Bunuelos Recipe With Piloncillo Syrup
Light, crispy, sweet, and fried to golden perfection for comfort food at its finest. Drizzle them with a homemade piloncillo syrup, and you have a Mexican street food worthy of year-round enjoyment and the holidays!Makes about a dozen
Servings 12
Calories 381kcal
Ingredients
Bunuelos
- 1 cup (236ml) hot water
- 1 teaspoon (2g) anise (optional, but tasty)
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons (6g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (5-6g) salt
- 1 tablespoon (12g) sugar
- ⅓ cup (76g) butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
- oil for frying
Piloncillo Syrup
- 1 large piloncillo cone (about 8 ounces; see notes)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon (1g) anise
- 3 cups (708ml) water
- ½ teaspoon (3ml) vanilla extract
Instructions
Bunuelos
- Start by making anise water by placing 1¼ cups of hot water in a small bowl with anise. Let it steep for about 10 minutes, then strain and set aside 1 cup of anise-flavored water for the dough.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- Form a well in the center of the flour, and pour in melted butter, one cup of the anise water, and vanilla extract. Knead until a soft and smooth dough forms (about 2 minutes).
- Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rest while you clean up and flour your work surface.
- Divide the dough into 12 small balls and roll each doughball out in a circular motion until as thin as possible without tearing. The thinner it is, the crispier it will be. Repeat with the remaining dough until all of them have been rolled out.
- Heat about 2 inches of cooking oil in a heavy-bottomed or cast-iron skillet to around 350℉ (180℃).
- Place the dough in the hot oil and fry until golden brown. It happens fast, so keep an eye on them. Transfer the fried bunuelos to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
- Serve bunuelos warm or at room temperature with piloncillo syrup (instructions follow) or sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Piloncillo Syrup
- In a small saucepan, pour warm water over the piloncillo cone, cinnamon stick, and star anise and heat it to a boil. Stir until the piloncillo dissolves.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the syrup thickens, 8-10 minutes. Add vanilla extract, and remove from the heat. The syrup will thicken as it cools.
- Strain it through a fine-mesh strainer, and serve warm or cool completely before storing.
Notes
- Some of the water for steeping the anise will evaporate, which is why we start with ¼ cup extra. Feel free to use the leftover for a delicious tea or use it for the syrup.
- If you can't get piloncillo, add 2 tablespoons of blackstrap molasses to 1 cup of sugar, and you're good to go.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the ingredients used.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bunuelo | Calories: 381kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 272mg | Potassium: 76mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 168IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 3mg