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Picarones (Chilean Pumpkin Donuts)

Picarones are Chilean style donuts. These soft, squash or pumpkin donuts are soaked in an orange infused syrup made with panela. Yield: 19 donuts

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Resting time
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 19 people
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: South American , Chilean

Ingredients

  • 2 cups squash or pumpkin puree
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups milk, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
For The Syrup
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 cups shredded panela, dark muscovado sugar, or dark brown sugar
  • Zest of one orange
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions

For The Dough
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a big bowl, mix squash or pumpkin puree, sugar, milk and yeast.
  2. Add flour and mix well. The dough is very sticky. Cover the bowl and leave it to rise for an hour and a half at room temperature.
For The Syrup
  1. In a medium saucepan, add all the ingredients for the syrup. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, for about 5 minutes. Keep warm.
To Make The Donuts
  1. Heat 3-4 inches of oil  in a deep saucepan over medium/low heat.
  2. Flour a ¼ measuring cup and scoop out some dough. Flour your hands, shape the dough into a ball. Using your thumbs, poke a hole through the center of the ball to create a donut shape.
  3. Place donut on hot oil and fry for about 3 minutes on each side.
  4. Remove the donut from the hot oil and drain on paper towels. Continue with the remaining dough. 
  5. Soak the fried donuts in the hot syrup.
  6. Serve them while they are still warm.