Cinnamon Crispas

Simple Cinnamon Crispas

I've decided to try posting some very basic foods that I cook but that I don't normally think of posting.  I tend to take these sorts of things for granted, that ANYone could think of making them, but perhaps that's just not true.  These Cinnamon Crispas are a quick, easy sweet treat that I'll make sometimes to have after a good Mexican meal, like my Chile Colorado Burritos or Carne Asada.  They're really super good with some deep-fried ice cream, but I don't even attempt to do that.  I leave it for the Mexican restaurants and Paula Deene.  

I think these are actually called buñuelos in Mexican cuisine, but I always think of them as Cinnamon Crispas, as in that tasty, crispy dessert they used to serve at Taco Bell in the 1980s.  It's probably one of the simplest desserts, short of buying a pack of Oreos. They're just flour tortillas (new or past their prime--not too far, though), cut into wedges, fried in hot canola oil and then shaken in cinnamon sugar.  

Thin tortillas produce crisper crispas; thicker tortillas produce crispy chewy crispas, which is what I like.  

Cinnamon Crispas

Ingredients:

• 2 large flour tortillas (or more)
• 1 inch of canola oil in a large frying pan
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Equipment:

• the large frying pan mentioned above
• a sturdy medium to large brown paper bag
• 2 tongs (one for frying, one for retrieving crispas from paper bag)
• paper towels
• large plate
• a sharp knife or pizza cutter

Instructions:

Heat oil in frying pan over medium-high heat.  You can either check the temp with a thermometer (ready at 375 degrees) or put in a little piece of tortilla when you think it's ready.  I use the little tortilla method.  Actually, I like to put a little piece of tortilla in the oil pretty early on and when I see/hear it frying, I figure the oil is ready.  Don't let it get too hot, though.

While oil heats, cut tortillas into eighths, like you'd cut a pizza.  

Place cinnamon and sugar in the paper bag, close top, and lightly shake to mix.  Set aside.

When oil is hot, fry 4-5 wedges at a time, turning a time or two until both sides are a deep golden brown.  Remove with tongs to paper bag with the cinnamon-sugar.  Close top and shake gently.  Remove with the second pair of tongs and place crispas on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.  Repeat with remaining tortilla wedges.

Makes 8 reasonable servings, or 2 very unreasonable ones...you get the idea.

I cut these tortillas into cute flower shapes
to go with my fried ice cream.