Mexican Buñuelos

Back in November of 2011, I went on  a month-long trip I to Monterrey, Mexico. I had the great opportunity to visit with my extended familia and learn and cook many family recipes. When we were kids in California, I remember that one of our family traditions was to make buñuelos on New Year’s Eve. Because my Mom was busy raising eight kids, she took a little help from the store and would use premade flour tortillas to make buñuelos for us, and they were delicious! While I was in Mexico, my cousin Patricia, shared with me tia Amelia’s recipe for buñuelos. I was more than thrilled!

My tia Amelia passed away this past May 2015. This recipe now is even that much more special to me. QEPD

Yields up to 16 Medium Round Buñuelos

 

 

Variation! My little twist on the original recipe was to add 1 teaspoon crushed anise seeds and 1 teaspoon of Mexican vanila. You would add these ingredients when you add the sugar and salt into the bowl.

In our family, we simply enjoyed the buñuelos with cinnamon and sugar, no piloncillo syrup. But if you like, there is an easy syrup recipe at the end of the blog post.

Tips~To get a more puffy buñuelo, ladle the hot oil over the dough as it is frying. 

Quick Buñuelos Using Store Bought Tortillas

For this quick version of buñuelos, all you need is store bought flour tortillas. Homemade tortillas, even better, lol! Preheat enough oil in a skillet so it comes up at least one inch up the side of pan. While oil is heating, I gently pierce a couple of holes into the center of each tortilla with a fork. This will prevent it from blowing up too much during frying. I like to use a small 6 inch tortilla.

Fry the tortillas for about 30 seconds per side or until golden and crispy. Transfer to a baking sheet and let it rest for just 10 to 15 seconds. Dredge in a cinnamon/sugar mixture while it’s still warm. It’s best to use a round shallow dish, such as a pie plate. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container or plastic storgae bag.

Piloncillo Syrup
8 ounce cone of piloncillo
1 cup of water
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1 stick of Mexican canela
3 whole cloves
1 star anise

Combine all of the ingredients into a sauce pan and heat to medium/low. Continue cooking until piloncillo melts ans syrup becomes thicker. 

Buñuelos

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Course: Antojitos

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 16 Buñuelos

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shortening melted
• 1 cup water
• Handful of tomatillo husk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour plus extra flour for dusting
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh ground canela or to taste
• 3-4 cups of canola oil for frying

Instructions

• Melt the shortening in a large bowl(I used the microwave). In a small saucepan, add the 1 cup of water and tomatillo husk. Bring to a quick boil and remove from heat.
• Strain the tomatillo tea and pour into bowl with melted shortening. Mix in the sugar, salt and baking powder. Mix in 1 cup of flour until well incorporated.
• Gradually add in the remaining flour until the dough comes together. Knead for 5-6 minutes. If dough still feels too sticky, work in a little more flour. It should she moist, though. Place in bowl and cover with kitchen towel directly onto dough. Let rest for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, divide the dough into 16 dough balls, depending on how big you want your buñuelos. Place them back in the bowl and keep them covered. Preheat the oil in a deep skillet and prepare the sugar and canela mixture in a large shallow bowl. You also want another bowl with a few paper towels at the bottom.
• If you have the space, I would suggest rolling out a few of the buñuelos to 6 inches in diameter and laying them out on the counter so they dry out just slightly. Use a fork to pierce a few holes in the buñuelos. Fry one at a time for about 5 minutes, turning halfway through. Transfer to the bowl with paper towels, standing up. Fry the next one. While it fries, dredge the cooked buñuelo through the sugar and canela. Place onto platter ot plate. Repeat until done.

Notes

Tips~The purpose of the tomatillo tea is that it is supposed to add some elasticity to the dough. If you want to skip this step, you can still prepare the buñuelos. Besides cinnamon and sugar, many times the buñuelos are served with a piloncillo syrup. Go to the end of the blog post for an easy piloncillo syrup recipe.

Tried this recipe?Mention @pinaenlacocina or tag #pinaenlacocina!

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