Calzones Rotos (Chilean Fried Pastries) Recipe

By
María del Mar Cuadra
A headshot of Maria del Mar Cuadra, a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
María del Mar Cuadra
María del Mar Cuadra is a food stylist, recipe developer, and art director. She has written three cookbooks and worked for America's Test Kitchen.
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Updated February 12, 2025
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In Chile, legend has it that a woman who sold fried dough in a Santiago square during colonial times was surprised by a strong gust of wind that made her skirt fly up. The big reveal: her underpants were torn. Today, the pastries she sold are still prepared in Chile. They're called calzones rotos (torn ladies' underwear) to her—and her mother's—eternal shame.

Calzones rotos are a traditional Chilean tea-time treat, usually served in winter (which down there happens during our summer months). The name, steeped in that public square scandal is reminiscent of a schoolboy's taunt or an excerpt from Humbert Humbert's diary, but most think it refers to the shape of the fried dough (I happen to think they resemble bowties).

I searched for additional information on the name, but was foiled. As to their provenance, there was an article by a Chilean chef who said the pastries were of Belgian origin (makes sense, Belgians do like to fry things and Chilean desserts are strongly influenced by European ones). A more interesting item, though, came from a Chilean blogger who, like myself, had a Nancy Drew-like curiosity. An old aunt told him the calzones rotos were of Hungarian descent, and I did find a recipe and photo that matched! If anyone speaks Hungarian, please translate: szalagos farsangi fánk. Google Translate and other online resources suggest they're called "tape carnival doughnuts" or "tape doughnuts." I hope they're not right because I have a clear picture of a tapeworm in my head.

The dough for calzones rotos is made by hand (I tried the mixer but found the dough difficult to work with), a mixture of flour, confectioners' sugar, baking powder, eggs, egg yolks, butter, lemon zest, and cognac, brandy, or pisco. I went against the current and added an extra egg to the ingredients—the dough was easier to handle and yielded more consistent results than "adding water as needed."

A Chilean friend says she finds calzones rotos a bit dry, but I politely disagree. More than doughnuts or funnel cake, they're really fried cookies. She probably just takes them for granted. Plus, they're served warm and dusted with confectioners' sugar.

Recipe can be easily doubled. If doing so, divide dough in half before rolling out.

August 2011

Recipe Details

Calzones Rotos (Chilean Fried Pastries) Recipe

Prep 20 mins
Cook 20 mins
Active 60 mins
Total 40 mins
Serves 20 to 25 pastries
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Ingredients

  • 2 quarts vegetable oil

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting counter

  • 6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar plus additional for dusting

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 large egg, at room temperature

  • 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons brandy, cognac, or pisco

  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions

  1. Heat oil in Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat until temperature registers 350°F (oil should be about 1 1/2 inches deep). Line a baking sheet with two layers of paper towels.

  2. While oil is heating, sift together flour, confectioners’ sugar, baking powder, and salt directly onto clean, dry work surface. Gather dry ingredients into a mound and make a well in the center.

  3. In small bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolk, brandy, and lemon zest. Pour egg mixture into flour well. Add butter. With fork, quickly combine flour mixture and egg mixture until a crumbly dough is formed. Gather dough together with hands and knead just until it is smooth and cohesive.

  4. Lightly dust counter and rolling pin with additional flour and roll dough out into a rectangle 1/4-inch thick. Cut dough into approximately 4- by 2-inch rectangles. Cut a vertical slit, about 1-inch long, in the center of each dough rectangle.

  5. Gently hold short end of dough rectangle and tuck into slit, gently pulling it up to shape the pastry.

  6. Repeat with remaining rectangles.

  7. Fry calzones in batches of four or five until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer calzones to prepared baking sheet.

  8. Once all the calzones are fried, dust them with additional confectioners’ sugar. Serve warm.

Special Equipment

Dutch oven or large pot, deep-fry thermometer, large baking sheet, paper towels, sifter, rolling pin, slotted spoon or spider

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
104 Calories
7g Fat
8g Carbs
1g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 20 to 25
Amount per serving
Calories 104
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 9%
Saturated Fat 2g 8%
Cholesterol 25mg 8%
Sodium 57mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 8g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 21mg 2%
Iron 0mg 3%
Potassium 15mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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