Buñuelos have always been a staple at our family Christmas Eve gathering. Among all the treats on the table they were always my favorite - perfectly crispy and dusted with cinnamon sugar. Delicious with a cup of coffee or Mexican hot chocolate.
There are two ways to make buñuelos, one is kind of cheating and the other is really the proper way to do it. Both are good although doing things the hard way does have an edge where taste is concerned.
The shortcut is to take pre-made flour tortillas and fry them in hot oil, they will puff slightly and turn golden brown. Immediately remove from the oil and dust with cinnamon sugar. These are good, really easy, and quick (also a great way to use up leftover tortillas). I like to use these "quick buñuelos" as a garnish for an easy ice cream sundae.
The other method involves making a sweetened tortilla dough from scratch, rolling them out, and frying in oil. These taste a lot fresher and have a much better texture and flavor. Try these for Christmas or anytime you need a tasty treat with your coffee.
Buñuelos
(printable recipe)
adapted from La Paloma White Wings Brand
1 egg
1/3 c milk
2 c harina preparada*
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. butter, melted
oil for frying
for cinnamon sugar:
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
Beat egg well and stir in milk. Gradually add the harina preparada and sugar. Add butter, turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth (3-5 minutes). Divide the dough in half, then in half again, then make 3 balls of dough out of each piece, for a total of 12. Roll out to 6" in diameter. Brush off any excess flour (this will keep your oil as clean as possible). Fry in at least 1" of oil heated to 375 degrees until browned on both sides. Remove from the hot oil and drain on paper towels, dust immediately with cinnamon sugar.
*if you can't find harina preparada use 2c flour, 3/4 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt instead
My daughter's great-grandmother would always make buñuelos and pumpkin empanadas at Christmastime, and her grandmother would make the tamales. They never trusted me to grind and season the meat for the tamales, but I was the go-to girl for spreading masa. :) These sound so good. I'll have to try making them this Christmas. Back in the day, I could make a mean flour tortilla, even though I never got very good at making them pretty and round.
ReplyDeletethese are the kind my mom used to make and now i make every year. except we did our on new year's day. it's my favorite thing ever but that said, there's a recipe for a yeasted one in rick bayless' book that looks complicated but yummy.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of these until now. They sound fantastic!! Thanks for the inspiration :)
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