Happy Thanksgiving Week!
This is my favorite week of the year, and I’m celebrating with something new for you today.
My friend Susana is here — and she brought buñuelos! Susana is the talented chef behind the holasus Instagram feed and a regular contributor of Mexican recipes. I’m delighted she shared this recipe with us. Thank you, Susy!
A little about me: I’m Mexicana and currently live in New York City. I attended culinary school in Monterrey and graduated from the Instituto Culinario de Mexico. After marrying my English husband I lived in London, worked in catering, and started my family.
My family is my priority and I love cooking for them. My food is mostly Mexican-inspired; I enjoy working with seasonal, local ingredients and experimenting with flavors and combinations. New York City has a large Mexican community and access to authentic ingredients, which makes recreating classic dishes easy and enjoyable.
Around Thanksgiving in the U.S., we begin celebrating Posadas in Mexico — traditional gatherings in the run-up to Christmas — where we enjoy ponche, tamales and buñuelos.
Living in the U.S., I like to blend Mexican traditions with Thanksgiving. Buñuelos have always been a favorite at this time of year. I have fond memories at my abuela’s house eating buñuelos with cousins, leaving sugary crumbs all over the kitchen. For a Thanksgiving twist I add almonds to the dough, a Meyer lemon–orange sugar for brightness, and a rich amaretto chocolate ganache for a festive finish.
Almond Buñuelos with Orange–Meyer Lemon Sugar & Amaretto Chocolate Ganache
Yield: 12 Servings
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Recipe by Susana Villasuso. I like to serve these on a large platter with the chocolate sauce on the side so guests can help themselves. For a more formal presentation, serve each buñuelo with a scoop of high-quality vanilla ice cream, crumble the buñuelo on top, and drizzle with amaretto chocolate sauce.
Ingredients
For the buñuelos:
- 1 1/2 cups organic all-purpose flour
- 1 cage-free egg
- 45 g (3 tablespoons) butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3/4 cup lukewarm water (may not need all)
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped blanched almonds
- Canola oil for frying
For the citrusy sugar:
- 1 cup Demerara sugar
- 1 cup caster (superfine) sugar
- Zest of 1 orange
- Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
For the amaretto chocolate ganache:
- 200 g (8 ounces) semisweet chocolate
- 200 ml heavy cream
- 1–3 teaspoons amaretto liqueur, to taste
Instructions
For the buñuelos:
- Sift the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the egg, butter, vanilla, almond extract and sugar. Beat on low until combined.
- Switch to the dough hook and add water gradually (you may not need it all). Knead on medium-high for a couple minutes until the dough is soft and elastic.
- Remove the dough, stir in the chopped almonds by hand to distribute them, form a ball, cover with plastic wrap and let rest at least 20 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll into balls. Lightly flour your surface and roll each ball thinly into a tortilla shape for crispier buñuelos. They don’t need to be perfect circles. Let them rest another 15 minutes if possible; this helps them crisp.
- Heat canola oil in a frying pan, using enough oil to cover the buñuelos while frying. Test the oil with a small piece of dough — when it bubbles right away it’s ready. Fry the buñuelos one at a time until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels and, while still warm, toss in the citrusy sugar to coat.
For the orange–Meyer lemon sugar:
- Combine the Demerara sugar, caster sugar, orange zest and Meyer lemon zest. Mix well and transfer to a shallow dish for coating the buñuelos.
For the amaretto chocolate ganache:
- Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a hot water bath. Remove from heat, stir in the heavy cream until smooth, then add amaretto a little at a time to taste.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 1985
Total Fat: 187g
Saturated Fat: 115g
Trans Fat: 6g
Unsaturated Fat: 60g
Cholesterol: 577mg
Sodium: 240mg
Carbohydrates: 67g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 53g
Protein: 19g
Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a comment or share a photo on Instagram and tag @holajalapeno so I can see your creation.
One More Thing
If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment and share a photo on Instagram. Tag @holajalapeno so I can see your beautiful creation — your feedback means a lot. If you need help, send a message on Instagram and I’ll walk you through it.