Coscorões belong to the fried-dough trinity of the Portuguese Christmas — alongside filhós and rabanadas — and in my family they appeared by the towering plateful: thin sheets of orange-scented dough fried into crisp, blistered shards and buried in cinnamon sugar.
The dough itself is modest — flour, eggs, butter, orange zest and a splash of brandy — but rolled paper-thin and fried hot, it shatters delicately with every bite.
Though December is their season, there is no law against making coscorões on an ordinary Tuesday. They are light, crunchy and perfect with coffee — and they keep beautifully in a tin, in theory. In practice, they do not last long enough to test it.
Coscorões Recipe
Prep time: 20 minutes (plus 30 minutes resting) · Cook time: 10 minutes · Total: 1 hour · Servings: 6 · Calories: ~223 per serving
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons softened butter
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons brandy or white wine
- Oil, for frying
- Cinnamon sugar (½ cup sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon cinnamon)
Instructions
- Mix the flour, sugar and salt, then work in the butter and orange zest.
- Make a well, add the eggs and brandy, and mix into a smooth dough, adding a little flour if it sticks.
- Wrap in plastic and rest 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough as thin as you can — about ⅛ inch or thinner.
- Cut into rectangles or diamonds and make a small slit in the center of each.
- Heat the oil to 350°F and fry in batches, turning, until golden and blistered.
- Drain on paper towels and toss in cinnamon sugar while still warm.
- Serve right away, or store in an airtight tin.
Recipe Notes
- Thinner is better — the signature crunch depends on it.
- The slit in the center helps them fry evenly and gives the classic look; some cooks twist a corner through it.
- A little port wine instead of brandy is a family variation worth trying.
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