New Mexican Sopaipillas: The Honey-Drenched Fried Pastry of the Southwest

Sopaipillas are the great fried pastry of New Mexico — pillow-shaped squares of leavened wheat dough, deep-fried until they puff into hollow golden pockets, drizzled with honey and served warm. According to Wikipedia, a sopaipilla is a kind of fried pastry and quick bread served in regions with Spanish heritage in the Americas; in New Mexican cuisine, sopapillas are pillow-shaped fried pastry dough, distinct from Latin American variations, and have been called "the doughnut of the Southwest," served as a dessert drizzled with honey or anise syrup. Muy Bueno provides a basic New Mexican sopaipilla recipe and notes that the specific history isn't entirely clear, but the treat is related to Native American frybread. Sadie's of New Mexico records that the earliest known recipes date to the early 1700s and that the word "sopaipilla" comes from the Spanish *sopaipa*.

The genius of the sopaipilla is the puff — the dough fries so fast that the outside sets before the inside cooks, trapping steam and forming a hollow pocket perfect for a drizzle of honey. Eaten hot, dusted with powdered sugar and drowned in honey, the sopaipilla is the close of every great New Mexican meal.

About the Ingredients

Dough — flour, baking powder, salt, shortening (or lard), and warm water; a simple quick bread dough, rested and rolled thin.

Shortening — lard is traditional and gives the best puff; vegetable shortening is a fine substitute. Butter makes a heavier, less puffy sopaipilla.

Oil — for deep-frying; the oil must be hot (375°F / 374°F) so the dough puffs instantly.

Honey — the only proper topping; some New Mexicans add a pinch of cinnamon, or an anise-scented syrup.

Ingredients (makes about 16 sopaipillas): - 2 cups all-purpose flour - 1 tsp baking powder - 1/2 tsp salt - 2 tbsp shortening or lard, cut into bits - 3/4 cup warm water - Oil for deep-frying - Honey, for drizzling - Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Instructions: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Stir in the warm water to make a soft dough. Knead briefly until smooth, then cover and rest 20 minutes.

Roll the dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut into 3-inch squares (or rectangles). Heat 2 inches of oil in a deep pot to 375°F (374°F). Fry the squares 2–3 at a time, 1 minute per side, until puffed and golden, turning once. Drain on paper towels.

Serve at once, piping hot, drizzled with honey and dusted with powdered sugar. (For the full New Mexican effect, bite off a corner of the hot sopaipilla and pour honey directly inside the hollow pocket.)

The Mimosa Pairing Logic: The warm, honey-drizzled sopaipilla wants a bright, refreshing drink that can cut the richness of the fried dough and echo the honey. A classic Champagne mimosa is the safe and perfect choice — the citrus cuts the fried dough and the honey, and the wine's effervescence refreshes the palate. A yuzu honey mimosa is equally lovely, the floral honey a beautiful echo of the honey on the pastry. This pairing is, in its way, the brunch equivalent of a sopaipilla and a cup of New Mexican cinnamon atole — a sparkling toast to the Southwest.

Reference Links: - Sopaipilla (New Mexican cuisine, "doughnut of the Southwest"): Wikipedia - Basic Sopaipilla Recipe (New Mexican Sopapillas): Muy Bueno - The Sopapilla Story: A Staple of New Mexican Flavor and Tradition: Sadie's of New Mexico

Make-Ahead: The dough can be made and rested up to a few hours ahead; keep covered at room temperature. The squares can be cut and held between sheets of waxed paper. The sopaipillas must be fried to order — the hot, puffed pocket is the point and does not hold. Reheated sopaipillas are a lesser thing; eat them straight from the oil.

Pro Tips: The oil must be hot — 375°F (374°F) — or the dough won't puff; cool oil makes a flat, greasy square. Don't crowd the pot; the sopaipillas need room to float and puff. Roll the dough to a full 1/4 inch; too thin and it crisps without puffing, too thick and it stays doughy inside. Serve the moment they come out of the oil; a sopaipilla is a hot thing. Bite off a corner and pour honey inside the pocket — that is the true New Mexican way.