Family Traditions: The Annual "Crespillos"

Knowing how to be creative with what one has at home: perhaps this example could serve as inspiration. Every year on the "Friday of Sorrows" (the Friday before Palm Sunday), the mother of Saint Josemaría, Dolores Escrivá, used to prepare a special dessert called "crespillos".​ It was a simple dessert that she ​would only make on that day, and thus the family would look forward to it. The recipe is easy to follow and inexpensive, and makes for a tasty and original dessert for your family.

Knowing how to be creative with what one has at home: perhaps this example could serve as inspiration.

Every year on the "Friday of Sorrows" (the Friday before Palm Sunday), the mother of Saint Josemaría, Dolores Escrivá, used to prepare a special dessert called "crespillos". It was a simple dessert that she would only make on that day, and thus the family always looked forward to it.

Dora del Hoyo adopted the "crespillo" tradition when she began to take care of the house where St. Josemaria lived in Rome. The recipe is easy to follow and inexpensive, and makes for a tasty and original dessert for your family.

Ingredients

(serves 6 – 8 people):

  • ½ kilo fresh spinach leaves
  • 200 grams self-raising flour
  • 1 dessert-spoon sugar (10 g)
  • 2 eggs (100g)
  • 1.5 decilitres milk (150g)
  • Sugar for sprinkling

Method

  • Wash the spinach very well, and leave just 2 or 3 cm of stalk on each.
  • Mix the flour and sugar in a bowl. Beat the eggs and milk together and then add them to the flour, whisking them hard to a smooth batter.
  • Dry the spinach-leaves well, and coat them on both sides with the batter.
  • Heat a pan of oil to about 170o C and fry the leaves, several at a time, until a light golden brown.
  • Drain them on some kitchen-paper and sprinkle with sugar.
  • Cover with a white napkin and serve immediately.

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Recipe from Alicia Bustos, Cocina Inteligente, Eunsa, Pamplona, 2004.