Sopapillas

I have a confession to make...

Before The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight & Cook-off, I had heard of Sopapillas, but I had no idea what they were.

I wasn't sure if Sopapillas referred to some kind of Sopa (soup) like Sopa de Fideo.  Or if it was more like a Papilla, a fruit/veggie puree or baby food.

Turns out I was wrong on both counts.

Thanks to this Cook-off and a post by my friend, Girlichef, I learned that Sopapillas are actually fried pieces of Heaven dough.  Very much like donas (doughnuts) or biegnets.  But Sopapillas have the added bonus of being dipped in honey to eat.  (Sigh!) 

Absolutely heavenly!

Perfect for dessert, a late-night snack or Sunday breakfast!   


Sopapillas


Sopapillas
(from The Homesick Texan Cookbook by Lisa Fain)

Ingredients:
  • 1 envelope instant or quick active dry yeast
  • 1-1/2 cups warm water
  • 4 cups flour (plus extra for kneading)
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Kosher salt (I have no idea if mine is Kosher!)  
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying) 
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • Honey (for dipping)

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the yeast and water.  Let set for about 5 minutes until yeast dissolves and starts to look creamy.

Yeast


Combine the flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar and salt in a medium bowl.  Add the flour to the yeast mixture along with the melted butter.  Mix until well combined. 

Dough Prep


Turn dough out onto a generously floured surface.  Knead the dough until its smooth and elastic. 

dough prep 2


Place the dough inside a greased bowl.  Turn greased side up and cover.  Let the dough proof (rise) for 1 hour or until double in size.

108


Punch down dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll or pat the dough into a 12 x 9-inch rectangle.

Rolled-Out dough


Cut the dough into 12 equal squares.  Cut each square in half diagonally.  (You should have 24 triangles.)

Shaping Sopapillas


Heat the 2 cups of vegetable oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat.  Carefully drop 3 to 4 triangles of dough at a time into the hot oil and let fry for 45 seconds to 1 minute per side or until golden brown.  Remove the sopapillas to a heatproof plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.

Frying Sopapillas


In a medium bowl, combine the 1 cup of sugar with the ground cinnamon.  Dip the warm sopapillas in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, making sure both sides are evenly coated. 

Sopapillas in Cinnamon Sugar


Serve with honey for dipping and/or a steaming mug of Mexican Hot ChocolateEnjoy!!!  

Sopapillas y Chocolate


*This post is part of The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef.




19 comments

  1. Great job and I like how you rolled them in the sugar!
    Take care..

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  2. I love these! They are the highlight of my trips to New Mexico. I can't wait to try this recipe.

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  3. Mmm!  These look delish!  I'll always remember sopapillas.  When I took Spanish in highschool we had to pick a dish to bring.  I had no idea what sopapillas were, but picked that.  Went home and told my mother who in turned looked at me like I was crazy.... (she had never heard of them either).  Eventually we found a recipe and made them.  It was a lot of work.  Too much work (at the time).  I'm pretty sure we ended up ordering them from a Mexican restaurant and then I brought them to school.  (que horror!)

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  4. I love the fact you mentioned the Mexican Hot Chocolate....Abuelita!!  My mother used to make them and bunuelos when it snowed, however, doesn't snow much in the Chihuahuan Desert, so it was a real treat when she did!! I used to make them for my own children and I didn't wait for it to snow either!!  LOL  Thank you for reigniting my energy for sopapilla making!!

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  5. Mmmm...your sopapillas look fantastic!  I used to order them for dessert at a local "Mexican" (read: AmeriMex) restaurant...and have always loved them.  But yes, fried dough in any form is wonderful. They kind of remind me of mini Elephant Ears!! 

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  6. Ooooh these look so yummy! They look wonderful. Thank you for sharing this sweet treat!

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  7. Leslie, they look delicious, to me these are the best sopapillas I've seen. I will most definitely try it. Thanks

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  8. I really wanted to make the sopapillas but I was afraid I would eat them all. Your look just incredible--I am drooling over them. ;-)

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  9. These look amazing! I really would love to have them here. Right now!

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  10. Wow Leslie!  LOL!  My sopapillas don't look that fabulous!!  I will definitely check this recipe out!  :)  YUM!

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  11.  If your salt doesn't specify it's Kosher then it probably isn't ... If it has iodine in it then it definitely isn't... so if you made it with Iodized salt and it still worked out for you please share it with the world ... LOL! Because I am out of Kosher salt and I'd like to make these! I am sure it'll work fine! :D

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  12. I had frybread for the first time last month. My husband said it reminded him of sopapillas so I guess that's next on the list!

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  13. Your Sopapillas are so perfect looking, they just look delicious. Mine are all gone now, so I need to make some more. Thanks for sharing and hope you are having a great week!
    Miz Helen

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  14. Leslie,  where I am from they also serve sopapillas stuffed with beans or picadillo, lettuce, tomatoes & cheese (minus the sugar & cinnamon of course).  I guess it would be similar to gorditas.

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  15. So I guess sopapillas are not common in Mexico...yours sure do look great!

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  16. This look really gooood!  I bet they are awesome!

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  17. I made these for Spanish class and they turned out amazing. Loved your directions, so easy!

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  18. Made these for dessert for our family mexican dinner. My 10 year old daughter actually prepared the dough, and i fried them. It was a very easy recipe. They came out really good. Everyone loved them! Thank you :)

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  19. Can i use shortening instead of the butter?

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