Holiday Buñuelos
Buñuelos de Rodilla·(boon-YWAY-lohs deh roh-DEE-yah)
La Tamalada y Las Fiestas: Gathering Around the Holiday Table
Late December in a crowded kitchen, the hot oil hisses, a wooden palote flattens the dough, and you can forget the stale, mass-produced rosettes. A borderland holiday centers on the buñuelo de rodilla—a blistered, shatteringly crisp disc of dough stretched paper-thin across a knee or a bowl. Boiling discarded tomatillo husks and anise seed fundamentally alters the dough's chemistry, giving it the necessary elasticity. Drop the stretched dough into 350-degree oil, watch the surface blister, and shake it in a brown paper grocery bag of cinnamon sugar while it is still scalding.
Before you start
Save your tomatillo husks.
Next time you make salsa verde, save the papery husks in a bag in your pantry so you are ready to brew the magical, dough-relaxing tea required for true authentic buñuelos.
Ingredients
- water1 cup
- dry tomatillo husks6 med
- whole anise seeds1 tsp
- all-purpose flour2 cup
- baking powder1 tsp
- granulated sugar1 tbsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- egg1 large
- unsalted butter1 tbsp
- vegetable shortening1 tbsp
- neutral vegetable oil3 cup
- granulated sugar1/2 cup
- ground cinnamon2 tbsp
- piloncillo cone8 oz
- water2 cup
- Mexican cinnamon stick1 large
- whole cloves3 small
- fresh guavas3 med
Method
- 01
Brew the abuela's secret infusion.
Boil 1 cup of water with the rinsed tomatillo husks and anise seeds for about 5 minutes until slightly green-yellow and fragrant. Strain and let it cool to just warm (around 110°F) because if it is too hot it will kill the elasticity of the flour.
- 02
Mix and knead the masa.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center, add the egg, melted butter, shortening, and 3/4 cup of the warm strained tea, then knead vigorously for 5 to 10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky.
- 03
Let the gluten relax.
Divide the dough into golf-ball-sized portions, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and rest for at least 30 minutes. Do not skip this, or the dough will snap back like a rubber band when you try to roll it.
- 04
Stretch the dough until nearly transparent.
On a floured surface, roll each ball into a thin circle with a rolling pin. Gently pull the edges by hand, or drape it over an inverted bowl covered with a clean cloth, stretching it paper-thin without tearing, then let the discs rest on a tablecloth for 10 to 15 minutes to dry out slightly so they don't absorb excess oil.
- 05
Simmer the traditional holiday syrup.
If serving with syrup instead of cinnamon sugar, combine the piloncillo, 2 cups of water, cinnamon stick, cloves, and halved guavas in a saucepan. Simmer until it reduces and lightly coats the back of a spoon.
- 06
Fry until violently blistered and golden.
Heat an inch of vegetable oil in a deep skillet to 350°F and carefully slide the stretched dough in so it bubbles immediately. Press the center down gently with tongs to prevent it from puffing into a balloon, fry 45 to 60 seconds per side, and drain vertically on paper towels.
- 07
Finish the buñuelos.
For a quick weeknight dusting, toss the hot, slightly oily pastry immediately in a mix of 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon. Otherwise, stack them high, break them apart at the table, and drench in the hot piloncillo syrup.
Notes
The weeknight cheat code.
If you want to recreate the magic for your kids on a random Tuesday night, drop a high-quality store-bought raw flour tortilla in hot shallow oil for 60 seconds and coat it in cinnamon sugar—it delivers eighty percent of the nostalgia with zero prep time.
From Cook Tex-Mex.