SOPAPILLAS

Decadently addictive, golden poofs of lightly crispy, slightly chewy, doughnutty, fry bread, served up piping hot with honey butter.  Heavenly!

If you've never been in the right place, at the right time, to have sampled, or perhaps more appropriately devoured, steamy-warm sopapillas slathered with honey butter, this my friends, is your lucky day.

Years back, we were introduced to sopapillas at the Chile Chapter, one of Kelowna's best ever Mexican eateries.  Soon after your order was placed, a basket of warm, golden-fried sopapillas with honey butter on the side, was plunked on your table.  Delicioso!

Alas, the Chile Chapter is no longer there.  But, the sopapillas live on.

These unforgettable, doughnut-like, yeasty, fried goodies seem to have orginated in some of the South American countries, with one version or another becoming popular in New Mexico and Texas.  And now in beautiful British Columbia.

I don't make them very often, but every single time I do, no matter the gathering, no matter the ages of family and friends present, sopapillas are gobbled up leaving nothing behind but big, silly, honey butter smeared grins.

Lucky for us all, they're really easy to make.   Start with a slightly sweetened yeast dough, let it rise, roll it out, cut into squares or triangles and fry them up, in batches, til crispy golden and cooked through, about 4 minutes.  Mmmm. Mmm.

Oh my beautiful golden poofs of tender yeasty goodness, touting those tiny puddles of melted honey butter in your crevices, how can I ever refuse you?

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Thanks oodles to Make It Do blog for your marvelous Mom's Scones recipe
that replicates the best damn sopapillas that I've ever devoured.

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SOPAPILLAS - Makes about 24-28
(Recipe can be halved)

1 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
1 tablespoon dry active yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup melted butter, cooled
1 tablespoon sea or Kosher salt
5-6 cups bread flour (I usually use about 5 1/3 cups)
Vegetable or canola oil for frying

Honey butter, for serving

Combine warm water and warm milk.  Stir in the sugar.  Add dry active yeast and stir lightly.  Allow yeast to activate, about 10 minutes. 

In a stand mixer, fitted with a bread hook, add milk-yeast mixture and melted, cooled butter.  Add the salt.  Start the mixer and add 5 cups of flour, one cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  Dough should be slightly sticky but workable.  If dough is still too sticky after adding 5 cups, add 1/4 cup of flour at a time, until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, but is still slightly sticky.  Let machine run for another couple of minutes to knead the dough.

Rise in a lightly oiled, covered bowl for 1 1/2, or until dough is doubled in size. 

Punch the dough down and place on lightly buttered countertop.  Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 1/2-inch thick.  Using a pizza cutter, cut into squares or triangles.

Pour about 3 inches of oil into a large pan (with sides deep enough to fully immerse the scones), pot, or wok and heat slowly over medium to medium high heat. 

Heat oil to between 350 – 400F.  Make sure your oil is hot enough.....too cold and the sopapillas will soak up oil, too hot and they will brown too quickly on the outside and still be doughy on the inside. 

Before dropping each sopapilla into the hot oil, give it just a little stretch.  Drop them gently in.  Be sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry 1-2 minutes on each side, until puffed and golden.  Drain on newspaper or paper towels.  Serve hot with Honey Butter.

 

HONEY BUTTER

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup runny honey

Whip butter and honey together with electric mixer, at high speed, until combined and fluffy.  Transfer to serving bowl.  Store any leftovers in fridge.  (Great on biscuits, toast, or pancakes!)