Anise Christmas rolls  

If there is one thing that doesn't change over time, it's gorging on cakes every time Santa Claus and the Three Kings are around the corner. From the infamous roscon de reyes (King’s cake) to hot chocolate, and one of the quintessentially Valencian sweets: anise rolls.

The holidays are a good time to cook new recipes and have fun around the stove with our loved ones.  And, what’s more, it's even better if it’s to make something sweet! A small tip: this recipe, accompanied by a good cup of coffee, will help you to enjoy one of Valencia’s best snacks.

Origin of anise rolls

There are many varieties of anise rolls. In fact, it is quite a common recipe all over Spain, the difference is in the finish. Their origin dates back a long time, possibly to ancient Rome, where they spread to most of Europe, especially the Mediterranean.  In this case we will focus on the typical doughnuts from Valencia: els rotllets d’anís.

Recipe for anise rolls

Ingredients

- 1 glass of olive oil

- 1 glass of dry anise liqueur or Cazalla

- ½ glass of sugar

- 300 g flour

Step by step method

1. Mix the oil, anise and sugar in a bowl. Whilst mixing the ingredients, add the flour until the mixture becomes an elastic and homogeneous dough.

2. Place the dough on a floured surface, roll it out using a rolling pin and divide it into portions and shape them into the typical doughnut shape.

3. After finishing all of the portions, place the rolls in the oven at a medium temperature until they become golden, approximately for between 15 and 20 minutes.

4. Once removed from the oven, sprinkle them with sugar while they are still warm. Once cool, they are ready to serve.

A good tip so they last perfect condition is to store them in an airtight glass container.  That way, they will keep their flavour and texture for several days.