Pumpkin and sweet potato fritters

Ingredients

• 500 g of sweet potatoes
• 500 g of red kuri squash
• 500 g of wheat flour
• 3 tablespoons of dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon of anise seeds
• 3 cloves of allspice
• 1 small piece of cinnamon
• 1 small cup of anise
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• a pinch of salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• A lot of oil paint
• 500 g of chancaca
• 5 cloves of cardamom
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 orange peel
• 2 Jamaican peppercorns
• 4 cups of water

Peel the sweet potatoes and the red kuri squash, then chop them into pieces. Cook the vegetables in a large pot of water with 3 cloves of allspice, a cinnamon stick, and a small amount of star anise. Reserve a cup of the cooking liquid. Once the vegetables are cooked, mash them with a fork or a blender.

Mix the dry yeast with a cup of lukewarm water, add the sugar, and let it sit for about 20 minutes.

Combine all the liquid ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then beat until well combined. Next, add the wheat flour, mixing gently until a smooth, elastic dough forms that doesn’t stick to your fingers. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for about an hour, or until it has doubled in size.

Heat a large quantity of oil paint. Using a hand dipped in salted water, take small portions of the paste and, using a pierced finger, form a ring. Gild the rings with oil paint. The traditional method for removing excess oil paint involves letting the doughnuts drain on a rack, although they can also be placed on absorbent paper.

Remove the chancaca from its shell and boil it with 5 cloves of allspice, 2 sticks of cinnamon, 1 orange peel, and 2 grains of Jamaican pepper, until it reaches a syrup-like consistency. Strain the chancaca and set aside.

Arrange some picarones on a plate and lightly drizzle them with chancaca syrup.