Sonhos de Natal are small sweet fried puffs that are typically served during Christmas in Portugal. Despite being called Portuguese doughnuts, the dough is actually more similar to a choux pastry dough. The dough is deep fried until golden and served with a dusting of cinnamon and sugar. Terminology aside, they are simply delicious and addictive, and one of my favourite Portuguese Christmas culinary traditions. Keep reading to learn how to make them!
Sonhos – A Dreamy Portuguese Christmas Pastry
We are all aware of Portuguese creativity when it comes to naming dishes. Sonhos can be literally translated as ‘dreams’, possibly due to the dessert’s’ fluffy airy texture or because they taste dreamy. To make them, first you need to boil water, butter, sugar, and lemon peel. You then add the flour and cornstarch, stirring vigorously until a ball of dough is formed. The dough is then transferred to a large bowl and mixed again until it cools down almost completely. Like in a choux dough, you then incorporate the eggs one by one until the dough is glossy and smooth. The dough is then fried in hot oil until golden and puffy.
The sonhos should be golden but fluffy and almost completely hollow inside. To finish, they are coated in a mix of sugar and cinnamon powder. Optionally they can also be served with a drizzle of orange syrup or honey. Some variations include pumpkin or banana, and there are even savoury versions with meat or cod. They are traditional Christmas desserts, and one of the many Fritos de Natal or deep fried desserts coated in sugar and cinnamon that are typical from Christmas time.
Fritos de Natal – Deep Fried Christmas Desserts
There is a whole category of Portuguese desserts called “Fritos de Natal” or simply “Fritos”. They are deep fried pastries that although slightly different from one another, are always topped with sugar and cinnamon and are specially brought to the table at Christmas time. Here’s a list of the most famous ones.
- Fatias Douradas
- Filhós
- Azevias
- Coscorões
- Sonhos
How to Make Portuguese Christmas Doughnuts
Sonhos de Natal – How to Make Portuguese Christmas Doughnuts
24
servings35
minutes25
minutes405
kcalSonhos de Natal are small sweet fried puffs that are typically served during Christmas in Portugal.
Ingredients
150 g All-purpose Flour
40 g Unsalted Butter
30 g Cornstarch
125 g Granulated Sugar
4 Large Eggs
300 ml Boiling Water
Salt
2 Strips of Lemon Rind
1 tsp Cinnamon Powder
1 l Vegetable oil for Frying
Directions
- In a medium saucepan combine the water with the butter, 25 grams of granulated sugar, the lemon rind, and a pinch of salt. Place it over high heat, bring it to a boil.
- Take out the lemon peel, add in the flour and cornstarch (sifted), and immediately start to stir it non stop with a wooden spoon until the dough pulls aways from the sides of the pan and forms a stiff ball.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl, continue to stir it to cool it down. If you have a stand mixer, you can do this with the paddle attachment. Once the dough is cooler, start incorporating the eggs one by one until the dough is smooth and glossy.
- Cover the bowl with cling wrap and place it in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add your oil to a pan suitable for deep frying and place it over low to medium heat to heat up slowly. It should be ready to be used once it reaches about 150°C.
- In a large plate or bowl, combine the remaining sugar with the cinnamon powder. Set aside.
- Take the dough out of the fridge, scoop small portions of dough into the hot oil. Don’t overcrowd the pan as they will puff up. Fry for about 6-8 minutes or until golden. With a slotted spoon transfer them to a tray lined with absorbent paper.
- Immediately roll each one of the sonhos on the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Enjoy!
Notes
- Instead of serving the sonhos with sugar and cinnamon, you can make a simple sugar syrup flavoured with a cinnamon stick and orange peel to drizzle on top.
- If you don’t own a kitchen thermometer you can use the chopstick method to check if the oil is hot enough. Simply dip a chopstick into the hot oil, when ready some gentle bubbles will form around it. You can also check the inside of the sonhos, if they come out raw, the oil is too hot.
Have you tried this recipe? Let me know in the comments, I would love to hear your thoughts!