From the Kitchen: Buñuelos {Mexican Fritters}

When I was little, my family had a favorite Mexican restaurant that we’d go to for special celebrations- birthdays, graduations, friends in town, etc. My dad would order the same plate of sizzling fajitas and I would always share with him (I ate like a bird back then so ordering my own plate was a waste….wish that still held true). The rule was, eat everything he put on my plate and I could have dessert. Seldom was I ever the first one done with my meal at the dinner table, but when we went to Cielito Lindo (sadly, no longer in existence), I mowed through my rice and beans and scarfed down the tiny fajita taco that my dad would make me as fast as I could because I knew one of my favorite desserts was just a few more bites away. Buñuelos is a treat found in many Latin American countries and made in many different ways. Sometimes they’re round little dough balls (like donut holes), sometimes they look more like churros in long strips, often you’ll find them covered in powdered sugar or honey… but I like them best as round, flat, crispy “tortillas”, covered in cinnamon and sugar…just like I had at my favorite Mexican restaurant. Buñuelos make a wonderful dessert paired with a delicious champurrado (Mexican hot chocolate) or a sweet breakfast treat with a cup of fresh coffee (con leche, of course!). Recipe after the jump. xoxo!

Buñuelos {Mexican Fritters} (from the Muy Bueno Cookbook)

Makes about 20

Ingredients

Sugar Coating

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

In a saucepan heat milk, butter, and vanilla and bring to a boil.

In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, then add the scrambled eggs to the warm milk mixture and whisk quickly.

Add the liquid mixture to dry ingredients and mix well.

Knead dough on lightly floured surface 2 to 3 minutes until smooth.

After you knead the dough, divide into 20 dough balls. With a rolling pin, roll out thin tortillas.

Lay out all the thin tortilla flats on a tablecloth and let them dry. Turn them over once to ensure drying on both sides. This helps remove most of the moisture before frying.

Heat one-inch of oil in a skillet wide enough for the tortillas to fry flat. Deep-fry tortillas until golden brown, turning once. Remove from pan; stand vertically in a bowl lined with paper towels and drain excess oil.

While warm, sprinkle fried tortillas on both sides with sugar-cinnamon mixture.

Note: These are meant to be eaten right away, they turn soft after a day or so.