It’s Christmas time and nothing says it better then Bunuelos…. well at least here in Texas. Something about them just makes me think happy thoughts. Like when I was little and I was at my grandma Mary’s house, and she and my grandpa would go to Fiesta and get sweet bread sometimes.

Fiesta is an international grocery store that has sort of hard to find ingredients other grocery stores may not sell. And lucky for me I have one nearby. Actually, it’s right behind my day job. So on occasion I have picked up some lunch there, trying my hardest not to visit the bakery there because while some other grocery store bakeries are not up to par, Fiesta’s always is! The intoxicating aroma in the bakery area is enough to knock even the toughest will powered person down. Trust me, it happened to me.

That year I was hosting a Christmas dinner party and I was already serving a Tres Leches cake, but when that sweet smell of the bakery called me over I had to go check it out. I saw they had some Bunuelos there and I though well maybe this might be good for an alternative dessert for those that don’t want cake. So I made up an excuse about why I needed those Bunuelos and off I went. I paired them with vanilla ice cream and some Texas honey and we’re good.

This year I wanted to see if I could make those Bunuelos at home. Absolutely! And so can you! The process is easy. You do need to prepare ahead of time since the Bunuelos have to sit out over night to dry out a bit. But other than that, they aren’t complicated at all.

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Adapted from Muy Bueno

Bunuelos

Name: Bunuelos
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 9 h 40 min
Yield: 20 bunuelos
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon table salt; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 3/4 cup whole milk; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 eggs; Canola or vegetable oil for frying; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; Dutch oven; Large baking sheet

Yield: 20 bunuelos

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Additional Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 9 hours 40 minutes

Crispy fried dough rounds, covered in cinnamon sugar, and drizzled with honey.

Ingredients

SPECIAL TOOLS

Dutch oven
Large baking sheet

CINNAMON-SUGAR COATING

1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

BUNUELOS

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup whole milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
Canola or vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

CINNAMON-SUGAR COATING

In a pie dish combine the sugar and cinnamon for coating. Set aside until needed.

BUNUELOS

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
In a small saucepan heat the milk, butter and vanilla extract and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat.
In a separate medium bowl, beat the eggs and add them slowly to the warm milk mixture while whisking very quickly.
Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. On a lightly floured a counter top, knead dough for 2 to 4 minutes until smooth.
Divide the kneaded dough into 20 balls. With a rolling pin, roll each dough ball out to a thin tortilla shape. On a table or countertop, lay the dough circles on a tablecloth and let dry overnight, turning over once to dry on both sides. This helps remove most of the moisture before frying.
Prepare a large baking sheet lined with paper towels to place the Bunuelos after frying to drain.
Heat 1 inch of oil in a Dutch-oven to 350 degrees. Fry Bunuelos one at a time until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Be sure to keep your oil temperature at 350 degrees. You may have to wait a few minutes between frying to adjust the temperature of your oil. (I typically could fry about 2 Bunuelos before I had to take a break and bring my oil back to temperature.)

Remove the Bunuelo from the Dutch-oven and place on paper towel lined baking sheet to drain most of the oil off. While the Bunuelo is still warm, dip the Bunuelo in the cinnamon-sugar coating on both sides. Set back on the paper towel lined baking sheet to cool completely. Continue this process until all Bunuelos have been fried. Serve with a little honey drizzled on top. Enjoy.

Notes

*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1 bunuelo
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 140 Total Fat: 3g Saturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 26mg Sodium: 152mg Carbohydrates: 25g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 11g Protein: 3g

Bunuelos

Bunuelos