Several weeks ago, after I posted a photo of my mother and I cooking together, Melissa messaged me to share how much she misses her mom.

Melissa lives in Seattle and her mother lives in Ecuador. As a result, they can't be together for many holidays. While the holidays are the hardest for homesickness,

Melissa channels her heartache into cooking her favorite Ecuadorian sweets for others. Around Christmas and New Year's, she likes to make a lot of festive Ecuadorian celebration pastries. Naturally, I asked her to share one with you and me.

Happily, Melissa obliged by sending over her recipe for Pristinos, a simple Ecuadorian pastry shaped like a crown and deep fried. After I tried the recipe once, we settled in for our interview which felt just like talking to an old friend. Enjoy!

These famous fried dough pastries, dusted with powdered sugar or dipped in a sugar cane syrup, are light, airy, and perfectly sweet. With each bite, you'll experience a heavenly combination of crispness on the outside and a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture on the inside. Don't miss the opportunity to savor the enchanting taste of Pristinos and transport yourself to a world of sweet bliss.

www.MelissaSampedro.com

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