Buñuelos With Spicy Hot Chocolate

Name: Buñuelos With Spicy Hot Chocolate
Prep time: 1 h 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 3/4 cup (165g) granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon ground canela or cinnamon; 1 1/2 teaspoons (6g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 cup warm water; 6 tablespoons (80g) vegetable shortening, plus more for frying; 4 cups whole milk; 1 three-inch stick canela or Cassia bark; 1 chile cascabel or 2 chiles de árbol; or 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or ground cayenne pepper; 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 70% or higher), chopped; 1/4 cup piloncillo or dark brown sugar; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1 pinch kosher salt

Instructions

Prep:1h 20minCook:1h 10min

When I was little, every New Year's Eve, we would go to my grandmother’s house. She would open the door, grab my cheeks, and give me a big hug and kiss. The next thing to greet me was always the amazing scents of of cinnamon, sugar, and fried dough—signifying sweet, crispy buñuelos. I would run into the kitchen and see stacks, almost as tall as me, of these perfectly round, golden-brown and bubbly buñuelos, and a big pot of hot chocolate. Even just writing this memory is taking me back and making me really happy. This is a tradition that I have kept going, no matter who I am with or what I am doing for New Year's Eve. Mainly because I know that buñuelos and hot chocolate make everyone happy and can easily slide into any N.Y.E. situation, from a solitary night at home to an all-day festivity. A note: While I don't often recommend vegetable shortening in recipes, here, it's essential to the crispy, flaky texture of the pastries.

Updated at: Sun, 23 Mar 2025 13:34:19 GMT