A treasure of Moquegua pastry, defined by a crumbly texture and a mellow quince heart. This regional gem captures the spirit of southern Peru, balancing short, tender dough with the perfume of sweet wine and anise. Pure tradition that melts on the palate.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Warm most of the port wine with the sweet anise for 2 minutes, without letting it boil hard. Turn off the heat, cover, and steep for 5 minutes; then strain and cool until just lukewarm.
Mix the wheat flour, white sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add the cold lard and unsalted butter, then rub them into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse sand.
Add the egg yolks and the scented wine little by little. Bring the dough together with a spatula and then by hand, only until it forms a soft block; do not knead it like bread.
Flatten the dough into a disk, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 25 minutes, until firm but still flexible. This chill settles the fat and helps the hojaldrilla keep its shape.
Mix the quince paste with the remaining port wine until pliable. Roll the dough to 4 mm thick, cut 24 rounds, and fill 12 with quince; cover with the remaining rounds and seal the edges with gentle pressure.
Brush the pastries with the beaten egg and bake at 180°C for 18 to 22 minutes, until dry, barely golden at the edges, and firm when lifted.
Let the hojaldrillas cool for 15 minutes before handling them too much. Dust with powdered sugar at the end if you want a finer finish; they should be crumbly, dry, and mellow at the center.
