Cinco de Mayo History & Bunuelos Recipe

Cinco de Mayo (the 5th of May) commemorates the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at The Battle of Puebla in 1862. It is primarily a regional holiday celebrated in the capital city of Puebla and throughout the state of Puebla.

It is not, as many people believed, Mexico's Independence Day, which is actually September 16th. 

For More Information About Cinco de Mayo: http://www.mexonline.com/cinco-de-mayo.htm

Recipe: Bunuelos

Source: http://www.cooksrecipes.com/bread/bunuelos-recipe.html

Bunuelos may be served sprinkled with a cinnamon-sugar mixture or with warmed honey. Another favorite way is to serve them drizzled with a brown sugar syrup flavored with a stick of cinnamon.

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

2 large beaten eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup melted butter

Vegetable oil for fryingCinnamon-Sugar Mixture (recipe follows)Brown Sugar Syrup (recipe follows)Powdered sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Directions

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a bowl; set aside.

In a small bowl, beat together the eggs and milk. Stir egg/milk mixture into flour mixture; add the melted butter and mix well. (Dough should be easy to handle, if too stiff add 1 to 2 tablespoons more milk; be careful not to make dough sticky.)

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until very smooth.

Divide into 18 to 24 pieces. Shape into balls; cover with a cloth and let stand for 20 minutes.

Roll each ball on a lightly floured surface into 4 to 6-inch rounds. Let the rounds stand for 5 minutes.

In large, deep skillet, heat about 2-inches of oil over medium-high heat or to 375°F (190°C). Fry dough, one or two pieces at a time, until puffed and golden on both side. Drain well on paper toweling. Sprinkle with Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture or drizzle with Brown Sugar Syrup and sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar, if desired. Serve warm.

Makes about 1 1/2 to 2 dozen.

Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture: Combine 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon with 1/3 cup sugar. Sprinkle mixture over hot Bunuelos.

Brown Sugar Syrup: In a small saucepan, combine 2 cups packed dark brown sugar; 1 cup water; 2 tablespoons light corn syrup and 1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Drizzle over hot Bunuelos and sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar.

Cook's Note: Bunuelos freeze well. To freeze, wrap individually in foil. Crisp them in the oven before serving again.