Sopapillas
Oh baby is typically what you will say when you eat these, then you will say it again. Fried dough? What could be better? The sopapilla is basically a quick bread that is fried and sweetened with powdered sugar, honey, or cinnamon and sugar. This recipe is truly one that is easy to make and the dough can be made ahead of time so you can be ready for your guests or family when it comes to a snack or dessert.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp of sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp of vegetable shortening
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 – 1 cup of really warm water
- vegetable oil, enough to be about 2-3 inches for frying
- powdered sugar, cinnamon and sugar, or honey
In a large bowl, sift all of your dry ingredients. This will ensure that there are no lumps and make a nice light and fluffy dough when fried. Once you have the ingredients sifted, add the water and the vegetable shortening. This is where you get dirty as you need to get in there with your hands and make a nice dough. It will be a bit sticky, but it is important to not have a dry dough. Starting with the 3/4 cups is a good idea, but you will most likely need to add a tablespoon or more. Once you have a moist but firm enough dough as you do not want it to break, shape it into a ball, completely cover with plastic wrap and place in the refridgerator for at least one hour, however you can let it set overnight if need be.
Get your oil preheated, roughly about 2-3 inches in a large pan. Once you are ready, lightly flour your bread board, as well as your rolling pin. Now remove the wrapping from the dough ball, and cut it in half. Flatten it out a bit, then roll it out into about an 8 to 10 inch circle, making it about a 1/4 thick if possible. With a knife, cut into pizza slices, or any shape that you like. Now, once the oil is heated, add a few sopapillas, being careful not to overcrowd. Cook these on medium-low heat for roughly two minutes on each side. Once golden brown on each side, remove them from the oil and let the oil drain in a strainer lined with paper towel. Plate them by sprinkling with powdered sugar, cinnamon and sugar, or honey. Heck, do it all.
