Rosquetes – Argentine Glazed Ring Cookies
A baked good from north-western Argentina, from Santiago del Estero, traditionally made for Easter and for All Souls' Day.
The rings are boiled briefly before they are baked — the same technique as bagels. The hot water gelatinises the starch on the surface, and that is where the smooth, firm crust comes from, which baking alone will not give you. As soon as a ring floats, it is done.
On top goes a snow-white coating of Italian meringue that dries out completely and cracks when you bite it. Traditionally the dough is made with beef suet rather than butter.
You will also need: a sugar thermometer. The syrup has to reach 118 °C, and that is not a detail — below that temperature the coating stays soft and never finishes drying.
🔎 What is beef suet? — where it comes from, what goes in it and how it differs.
Ingredients
- 500 g strong bread flour
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 whole egg
- 50 g soft butter (or beef suet)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- A splash of aniseed or anise essence (optional)
- Warm water or milk, as needed, to bring it together
- For the meringue coating: 2 egg whites, 300 g white sugar and a splash of lemon juice for the syrup
Method
- 1
On the worktop, make a crown with the flour and the salt. In the centre put the yolks, the whole egg, the soft butter, the sugar and the anise.
- 2
Combine the ingredients in the centre and gradually work the flour in, adding liquid (warm water or milk) in the smallest quantity needed to reach a firm, smooth, even dough.
- 3
Shaping the rosquetes: roll portions of dough into cylinders (thick ropes) and join the ends to form large rings. Traditionally, small cuts or fringes are made around the outer edge with a knife or scissors.
- 4
The short boil: lower the rosquetes one or two at a time into a pot of boiling water for a few seconds. As soon as they float to the surface, lift them out with a slotted spoon and let them dry on a clean tea towel.
- 5
Baking: once dry, bake them at a moderate 180 °C for about 25-30 minutes, until they are cooked through and barely golden on the base.
- 6
The traditional meringue coating: make a syrup with the sugar, a little water and the lemon juice, and take it to 118 °C on a sugar thermometer. Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and, still whipping, pour in the hot syrup in a thin stream (Italian meringue). Coat the rosquetes and let them dry until the covering is white and crisp. With the syrup below 118 °C the coating stays soft and never dries.