Calzones Rotos ('torn underpants') is Chile's most whimsical fried pastry — strips of citrus-and-anise-scented dough, twisted, deep-fried until golden, and dusted generously with powdered sugar. The whimsical name comes from their ragged, twisted shape. Eaten with afternoon tea or coffee, they are the Chilean cousin of Spanish churros and Italian chiacchiere.
Calzones Rotos (literally 'torn underpants' — the name refers to the ragged, twisted shape of the fried dough) are a traditional Chilean fried pastry, eaten with afternoon tea or coffee. The dough is enriched with eggs, butter, and citrus zest (lemon or orange), and sometimes a splash of pisco or white wine. The dough is rolled thin, cut into strips, slit in the center, and one end is pulled through the slit to form a twisted shape (like a bow or — according to the name — torn underwear). They are deep-fried until golden and dusted heavily with powdered sugar. The recipe is found in every Chilean community cookbook.
A golden, crispy, twisted strip of fried dough, dusted thickly with powdered sugar that falls everywhere. The inside is soft and slightly cakey, with a faint lemon-orange scent. Bite in: the crunch of the sugar, the crisp of the dough, the soft interior. Dip it in coffee or tea. It is the most comforting, most humble Chilean sweet.
The dough is enriched (eggs, butter, citrus zest) which makes it softer and richer than churro dough. The twisting technique (slit in the center, pull one end through) gives the characteristic ragged shape. The frying must be at 175°C — too hot and they burn outside before cooking through; too cool and they absorb oil. Powdered sugar is applied generously while still warm.
Variations
Some add anise seeds; some add a splash of pisco; some drizzle with honey; the size and shape vary.
On the Palate
Where Calzones Rotos sits in the Chilean flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 8
How it's made
8 steps · 50 min active + 25 min waiting
- 140 min
Make dough: cream 100 g butter with 80 g sugar; add 2 eggs, 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 tsp orange zest, and 1 tbsp pisco.
- 230 min
Sift in 400 g flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt; knead to a smooth dough; rest 30 minutes.
- 35 min
Roll the dough to 5 mm thick; cut into 10x4-cm strips.
- 45 min
Make a 4-cm slit in the center of each strip; pull one end through the slit to twist.
- 53 min
Heat oil to 175°C.
Watch outHold the oil around one-seventy-five — the pastries should surface and turn deep gold in a few minutes; too hot and they brown before the middle cooks, too cool and they soak up oil.
- 614 min
Fry in batches 2-3 minutes until deep gold.
- 72 min
Drain on paper.
- 82 min
Dust generously with powdered sugar while still warm.
