Authentic Spanish Buñuelos De Viento Recipe

The word "buñuelo" refers to a fried dough ball that is roughly comparable in size to a Dunkin Munchkin. And like Dunkin Munchkins, buñuelos go really well with a steaming cup of coffee or hot chocolate. Yet, they are very much their own thing, which you will see from this recipe for authentic Spanish "buñuelos de viento." 

In fact, these fried treats are quite international. We've seen buñuelos in the context of Christmas festivities in Mexico, for example. As recipe developer Carlos Leo tells us, although this particular recipe is for an authentic Spanish dessert known as "buñuelos de viento," there is also a Dominican version that is pretty similar. Leo, who blogs about ethnically diverse recipes at Spoonabilities, also points out that the dough in this recipe bears some similarity to the dough for churros, though churros, of course, look completely different. But let's focus on Spanish buñuelos, shall we?

The dough for Leo's authentic Spanish buñuelos calls for 1 cup of milk, ¼ teaspoon of salt, 4 tablespoons of sugar, ½ teaspoon of lime zest, ½ cup of butter, 1 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour (sift before measuring), and 3 large eggs. To fry the buñuelos, you'll need 4 cups of light or extra light olive oil (although you could also use grapeseed oil which is favored by celebrity chef Robert Irvine). For serving the buñuelos, Leo suggests rolling them in a cinnamon and sugar mixture made of ¼ cup of sugar and ½ tablespoon of ground cinnamon. However, Leo says that you can also top the buñuelos with anything you'd like, including plain granulated sugar, confectioner's sugar, or spiced simple syrup.

In terms of tools, you will need a skillet that can hold a couple of inches worth of oil to fry your buñuelos. You will also need a mid-sized saucepan, both a large and small bowl, a whisk, and a wooden spoon for making the dough. As well, have a plate and paper towels on hand to transfer the buñuelos after they cook. Finally, you will need another plate to use for rolling your buñuelos in the topping.

Grab yourself a medium-sized saucepan and place it over medium heat. Add the milk, salt, 4 tablespoons of sugar, lime zest, and butter, and whisk to combine. When the mixture starts to boil, reduce the temperature to low and gently pour in the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until you have a smooth dough that isn't sticking to the saucepan. Turn off the heat and remove the saucepan from the stove.

Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl and allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. In the meantime, take the eggs out of the refrigerator to allow them to come closer to room temperature. At the end of the 30 minutes, grab a small bowl and crack and whisk one egg inside. Then, pour the whisked egg into the dough and stir to fully incorporate. Repeat the same process for the second and third eggs. Let your dough rest for 20 minutes at room temperature. In the meantime, mix the remaining sugar with the cinnamon on a shallow plate and set it aside to top the buñuelos after they are cooked.

Grab a skillet with deep sides and pour in the oil to about 3 inches in depth. Leo says, "The saucepan should be at least half full to allow the buñuelos to float without touching the bottom of the pan." Heat the pan over medium until the oil reaches 320 F (check using a deep-fry thermometer). While you're waiting for the oil to heat up, scoop the dough into 32 balls (you can use a spoon for this). When the oil has heated to 320 F, one by one, carefully drop the dough balls into the oil, leaving space between each because the dough will increase in size as it cooks. While they fry, make sure that the temperature does not drop below 300 F. Leo points out that to avoid overcrowding, you will almost certainly need to fry your buñuelos in multiple batches.

As the doughballs cook, they will rise from the bottom of the pan to the surface of the oil. As they rise, rotate them using heat-proof tongs to make sure they fry up evenly. While you are waiting for the first batch to cook, line a plate with a paper towel. The paper towel will absorb excess oil from the fried buñuelos. 

Each batch of buñuelos should take around 3 minutes to become golden, fluffy, and fully cooked, which is how you want them to be when you take them out of the oil. Use a skimmer or a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked buñuelos to the paper towel-lined plate. While the buñuelos are still warm, coat them with the cinnamon-sugar mixture or any of the optional toppings. Your buñuelos can be served immediately, or you can serve them cool. Either way, they are "muy bueños" with a steaming hot mug of spiced drinking chocolate.