Holiday Cinnamon Buñuelos Food

MEXICAN BUñUELOS

Steps:

• Place the 1 cup of water and the piloncillo in a medium-size saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until the piloncillo dissolves and it looks like liquid caramel.
• Carefully add the rest of the water, cinnamon stick, guavas, aniseed and orange peel and bring to a boil. Cook for about 6 minutes, stir and boil for 4 more minutes. Set aside to use as a topping for the buñuelos.
• If you want a thicker consistency, simmer for a longer period of time until desired thickness. The syrup keeps well refrigerated for up to 1 week.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.
• In a large bowl mix flour, baking powder, 1 Tablespoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
• Form a well in the center and add the egg, melted butter and vanilla. Mix until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Slowly add the water a tablespoon at a time, mixing and kneading until you have a soft and smooth dough. This will take less than 5 minutes. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
• While the dough is resting prepare your working area with a rolling pin, a large dish with paper towel or open paper bags, extra flour for rolling the circles, a large frying pan with the vegetable oil ready for the moment you start frying the Buñuelos.
• Divide the dough in 12 small balls and cover. Heat 3/4 inch of oil the large frying pan.
• Place one of the dough balls in your already floured working surface and stretch with your rolling pin. Roll out each ball to forma a circle as thin as possible without breaking the dough.
• To give that extra stretching to the Buñuelo, place on the inverted bowl or clay pot covered with the pastry towel and pull the edges very gentle. The Buñuelo should be thin almost transparent. Before cooking, some people like to place all the already former buñuelos over a clean tablecloth, in a large table, making sure they don't touch each other. This step will dry the dough, the buñuelos will be even crispier, and absorb less oil while cooking.
• Fry the buñuelos in very hot oil until they are golden and crispy. This step will take a few seconds. Place the buñuelos on a plate covered with paper towels to drain the excess oil. Serve warm or at room temperature and sprinkle with sugar. If you do not sprinkle the sugar right away they can still be nice and crispy for another day and just add the sugar at serving time. If you prefer to serve them warm, place them in your oven in a low setting for 5 minutes. Now, we need some hot chocolate to go along with the buñuelos.

MEXICAN BUNUELOS

Steps:

• Add all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Mix together until combined.
• Add warm water and 4 tablespoons oil. Mix together with a spoon or your hands until the dough comes together.
• Transfer the dough onto a clean working surface and knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Roll the dough into a ball, place it in a bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
• While the dough is resting, cover a large plate with paper towels, fill a large saute pan with 1 to 2 inches of frying oil and make the cinnamon sugar topping. Set aside.
• Divide the dough into 8 separate pieces and roll each piece into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll out each ball into an 8 to 10-inch circle. (I recommend laying the rolled out dough onto a large kitchen towel in one single layer. Don't stack the rolled out dough on top of each other or it may stick.)
• Heat the frying oil to 350°F. Fry each dough circle for about 60 seconds, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Transfer to prepared plate to drain any excess oil. Sprinkle heavily with cinnamon sugar topping.
• Combine granulated sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl.

BUñUELOS (AN AUTHENTIC MEXICAN RECIPE)

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, with a dough hook attachment, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Mix together.
• Pour the oil into the warm water, then pour this into the dry ingredients.
• Mix together with the dough hook for 3-4 minutes until the dough has formed into a ball.
• Prepare a clean work surface, sprinkle with a small amount of flour, remove the dough from the bowl, and place in the flour. Continue to knead the dough for 1-2 minutes until dough is soft and no longer sticky. Add flour as needed in small amounts to achieve this.
• Cover the dough and let sit 30 mins. (I always just place a small bowl over the dough while it's on the counter.)
• Divide dough into smaller portions about 40-45 grams each, then pinch and roll the dough into small ball shapes. This will make about 13 dough balls. Cover with a clean towel, let sit for 20 minutes.
• Preheat oil to 350-375℉ while dough is resting.
• Prepare the Piloncillo Syrup (instructions below).
• Pour the extra 1/2 cup of flour for rolling dough into a small bowl and set aside.
• Prepare Cinnamon Sugar by combining the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
• After letting the dough rest, working one dough ball at a time, dip the dough into the flour, coating all over. Using your fingers, flatten the dough ball out and gently press the dough out into a circle shape. Then roll into a 6 inch circle using a rolling pin. It should be fairly thin, this will help it fry easier without puffing up.
• Place one dough circle into the oil, and gently press down into the oil using a metal spatula, or tongs, to help prevent large bubbles from forming in the bunuelos. Small bubbles are expected, but don't allow the entire top to bubble up in one bubble. Continue frying for about 1-2 minutes, once the bottom is crisp and golden, flip and continue to fry the other side. Will be crisp and golden when done.
• Remove the Bunuelos from the oil, place on a large baking sheet lined with a wire cooling rack. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar while still hot. Be careful not to burn your fingers flipping it over to get both sides.
• Serve warm with a cup of piloncillo syrup on the side for dipping. OR you can pour the piloncillo syrup over the top.

HOLIDAY CINNAMON BUñUELOS

Steps:

• Move 2 oven racks to middle positions. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray (or line with cooking parchment paper).
• Place tortillas on cutting board. Brush generously with melted butter.
• Place 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon into each of two small bowls. Stir red sugar into one bowl and green sugar into other.
• Sprinkle each of 4 buttered tortillas with about 3 tablespoons of the red mixture, and sprinkle remaining 4 buttered tortillas with about 3 tablespoons each of the orange mixture.
• Place 2 tortillas on each cookie sheet. Use pizza cutter to cut each tortilla into 12 wedges. Spread wedges apart slightly.
• Bake 8 to 12 minutes, rotating cookie sheets halfway through bake time, until crispy and lightly browned. Wedges will begin to curl up on edges.