Calzones Rotos is a classic winter Chilean recipe. Fun fact: the name, when translated, means “broken or ripped underwear.” I don’t know why we call them this, but maybe some questions are better left unanswered.
My grandmother often made these treats, which always felt special. When we arrived at her house for a winter visit, and she wanted to spoil us with something delicious, Calzones Rotos were often chosen.
The main ingredients for making Calzones Rotos include flour, sugar, butter, and eggs. The dough is mixed and rolled out before being cut into irregular shapes. These dough pieces are then deep-fried until they become golden brown and crispy. After frying, Calzones Rotos are dusted with powdered sugar. The orange or lemon zest is essential. The thickness depends on personal preference; my husband likes them thick, and I prefer them thinner and crispy.
Tips for delicious calzones rotos:
What can I do so the foam does not come out when frying the Calzones Rotos?
The foam can be for two reasons: the oils are too hot, or too much flour is left on the dough.
Ideally, use a thermometer in the oil; it must be at 180C/350F. Shake the pastries beforehand to avoid foam.
Also, the wider the pan or pot, the less foam.
Can I prepare the dough the day before or hours before?
No, baking powder does not last overnight, and you risk hard Calzones Rotos.
Can they be frozen?
I do not recommend freezing the raw pastries. It is dangerous when frying. Once fried and cold, they can be frozen for up to 3 months and reheated in the oven. They are not the same, but they are good.
Can they be baked?
Yes, but they don’t taste like classic Calzones Rotos.
Other traditional winter treats in Chile, besides Calzones Rotos, include:
- churros
- sopaipillas
- picarones
- pear empanadas
Chilean Calzones Rotos
A delicious fried pastry.
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 30
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 4 tablespoons of soft butter
- 1 egg
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon pisco, rum or vodka
- grated zest of 1 lemon or 1 orange
- pinch of salt
- water (4 tablespoons)
- oil for frying
Instructions
- In a bowl, sift the flour with powdered sugar and baking powder. Add salt—fluff with a fork.
- Add the butter, egg yolks, egg, pisco, and zest. Mix well with a wooden spoon or mixer with a paddle. Add the water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough is firm but holds together.
- Spread on a lightly floured counter. It should be about 3-5 mm thick.
- Cut the dough into rectangles about 10x4cm (it is easiest to use a pizza cutter). Then, with a knife, make a slit or cut at the center and thread a corner inside the slit and stretch gently.
- Heat the oil to 350F or 180C.
- Fry pastries 6-8 at a time for 2 minutes. Turn and fry for one more minute.
- They should be golden brown. Remove to a platter covered with a paper towel and sprinkle with powdered sugar immediately.
- Serve with hot chocolate.
Notes
Recipe adapted from the book Popular Kitchen by Mariana Bravo Walker
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Sweets
- Method: Fried
- Cuisine: Chilean
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 204
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 93.7 mg
- Fat: 16.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 11.7 g
- Fiber: 0.4 g
- Protein: 1.7 g
Hola Pilar,
Solo tengo corn oil en mi casa. Tú crees que funcionaria o cambiaría mucho el sabor ?
Gracias.
Funciona, pero ten ojo que no sé te caliente mucho y empiece a quemarse con humo, eso lo arruina.
Hola Pilar,
Can I substitute the ingredients with a different flour? like either coconut or almond flour? I’ve been trying to eat Keto as much as I can and I love canzones rotos. Last night I made some with a sugar substitute and they were good, it’s just the flour that I don’t know how to change it, I know it probably will never be the same texture and flavor, but it’s the closest I can get 😛
Thank you
I’m not sure. Sorry, I normally don’t use alternative flours.
how does the scale work? how many calzones come out in a “1x” scale?
“1x” is the way I tested the recipe. You will get 30 calzones rotos.
I wouldn’t recommend using the scale for this recipe. Thanks for calling that out, I will look and see if I can disable that feature for all sweets.
Made these today and came out delicious. I let my oil get too hot and almost burned the last
Couple but recipe is easy to follow and were great with coffee. Recipe made about 20.
Thanks for the feedback. Yes, the temperature of the oil is important. Good luck in the kitchen!
Can I please get clarification on the butter? Is it melted or not?
My dough keeps coming out like a shortbread. LOL
I’m sorry, is soft butter (spreadable temperature, if you wish) Not melted. Knead the dough more so stop feeling as shortbread and you can add water (1 tablespoon at a time) to get a proper dough. Hope it helps, this dough varies a lot depending on the humidity of the day, that is my experience with it.