oz Swerve Brown or panela sugar or light muscovado
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 orange
  • 1 plantain ripe
  • 6 cloves
  • 1 fig leaf

Instructions 

  • Wash your hands with soap and water. Depending on the child, you may want to assist with peeling and cutting the butternut squash and sweet potato. Afterward, I removed the seeds from the squash, weighed the squash and sweet potato, and then each child took some of the pieces over to their cutting boards.
  • Kids can cut the butternut squash and sweet potato into cubes. They can explore the cookbook as they finish.
  • Add water to the dutch oven or large pot. Transfer the squash and sweet potato cubes to the dutch oven. Add the anise seeds to the pot using a measuring spoon.
  • Turn the stove on medium heat. Cover the pot and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the squash and sweet potato are tender. While the squash and potato are cooking you can move on to the next step.
  • Weigh the yeast using a kitchen scale and a clean bowl. Kids can practice using the tare button to zero the scale and then weigh the yeast needed for the picarones.
  • Add stevia to the bowl with yeast. Add water to the bowl and mix with a spoon. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
  • Make butternut squash and sweet potato purée: Turn off the stove. Pour the contents of the large pot into a colander in the sink. You may need to assist with this step. You can save the water for your garden or compost and if you are using a blender for this recipe you will save some water for making the purée. Use your blender or a potato masher to create a purée out of the cooked butternut squash and sweet potato cubes and transfer to a bowl.
  • Add the yeast mixture to the purée. Mix everything together.
  • Slowly add the flour to the bowl while kneading by hand. Knead the dough for about 15 minutes or until it is soft and uniform.
  • Cover the dough with a towel and place in a warm spot in your kitchen. Let it rest for 2 hours.
  • Make the miel de chancaca: Peel the plantain. Cut the orange in half and slice the plantain as desired. Place the brown sugar or panela sugar along with the cinnamon, orange halves, plantain, and cloves in a pan. If you have a fig leaf, add that as well. Add water until the ingredients are submerged and cook uncovered over medium heat for around 35 minutes, or until it is thick.
  • Turn off the stove. Once the miel de chancaca is warm, you can strain it into a reusable container using a fine mesh strainer. There will be plenty of this delicious syrup to save for your leftover picarones.
  • Add the oil to a dutch oven or large pot. Make sure the pot is no more than two-thirds full. Heat the pot over high heat until the temperature reaches 375 degrees Fahrenheit or 190 degrees Celsius. You can use the kitchen thermometer to show kids how the temperature increases with time and model how to avoid touching or splashing the oil while deep-frying the picarones.
  • Form rings with the dough and place them in the pot. Fry the picarones in batches for 5 minutes. Spoon oil on top of them while they are cooking to ensure that they cook evenly. You can add a bit of extra flour if needed to assist with the shaping of the dough.
  • Remove them from the oil with a fine mesh strainer or tongs. Place the picarones on a towel to absorb the excess oil.
  • Don't forget to turn off the stove. Serve picarones hot with miel de chancaca drizzled on top.

Notes

  • Wash produce under running water
  • Use a vegetable brush to scrub firm produce
  • The same amount of sugar or other sweeteners can be substituted for stevia
  • Never leave cooking food unattended
  • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
  • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
  • See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
  • Full Recipe Info and Pictures at:  https://happyhomeschooladventures.com/picarones

Nutrition

Calories: 297kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 6gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.04gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gSodium: 36mgPotassium: 499mgFiber: 7gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 14266IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 77mgIron: 2mg

Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.

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