Buñuelos (Yucca Fritters)

Ingredients

• 2 ¹⁄₂ lb. yucca, peeled and cut into small pieces
• 1 small white sweet potato, peeled and cut into pieces
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp. salt
• ¹⁄₄ tsp. ground aniseed
• Vegetable oil
• Flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions

1. Put yucca and sweet potatoes in a medium pot and cover with cold water by 2". Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain, then mash with a potato masher until smooth, discarding any fibrous pieces. Set aside until cool to the touch, then add yolk, salt, aniseed, and 1 tsp. of oil.
2. Rub hands with a little oil, then form dough into 1" balls. Roll each ball on a lightly floured surface into 8" "ropes", then twist into open-bottomed figure eights.
3. Put sugar, cinnamon stick, and 1½ cups water in a medium saucepan and simmer over medium heat until pale gold, 40-50 minutes. Set syrup aside.
4. Pour oil into a large skillet to a depth of 2" and heat to 375° on a candy thermometer over medium-high heat. Fry buñuelos in batches, turning them, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm, drizzled with a little syrup.