Buñuelos

Stretched over the back of the hand until it is translucent, because a rolling pin cannot take it that thin.

Egg. Vegetarian, but not vegan — contains egg, dairy (butter).

Ingredients

the dough

• 450 g plain flour
• 2 eggs
• 60 g butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 180 ml aniseed tea (1 tablespoon aniseed simmered in 250 ml water and strained)

to finish

• oil, for frying, about 4 cm depth
• 250 g piloncillo, grated
• 400 ml water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• a strip of orange zest

Method

1. IT IS STRETCHED OVER THE BACK OF THE HAND UNTIL IT IS TRANSLUCENT, because a rolling pin cannot take it that thin. A buñuelo wants to be thinner than a sheet of paper -- thin enough to read print through -- and dough rolled that thin on a board sticks to it and tears when lifted. Rolled out to about two millimetres first, then draped over the back of a closed fist and worked outward with the other hand, turning the fist slowly, it thins under its own weight with nothing to stick to. It will be uneven and will have a thicker rim, and that is correct: a buñuelo is meant to be glassy in the middle and chewier at the edge.
2. THE DOUGH IS RESTED TWICE AND THE SECOND REST IS THE IMPORTANT ONE. Half an hour after kneading, and then fifteen minutes more after it has been divided into balls. Gluten relaxed twice stretches instead of springing back, and a dough that springs back cannot be taken past about three millimetres no matter how carefully it is handled.
3. THE ANISEED TEA IS THE LIQUID AND IS WHAT MAKES THEM TASTE LIKE THIS. Aniseed simmered in water and strained, used in place of plain water or milk. It carries right through the dough and is the flavour people recognise; plain water gives a perfectly good fried pastry that tastes of nothing much.
4. THEY ARE HELD UNDER WITH A SPOON FOR THE FIRST SECONDS. A sheet that thin floats and curls immediately. A slotted spoon or a fork pressed on the middle for three or four seconds keeps it flat until it sets, and after that it stays flat. Left alone it folds in on itself and fries double-thick in the fold.
5. THE SYRUP IS POURED OVER AT THE TABLE AND NOT BEFORE. Piloncillo syrup on a buñuelo softens it within about a minute. They are stacked dry and the hot syrup is poured over as they are served, or put in a jug for people to use themselves.
6. The aniseed simmered in the 250 ml of water 10 minutes and STRAINED. 180 ml measured out and cooled to lukewarm.
7. The flour, sugar, salt and baking powder mixed, then the eggs, melted butter and aniseed tea added and worked to a soft dough.
8. Kneaded 8 MINUTES until smooth and elastic, then RESTED 30 MINUTES under a cloth.
9. Divided into 16 balls and RESTED a further 15 MINUTES.
10. The piloncillo, 400 ml water, cinnamon and orange zest simmered 20 minutes to a thin syrup. Kept hot.
11. One ball rolled out on a floured board to about 2 mm.
12. DRAPED OVER THE BACK OF A CLOSED FIST and worked outward with the other hand, the fist turned slowly, until TRANSLUCENT -- thin enough to see through.
13. The oil heated to 4 cm, to about 180°C.
14. The sheet laid in and HELD UNDER with a slotted spoon for 3 or 4 SECONDS so it stays flat.
15. Fried 30 to 40 SECONDS a side, until pale gold and blistered.
16. Drained on a rack and stacked DRY.
17. The hot syrup poured over AT THE TABLE, or served in a jug alongside.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Mexico · All recipes