Recipe - Jane Butels Sopaipillas

4 cup Sifted allpurpose flour
1 One half teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking powder
1 tablespoon Lard or butter
1 pack Active dry yeast; (optional)
One fourth cup Warm water; (115 degrees)
1 One fourth cup Scalded milk; cooled to room
temp.
1 qt Vegetable oil

http://www.EBICom.Net/~howle/

These deepfried bread puffs are delicious dipped in honey or stuffed with
any combination of refried beans, chili, chopped onion, grated cheese and
guacamole.

Combine dry ingredients and cut in 1 T. lard or butter. Dissolve yeast in
water. Add yeast to scalded milk...if yeast is not used, use 1One half cups
milk; omit warm water.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingred. Add about 1One fourth c. liquid to
dry ingred and work into dough. Add more liquid until dough is firm and
springy and holds its shape, similar to yeast dough.

Knead dough 15 to 20 times, then invert the bowl over dough and set aside
for about 10 minutes.

Heat oil to 400 degrees in a deep fryer or large saucepan fitted with a
deep fry thermometer.

Roll onefourth of the dough to 1/4" thickness, then cut into 3inch
squares or triangles; do not reroll any of the dough. Cover the cut dough
with a towel as you fry the sopaipillas, a few at a time, in the hot fat.
They should puff up and become hollow very soon after being dropped in the
fat. To assure puffing, slightly stretch each piece of dough before
lowering it into the fat. Then place the rolled side of dough into fat
first. Hold each piece of dough down until it puffs. Drain on paper towels,
and serve hot as a bread with any Southwestern meal.

Note: Sopaipillas may be frozen. To serve, wrap in foil and heat at 350
degrees for 15 minutes.

Uncover and heat a few minutes longer so they will crisp.

Posted to recipeludigest by LSHW shusky@erols.com on Feb 15, 1998