Last weekend, hubby and I got together with another couple for a fabulous Mexican themed dinner with flank steak tacos (amazing). To go along with the theme, I decided to try making gluten free sopapillas. Now, I don't know about you, but the only ones I'd ever had were the kind made at our local Mexican restaurant with a deep fried flour tortillas drizzled in honey and cinnamon. Tasty. But I started looking around at recipes to convert to gluten free and discovered that there is, in fact, a wide range of what constitutes a sopapilla. Some of them looked like beignets, while others resembled deep fried scones. So I set out to come up with my own gluten free variation. The end result wasn't the prettiest but they were SERIOUSLY tasty with some local honey and cinnamon. Made about 16.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose GF flour
1 tbsp xanthan gum
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening or lard
¾ cup water + more
2 cups vegetable oil for frying
honey
cinnamon
Instructions
In a large bowl, sift together flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt.
Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Using hands, mix in water to make a smooth dough. Now here's where it starts getting a bit more difficult--you'll want to gradually add additional water a tablespoon at a time, until you have a proper smooth dough that holds together. I ultimately wound up using 1¼ cup of water, but this will vary a fair bit based on what kind of gluten free flour you are using (as they absorb at very different rates).
Knead lightly on a floured surface (just enough to pull it together cohesively). Cover, and set aside.
Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
On a silpat mat (or a lightly floured surface), grab globs of dough and press into thin circles (about 2 inches in diameter).
Fry in hot oil, until golden brown, turning when dough puffs (it may not puff much--these are very dense). The finished sopapilla will be just turning a little brown. Remove, and drain well on paper towels.
Top with a drizzle of honey and cinnamon.
Recipe by Kait Nolan at https://kaitnolan.com/2015/06/01/gluten-free-sopapillas/