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Bunyols de Vent: A Sweet Lenten Treat

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Originally introduced to Catalunya by the Sephardic Jews in the Middle Ages, bunyols have traditionally sweetened the days of people who have given up their favorite foods for quaresma (Lent).

Varieties of these little doughnut-esque delicacies can be seen in different versions around the world: in Mexico, they are called buñuelos (as they are also called in Spain) and are made with tortilla dough; the Arabic community makes bimuelos from sweet potato; many South American countries use a similar recipe but then cover the fritters with various syrups made from fruits or honey.

Here in Catalunya, there are two types of these tasty deep-fried dough balls: bunyols de l’Empordà and bunyols de vent. Bunyols de l’Empordà are characterized by a less-rounded hole in the middle. Bunyols de vent, on the other hand, have a round shape and are not usually filled, although they can be bought filled with cream or chocolate in the middle. This recipe is for bunyols de vent; traditionally, they are flavored with anís (anise-flavored liqueur) but this recipe uses lemon zest instead to flavor the dough.

Patience Rewarded

I confess that I only make these about once or twice a year. Frying is a messy affair, there's no way around it, and I avoid this cooking method as a general rule. But, there is always room for the occasional exception. Like many bread recipes, this one requires that you leave the dough to rest for at least two hours, which can also put many people off. I get it, I really do. (I feel like I already spend way too much time in the kitchen.)

But, these really are delightful.

Using basic pantry ingredients and with a bit of patience, you'll be rewarded with puffy air-filled sweets. The end result is light and delicate, much like a cream puff (except, fried, of course). And, that's because this is in fact a choux pastry dough. I have yet to prepare filled bunyols, mostly because I can't resist eating them hot and fresh. Maybe someday...

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

  1. Put the water, sugar, lemon zest, butter and a pinch of salt in a saucepan and heat over medium high heat.
  2. When the butter has melted and the mixture begins to boil, turn the heat to low and add the flour. The dough will be very thick and sticky, but stir it until it the dough comes together and no longer sticks to the edges of the pan.
  3. Set the dough aside and allow to cool completely.
  4. Once cooled, add the eggs one at a time, mixing the dough thoroughly before adding each egg. The dough will be quite thick and sticky, so you can use a hand mixer to make quick work of it. Make sure all of the egg is completely incorporated and you have no lumps.
  5. Set dough aside and allow it to rest for 2 hours.
  6. Put enough sunflower oil for deep frying in a small pan with deep sides . When the oil is hot enough, drop the dough in the oil. The dough will be thin and sticky; I find it easiest to use two soup spoons, one to scoop up the dough (scooping up only about half the spoon full) and the other to both catch the drip from the spoon and then push the dough into the oil. I'd recommend frying only 4-6 at a time.
  7. As they fry they will puff up and bob about in the oil. You'll need to very gently turn them so they fry evenly on both sides—don't be surprised if you need to keep flipping them as they sometimes tend to flip themselves back over. Once fried, place them on kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil, sprinkle with sugar or powdered sugar and make every effort not to eat every one of these freshly-fried little dough balls as you continue to fry the rest.
  8. Finally, put them on a plate and sprinkle with sugar or powdered sugar. When they are cold (if, in fact you can control yourself and not eat them all straightaway), add some extra sugar and serve.

Recipe Notes

You'll see in most bakeries that plain white sugar is what is traditionally used to coat bunyols. I prefer powdered sugar both because it results in a less sweet bunyol and I think the texture is nicer—I find regular white sugar is too grainy and crunchy for these pastries.

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