Airy Buñuelos Recipes

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.

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.

AIRY BUñUELOS

Steps:

• Combine flour and baking powder; set aside. Bring water and butter to boil in heavy saucepan on medium-high heat; continue boiling until butter is completely melted, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
• Add flour mixture gradually, stirring until mixture is well blended and forms dough which pulls away from side of pan. Place in large bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add eggs; beat on medium-high speed until dough is smooth and glossy.
• Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat or in deep-fat fryer set at 375°F. Carefully drop dough by tablespoonfuls, in batches, into hot oil; cook 3 to 4 min. or until puffed and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Top each buñuelo with 1 tsp. of the syrup just before serving.

BUñUELOS DE VIENTO: 'LIGHT-AS-AIR FRITTERS'

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a small saucepan, combine water, butter, granulated sugar, lemon zest , and pinch of salt. Bring to a boil.
• As soon as the water boils, add the flour and baking powder all at once and begin stirring with a wooden spoon. Stir constantly until the dough begins to come away from the sides of the pan.
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool down for a few minutes.
• When the dough is no longer hot, but still warm, stir in the eggs, one by one. Use a hand mixer if necessary to ensure that the dough is smooth.
• Set aside for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• In a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan, pour vegetable oil to a depth of about 1 1/2 inches. Heat on medium-high.
• When the oil is just hot enough to fry, begin dropping spoonfuls of dough into the oil.
• Turn over when the bottom is golden. The buñuelos should turn a golden color and begin to float when cooked.
• Remove them from the pan one at a time using a slotted spoon or spatula. Drain on a paper towel.
• Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately.
• Gather the ingredients.
• After the buñuelos are fried, wait until they are cool enough to touch, then cut them in half.
• Spoon in custard filling and serve immediately.
• The same method can be used for pastry cream and marmalade fillings.

BUñUELOS DE VIENTO

Steps:

• Beat the eggs, then combine them in a medium-size bowl (with a flat bottom) with the lime zest, brandy, and milk.
• In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, and salt.
• Gradually add the flour mix to the egg-milk mixture, beating with a whisk until you have a very uniform and smooth batter. The texture should resemble that of a very light, creamy dressing.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. The temperature has to be around 365 ºF degrees. Add a layer of paper towels on a baking sheet to absorb the excess oil from the finished rosettes. You will also need another flat tray or plate covered with a folded paper towel, which you will use to absorb the oil from the iron rosette mold.
• To make the buñuelos, place the rosette iron in the hot oil for about a minute to heat it up. Once it's heated, lift it up from the oil and shake off any excess oil, then place it on the tray/plate with the paper towels to absorb the oil. You don't want the mold to be coated with a lot of oil, otherwise, the batter will not adhere to it.
• After you've blotted the iron mold, dip it into the batter. Do not let the batter run over the top of the molded tip; submersing it about three-quarters of the way in is just fine. You will hear a searing sound as the heat of the iron tip starts cooking the batter it has touched. Immediately lift the iron rosette out of the batter bowl and dip it into the hot oil. Try to transfer the mold from the batter bowl to the pan as quickly as possible, since the still-raw batter will eventually fall off the mold.
• Place the iron mold in the hot oil to fry the batter. Keep the mold in the oil for about a minute. The batter will start getting more rigid as it cooks, and you will eventually be able to lift up the mold and the buñuelo will slip off and stay in the oil (if it doesn't easily release itself from the mold, separate it with the help of a fork or a toothpick). Once you've removed the mold from the oil, flip the rosette over to keep cooking on the other side. You want it to acquire a golden color all over. The time is just a guideline, you will know is ready when you see the change in color.
• Fry each rosette for about 1-2 minutes per side or until golden brown. Once removed, place them on the baking sheet lined with paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Place them with the hollow side down, to avoid any pooling of the oil. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining batter. While you fry each buñuelo, you can place the iron mold back into the hot oil to warm it up, so that it's ready to be dipped into the batter again (don't forget to dry it before putting it in the batter!).
• While the cooked buñuelos sitting on the lined baking sheet, fill a small plate with sugar (mix the cinnamon into the sugar, if using). Then, one by one, dip the buñuelos into the sugar so that the top part of them is coated with sugar (since the buñuelos will still be warm, the heat will help the sugar adhere to their surface). After this, your Buñuelos de Viento are ready to be eaten. Serve them on a large plate and enjoy!

BUNUELOS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine the water, brown sugar, and anise seeds. Over medium heat, stir the mixture until the sugar has dissolved, then increase the heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Regulate the heat so that the mixture is simmering, then cook for about 20 minutes, until it has reduced to about 1 1/4 cups. Set the syrup aside to cool.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the water, salt, anise seeds, and lard and bring to a boil. When the lard has melted and the liquid is boiling, remove from the heat and stir in the flour all at once. Return to the heat and continue stirring for a minute or 2 until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan. Again remove from the heat and add the eggs, beating well after each addition. The dough should be very soft and only just hold its shape. Lastly, mix the baking powder into the dough. In a large heavy skillet, heat about 1/2 inch of oil until it is smoking. Flour your hands well and break off a piece of dough. Roll it into a ball about 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Place the ball on your fingers and flatten to a cake about 3/4-inch thick. With your finger, push a large hole into the center of the dough. Make 3 more bunuelos and cook them for 2 to 3 minutes, turning over when one side is golden. While the first batch of bunuelos is frying, make 4 more and repeat until they are all cooked. You should have about 12 small bunuelos. Drain on paper towels until you have finished cooking them, then place 2 bunuelos in each of 6 warm bowls and drizzle the syrup over them.

BUNUELOS

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine eggs with 1/4 cup sugar and beat until thick and lemon-colored. Add the oil. Combine separately 1-1/2 cups of the flour, the baking powder and the salt. Gradually add this to the egg mixture and beat well.
• Turn dough out onto a floured board (use remaining 1/2 cup flour) and knead thoroughly until dough is smooth.
• Shape dough into sixteen balls. Roll each one into a circle about 5 inches in diameter. Let stand uncovered on waxed paper for about 10 minutes.
• Heat oil in a deep fry pan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Fry circles until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Store airtight.

CUBAN BUñUELOS WITH ANISE SYRUP

Steps:

• Prepare the syrup: In a saucepan, combine 2 cups water, granulated sugar, star anise, cinnamon stick and lime peel, and bring to a boil over medium high, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce heat to a simmer, then cook until the mixture is thin and syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Off the heat, add the fresh lime juice. Let the syrup cool while you make buñuelos.
• Make the buñuelos: To a medium or large heavy pot, add the yuca, boniato, malanga, ñame, salt and anise seeds and enough cold water to cover. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the calabaza and cook, covered, until all the vegetables are tender, but not mushy, 10 to 15 minutes more, then drain in a colander.
• While the vegetables are still warm, press the vegetables through a ricer or food mill onto a large lightly floured surface or bowl. Form the mixture into a big mound, then make a well in the center. Pour the eggs into the well and use your hands (it will be sticky) to fully combine. Sift 3 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, over the dough and knead after each addition until it forms a smooth, soft dough that holds together. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons more flour if needed for the dough to come together.
• Cut the dough into 14 equal pieces, and transfer to a clean work surface. Roll each piece into a 16-inch rope about 1/2-inch-thick. Moisten one end of the rope with a little water, shape it into a figure eight, then press the ends together. Transfer to a sheet pan lightly dusted with flour.
• In a 10-inch skillet, heat the canola oil over medium-high until it reaches 375 degrees. If you don't have a deep-fry thermometer, you can test the oil by dropping in a bit of dough. If the oil is hot enough, it will float to the top right away. Working in batches of 2 or 3 (don't crowd the pan), carefully add the buñuelos to the oil, and fry until they are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Spoon the syrup over the buñuelos and serve.