‘Filhoses’ are THE Christmas sweet treat for me. It is very popular all over Portugal, with different variations: some make it with carrots and pumpkin, others without pumpkin or with only pumpkin, well… they’re all lovely. The ones I always had since I remember myself as a person are the pumpkin ones. The traditional recipe has egg in it but after making my vegan ‘filhoses’ a few times, really, in all honesty, why are the eggs necessary??
Time: 3 to 4 h
Type: sweets
Difficulty: 2 pans
Makes: 15 to 20 individual ‘filhoses’
What you need:
300g cooked pumpkin (or butternut squash)
1 orange, juiced
white flour (about 200g)
dry yeast (5g)
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
Oil to fry
Granulated sugar and ground cinnamon
Utensils:
1 pan
sieve
1 big bowl, 1 small bowl
spoon
frying pan
kitchen paper towels
fabric towel
Directions:
Cut pumpkin in small chunks and boil over low heat until soft (about 20 to 30 minutes);
Drain water with a sieve (let it sit there for 10 to 15 minutes so all the water is removed);
Place pumpkin in a bowl, along with yeast, flaxseed and orange juice- mash all together with one hand;
Use the other hand to add flour slowly while continuously mixing, until you get a creamy mixture, soft but consistent;
Note: Is difficult to tell exactly how much flour is needed, but usually about 200g (you might need slightly more or less here, so keep an open mind!)
Lay a fabric towel over the bowl and take it to a dark, warm place, protected from wind (the oven is a good option- switched off!);
Let the batter sit for at least 2 hours- it will be ready when you see little bubbles of air forming in the surface;
Once batter is ready, heat a good amount of oil in a frying pan;
When the oil is very hot, fry the batter by taking 1 tablespoon of it each time and place it in the oil- make sure the individual portions are not mixing in the frying pan; fry for a couple of minutes each side;
Once golden, remove them from the frying pan and place on kitchen towels to remove excess oil;
In a small bowl, mix granulated sugar and ground cinnamon in whatever proportion you like (I personally like to add A LOT of cinnamon);
While still hot, dip the fluffy bites into the sugar and cinnamon mix, so all sides are covered;
These are delicious still hot, but they can keep for a few days in a closed container, and are just as yummy.
Plant Based Portuguese 