A favorite dessert option in New Mexico is Sopapillas (pronounced soap-ah-pee-yas).  They are like little pillows of bread – deep fried so that they puff up to create a pocket inside.  Sopapillas are great when you tear one of the corners off and fill them up with a thin layer of honey – PERFECT for dessert!  You can also use sopapillas to stuff with taco meat, beans, lettuce and tomatoes.  I guess it’s like a Mexican pita!

Hey! Mikey Likey! sopapillas

SOPAPILLAS (Deep Fried Bread)
Printed from and variation on a recipe found on COOKS.COM

4 c. sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. lard or butter
1 pkg. active dry yeast (optional)
1/4 c. warm water
1 1/4 c. warmed milk, approximately.
1 qt. lard or cooking oil

1. Combine dry ingredients and cut in 1 tablespoon lard.

2. Dissolve yeast in the water. Add yeast to milk (milk should be lukewarm/room temperature). If not using yeast use 1 1/2 cups milk; omit the 1/4 cup warm water.

3. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients. Add about 1 1/4 cups liquid to dry ingredients and work into dough. Add more liquid until dough is firm and springy and holds its shape, similar to a yeast dough.

4. Knead dough 15 to 20 times, then invert the bowl over the dough and set aside for approximately 10 minutes. Heat 1 quart lard or oil to 320 degrees F. in a deep fryer or deep heavy duty skillet/pot/cast iron pan.

5. Roll one fourth of the dough to 1/4 inch thickness or slightly thinner, then cut into squares or triangles; do not reroll any of the dough. Cover the cut dough with a towel as you fry the sopapillas, a few at a time, in the hot fat. They should puff up and become hollow very soon after being dropped into the fat. To assure puffing, slightly stretch each piece of dough before lowering it into the fat, then place the rolled or top side of dough into the fat first, so it will be the bottom side. Hold each piece of dough down in the fat until it puffs.

6. Drain sopapillas on absorbent toweling. Serve as a bread with any meal. They are especially good served with honey.