Sopapillas with Honey

Sopapillas are pillowy fried pastries with deep roots in the Tex-Mex and New Mexican culinary tradition, descended from the Spanish sopaipa. In San Antonio and El Paso, they land on the table after nearly every Tex-Mex meal — split open and drizzled with golden honey.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 300g (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 30g (2 tbsp) vegetable shortening
• 180ml (3/4 cup) warm water
• Vegetable oil, for deep frying (about 1 litre / 4 cups)
• Honey, to serve
• Cinnamon sugar (optional), to serve

Instructions

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening with fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Add warm water gradually, stirring until a soft, pliable dough forms. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 2 minutes. Cover with a damp towel and rest for 20 minutes.
3. Roll dough out to 5mm (1/4 inch) thickness. Cut into 8cm (3-inch) squares or triangles.
4. Pour oil into a deep saucepan to a depth of 5cm (2 inches). Heat to 190°C (375°F).
5. Fry sopapillas in batches of 3–4, gently submerging with a spider or slotted spoon as they puff, 1–2 minutes per side until golden and hollow inside.
6. Drain on a wire rack. Serve immediately with warm honey and a dusting of cinnamon sugar if desired.

Cook's Notes: The dough must rest — skipping this step produces flat, dense sopapillas rather than hollow pillows. Oil temperature is critical; too cool and they absorb oil, too hot and they brown before puffing. A pinch of baking powder rather than yeast keeps the recipe quick and authentic to the Tex-Mex diner tradition.