Picarones

Ensure the sweet potato and squash mashes are cooled to lukewarm — warm enough to activate the yeast, cool enough not to kill it (38°C / 100°F is ideal). Combine the mashes in a large bowl. Dissolve the yeast in 3 tablespoons of warm water with a pinch of the sugar and leave 5 minutes until foamy. Add the foamy yeast, remaining sugar, salt, and anise seeds to the mash. Add the flour gradually, mixing to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. It will be softer and stickier than bread dough due to the vegetable moisture — do not add too much flour.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Leave in a warm place (25-28°C / 77-82°F) for 1-2 hours until the dough has roughly doubled in volume and looks airy and loose. The dough will also become even stickier as the yeast activates — this is normal. The anise aroma will become more pronounced.

Break or chop the chancaca into pieces. Combine with water, cinnamon stick, cloves, and orange peel in a saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved, bring to a gentle boil and cook for 10-12 minutes until syrupy and fragrant. Strain out the spices and peel. Keep warm. The syrup should be dark, spiced, and thick enough to drizzle.

Heat the oil to 175°C (345°F) in a deep, wide pan. Wet your hands thoroughly. Grab a golf ball-sized portion of dough, poke a hole through the center with your finger, and stretch into a ring shape (about 10cm diameter) directly over the hot oil. Drop it in. Fry in batches of 3-4, turning once after 2-3 minutes, until both sides are deep golden-brown. Total frying time is 4-5 minutes per batch. The dough will expand in the oil. Drain on paper towels.