Vintage Native Recipes from the Baul: Bunuelos, Pilipit and Gurgurya

Bunuelos, Pilipit and Gurgurya defy translations. The next best thing would be to just describe these oddly named confections. Bunuelos are like small cream puffs, but deep fried and coated in sugar. These are delicious when freshly made and goes well with native ice cream.
Pilipit (twisted) is aptly named because it looks like a twisted thick rope and tastes like a savory-sweet, quite hard biscuit, deep fried and coated in a darkish sugar syrup. These are delicious a few days after frying and left to “age” for a bit. The texture becomes firm and it develops a pleasing mahogany colored “skin” that makes biting into one a real treat. The Gurgurya or Golloria are often snail-shaped and firm pieces of dough that is also deep fried and coated with sugar syrup or just dredged in sugar. It’s very much like pilipit in texture and also keeps well for several weeks.

*Baul: Chest drawer

Bunuelos

In a saucepan bring to a rolling boil, 1 cup water and 8 tablespoons oil. Add 1 cup flour (please sift AFTER measuring). Mix with a large heavy wooden spoon until the mixture comes together and separates from the sides of the pan. Remove pan from heat. Stir the mixture and set aside until just warm to the touch. While waiting for the mixture to cool, heat equal amounts of vegetable shortening and vegetable oil in a deep saucepan until it reaches 375*F on a candy thermometer. With the same wooden spoon, stir 2 whole large eggs into the batter, beat until smooth. Using a large spoon, scoop up the batter and drop carefully into the hot fat (or pipe small balls on a wax paper-line tray and transfer to the hot fat). Fry until golden brown. Drain well on a paper towel-lined colander. Roll in sugar and serve warm.

Pilipit

2 cups bread flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
½ cup milk
Solid vegetable shortening
Vegetable oil
Syrup (see gurgurya recipe)

1. Measure and sift together flour and salt in a large bowl.
2. Stir in milk and egg. Beat until thick.
3. Transfer to a flour dusted work table. Knead until smooth. Cover lightly with a up-turned bowl or clean towel and leave to “rest” for 15 minutes.
4. Roll the dough into a long, thin baton shape approximately 1” in diameter.
5. Cut into 1” pieces.
6. Roll each piece into pencil thin strips. Place left hand on the left side of the strip and your right hand on the other end.
7. Roll your left hand upwards and your right hand the opposite way. This will “twist” the dough. 8. Take each dough strip ends up, gravity will do the rest to make one twisted dough. Press the edges together to seal. Place on lightly greased sheets and cover lightly. Let the dough rest while heating the oil.
9. Heat equal amounts of vegetable shortening and vegetable oil in a deep saucepan until it reaches 375*F on a candy thermometer.
10. Carefully drop several pieces of pilipit in the hot fat (do not crowd, check the temperature and maintain it at 3758F) and fry until a dark golden brown.
11. Drain on paper-toweled lined colander.
12. When cool dip each pilipit in dark syrup. When syrup feels dry, wrap tightly in plastic.
Keeps well for several weeks.

Gurgurya or Golloria

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
4 – 5 tablespoons milk
1/3 cup softened margarine
Solid vegetable shortening
Vegetable oil

1. Measure and sift flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
2. Add eggs and milk. Use a whisk to mix it in.
3. Add margarine in dabs.
4. Transfer to a flour-dusted work table and knead well until smooth.
5. Weigh and divide the dough equally into 4 parts. Cover and “rest” for 15 minutes.
6. Roll each portion into a long strip.
5. Cut each dough piece into 1/8” thin strips (while working keep the remaining dough covered).
6. With the heel of one hand, press the dough strips (or press with the flat tines of a fork) before rolling into shell-like shapes (or roll like an ensaimada).
7. Place gurgurya in floured baking sheet. Keep it covered while heating the fat.
8. Heat equal amounts of vegetable shortening and vegetable oil in a deep saucepan until it reaches 375*F on a candy thermometer.
9. Carefully drop several pieces of gurgurya in the hot fat (do not crowd, check the temperature and maintain it at 3758F) and fry until golden brown.
11. Drain on paper-toweled lined colander.
12. When cool dip each gurgurya in dark syrup. When syrup feels dry, wrap tightly in plastic.
Coat with syrup or roll in sugar while hot.

Syrup
Make a syrup using ½ cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Store remaining syrup in clean glass jars.