Buñuelos

Spice up your next holiday party with this traditional Mexican treat.

The holidays are a time for good parties, good company, and good food. They would not be complete without our favorite traditional foods at the center of our tables. With Christmas around the corner, one holiday favorite I cannot wait to sink my teeth into are Buñuelos. This traditional Hispanic pastry is a stable at my families Christmas parties and posadas.

My grandmother made these sweet treats for my mother growing up and now she makes them for us. My mother would spend her holiday mornings rolling out the round thin slabs of dough. I loved giving her a helping hand, though mine never came out as perfectly round as hers did. Still, I’d lay my dough on top of the sheet spread across the floor adding to the already dozen Buñuelo dough. The second the dough touches the hot pan of oil, a mouthwatering smell fills the entire room. Once out, we quickly cover the hot Buñuelos with sugar and cinnamon and devoured them while slightly burning our tongs with eager bites.

This is a simple yet delicious treat, and pairs perfectly with a nice hot cup of atole, Mexican hot-chocolate. Here is a simple Buñuelo recipe you can easily make to spice up your celebrations.

Ingredients for dough

3 cups of flour; sifted

1 tbsp. Royal baking powder

1 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. sugar

2 eggs

¾ cup milk

1/2 cup of vegetable oil.

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

1 cup of sugar

2 tbsp. cinnamon

Directions

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.

In a small bowl, beat eggs with sugar and the melted butter. Stir in the milk then add the liquid mixture to the large bowl of dry ingredients. If dough is too dry, add more milk. Knead dough until it is very smooth, then shape into 20 equally portions balls. Cover with a moist towel, and let it sit for 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured board and rolling pin, roll out each ball into very thin six-inch circles. Let them sit for about ten minutes or until dough begins to dry.

Heat oil in a one-inch large skillet to 360 F. Individually fry the Buñuelos until golden brown. Generously sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture and enjoy hot!