Sopapilla Little Pillows Recipes

SOUTH WESTERN SOPAIPILLAS

Steps:

• In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cut in the shortening with a fork or pastry blender. Add the water, gradually, until the dough comes together and forms a ball. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Cook's Note: The dough can also be made in a standing mixer.
• Heat the canola oil in a large high-sided skillet to 350 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, mix together the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, the ancho chili powder and pepper and set aside.
• Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion into a square about 1/4-inch thick. Cut each piece into 2 by 2-inch squares. Working in batches, carefully add about 6 pieces of the dough into the hot oil. Using tongs, turn the dough frequently to ensure even puffing and cooking. Fry until golden brown. They should puff up like little pillows. Remove them from the oil and drain on a sheet pan lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with the ancho chili mixture. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Transfer the fried dough to a serving tray, top with about a tablespoon of the salsa and serve.
• Combine all of the salsa ingredients into a bowl and toss to combine.

REAL SOPAPILLAS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and shortening. Stir in water; mix until dough is smooth. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes.
• Roll out on floured board until 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 3 inch squares. Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

SOPAPILLA (LITTLE PILLOWS)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, blend together the flour baking powder, and salt. With a pastry cutter (unless you are one of those, like my teachers, who always used their hands) cut in the lard or shortening. Add the milk all at once, and mix the dough quickly with a fork or by hand until the dough forms a mass.
• Turn the dough onto a well-floured board and begin to knead the dough by folding it in half, pushing it down, and folding again. It should take about a dozen folds to form a soft dough that is no longer sticky. Cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap to let it rest for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
• Divide the dough in 1/2, keeping the 1/2 you are not working with covered with plastic wrap or a towel so it does not dry out. Roll the dough half you have chosen on a floured board with gentle strokes. Roll the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. The more you work the dough, the tougher your sopapilla will turn out. However, to keep a sopapilla well puffed after cooking, you may want to work the dough a minute or so longer. Cut the dough into rectangles that are about 10-inch by 5-inch. Divide the triangle into a 5-inch squares, and then cut this into a triangle. NOTE: If you find the dough beginning to dry as you work with the remainder, cover this loosely with a some plastic wrap. Do not attempt to reform and roll the leftover dough scraps. They do not roll out well on the second try. You can cook these dough scraps along with the others, and they taste just as good.
• Heat some vegetable oil in a large skillet or a deep fryer until the oil reaches about 400 degrees F. NOTE: Check the temperature of the oil with your digital cooking thermometer. Carefully slide the first sopapilla into the hot oil. Submerge the sopapilla under the oil. It should begin to puff immediately.
• NOTE: For sopapillas, they either puff, or they don't puff. Their puff is what makes it a sopapilla - but don't despair as both can be eaten. If your sopapillas are not puffing properly, the temperature of the oil may need to be increased or decreased. Environmental changes in temperature and altitude can make setting the temperature tricky at times. Using a slotted spoon, turn the sopapilla over to brown the other side. Sometimes this can be difficult, as the sopapilla will want to stay on the side it was on. A little coaxing with your slotted spatula will help this. Hold it for only a moment, and it will adjust to the side it is on. Once both sides are browned, remove the sopapilla to a surface to drain (paper towels or a draining rack will both work). NOTE: Sopapillas can be kept warm in a 200 degree F. oven for up to 1 hour. They refrigerate well and can be reheated in a 350 degree F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

PINEAPPLE SOPAIPILLAS

Steps:

• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon of peanut oil and water using a fork. Divide into 4 pieces, and form into rounds. Set aside.
• In a saucepan, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Stir in pineapple and juice using a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Heat the peanut oil in a large deep skillet to 385 degrees F (195 degrees C). Roll out the balls of dough on a lightly floured surface to about 8x5 inch rectangles. Cut into four smaller rectangles. Fry a few pieces at a time in the hot oil until they puff like pillows, about 1 minute. Turn over and fry until browned on the other side. Remove to drain on paper towels.
• While the pillows are still hot, make a slit along two connecting sides of each one. Open up and fill each one with a rounded tablespoonful of the pineapple filling. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve warm.