tortas de aceite

Olive Oil Anise Flatbread.

A few days ago, Ben came home with this package of Cookies imported from Seville, Spain. Tortas de Aceite, Ines Rosales. The Original Tortas, (or so it said on the package.)

Even from just the packaging, the lettering, the feel of each individual cookie under each wax paper-like wrapper, I knew these would be tasty and that I would instantly love them. And I did!

Over two days, We had them with our morning coffee, with dessert, and as a snack.

And after two days, they were gone. 😦

And I almost immediately decided that I need to try and replicate them. So I found different recipes online, but settled on this one. And I started getting excited, because this recipe online called for Fennel. I even already had a title in my mind for this post–“Fun with Fennel”. Only I had to use anise seeds. Because that was all I had. Which was all well and good, because that’s what Ines Rosales uses.

It’s been a long and stressful week. Without going into too many details, I’ve been working on paperwork for my case to sponsor Ben for his green card, which is a long process, and we are only really in the beginning stages, but I’ve been keeping sane by reminding myself that at least there is a process. Anyways. If you see a gap in time between updates, it may be partly due to this.

I really hope you enjoy these! They are so great with my morning coffee.

Tortas de aceite (based on this recipe from Leites Culinaria)

ingredients

2 and 1/2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons anise seeds

1/2 cup Spanish extra olive oil, plus more for baking sheet

2/3 cup warm water

3 Tablespoons raw sugar, plus more for sprinkling

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

confectioner’s sugar, for dusting

AP flour, for work surface

1 large egg white, beaten

method

Preheat oven to 450 degrees f.

Mix the flour, salt, seeds in a bowl, stir with a whisk to blend. Set aside.

Pour the oil into a bowl, add the water and sugar, stir, and add the yeast and stir again. Set aside for about five minutes.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the yeast mixture and stir to combine. If it is really sticky, add a little more flour, but be careful not to add too much. You want a nice smooth dough.

Baking sheets can be lined with a silpat. I used a silpat, but still oiled it a little, then dusted it very lightly with confectioners sugar.

On a floured surface, divide dough into 12 equal-sized balls, then use a floured rolling pin to roll each into a 4-inch diameter circle.

Place each dough on the baking sheets, brush with a beaten egg white, then dust with confectioner’s sugar, followed by raw sugar (I used turbinado sugar).

Bake for anywhere from 6 to 12 minutes, depending on your oven. Ovens vary. Mine only took 7 minutes, but afterwards, I had a debate in my mind on whether I should’ve left them in longer to brown more. Oh well.

Immediately transfer to wire racks to cool. Enjoy!