Gringa’s Sopapillas

Tonight was Taco Night!!! Even though this was a relatively simple taco night (it was just Andrew and I), i.e., no guacamole, rice, chips, margaritas or empanadas, we had to have a themed dessert to go with the meal. 

When you eat at a genuine Tex-Mex restaurant, they usually offer only two or three desserts–pralines, ice cream, or sopapillas.  When I was growing up in Texas there was a restaurant in the next town over called Pancho’s or Nopalita’s or maybe Taquería somethinornother.  The food wasn’t particularly memorable, but the commercials for the restaurant stick in my head until this day.  Every year or so they made a new commercial that always ended with their two girls (and eventually one boy) dressed in their Sunday best smiling and screaming “Sopapillas!!!” at the top of their lungs. (There’s a distinct possibility that the family went to my church and the kids were in the Christmas pageant with me every year-everyone knows everyone in South Texas).  

The enthusiasm they showed for this traditional dessert is not unjustified.  Sopapillas, if done right, are probably the most transcendent of pastries.  Nothing can beat the rustic goodness of freshly fried dough drenched in honey, butter, and cinnamon. Unfortunately, this taco night did not afford me the luxury of making these from scratch.  So I improvised with what I already had on hand–flour tortillas! (My love for good flour tortillas hails back to when I was a toddler–my babysitter would just stick one in my mouth so I would shut up for a few minutes!)  This version isn’t quite the same as the original, but it’s still damn good drenched in butter, honey, and cinnamon sugar.  But then, what isn’t delicious when drenched in butter? 

Gringa’s Sopapillas

Gringa's Sopapillas

Yield: 12 

• ¼ cup (½ stick butter)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon-sugar, plus extra for dusting
• 3 tortillas, torn into quarters
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1. In a microwave safe bowl, melt  butter on medium power for 45-60 seconds.  Stir honey and cinnamon sugar into melted butter; set aside.
2. In a small skillet (cast iron is perfect for this), heat oil over medium-low heat.  Fry one tortilla triangle at a time until golden brown (15 seconds or less) and quickly flip and do the other side.  (They should puff up, but if they don’t it’s okay). Remove to a plate lined with paper towels.  Repeat with remaining triangles.
3. Remove skillet from heat; drain excess oil into a heatproof vessel (don’t pour it down your drain–it’ll do something terrible) and discard when cool.  Let skillet cool for a few minutes before pouring in butter mixture.  Soak triangles on both sides (not too long or they’ll be super greasy–which is really good, but really bad for you).  Sprinkle with extra cinnamon-sugar.  Let cool for 3 minutes before serving.