Sopapillas

Oh how I love me some Mexican food! Just the other night I was craving Jose's. Random. I know. But there were some good memories eating there after church on Sunday nights.

On one Bible study night I decided to give into my cravings and make Mexican for dinner. And then I decided I wanted to make REAL sopapillas for dessert. Some of the restaurants around here think a fried flour tortilla is a sopapilla. It's not.

I found this recipe online. It is so easy and they are the sopapillas I like. Fluffy and full of air. Dipped in cinnamon and sugar and honey on top. Yum!

Real Sopapillas

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons shortening

1 1/2 cups warm water

2 quarts oil for frying (or about 3/4-1 inch deep in your skillet)

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and shortening. Stir in water; mix until dough is smooth. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes.

Roll out on floured board until 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 3 inch squares. Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees (or medium high-ish). Fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

FYI--I cut the recipe in half. The above amounts make 24 sopapillas. And like I said, I dipped mine in a cinnamon sugar mix straight out of the pan.

Snickerdoodles

LilE and I made a little sweet treat this afternoon in prep for Bible Study being at our house tonight. She enjoyed baking with me as she always does. I am trying really hard not to be caught up in the major mess she is making, but to count it as a learning experience.

Snickerdoodles

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix butter, shortening, and sugar. Add eggs.

Add dry ingredients.

Roll dough into one inch balls. Mix 3 tablespoons sugar and 3 teaspoons cinnamon. Roll dough balls into cinn/sugar mixture to coat the outside. Place on baking sheet.

Bake in 350* preheated oven for approx. 10 minutes.

For CRUNCHY cookies, follow the above directions.

For SOFT cookies, chill dough and cookie sheet for 15 minutes, then roll into balls and bake for 10 minutes.  (New trick I just learned.)

Red, White and Blueberry Trifle

YOU GIRLS all know how I love the 4th of July! I love it even more at the BEACH!

Red, White and Blueberry Trifle
Gina's Weight Watcher RecipesServings: 14 • Serving Size: 1 cup  • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 169.1 • Fat: 0.4 g • Protein: 2.5 g • Carb: 38 g • Fiber: 3.0 g • Sugar: 16.5 g 
Sodium: 102.8 mg  


Ingredients:

• 10 oz angel food cake, cut into 1-inch cubes*
• 2 pints strawberries, sliced
• 2 pints blueberries

For the cream filling:

• 6 tbsp fat-free sweetened condensed milk (I used Borden Eagle)
• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 1 package sugar-free white chocolate instant pudding mix
• 12 oz fat-free frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:

Whisk the condensed milk and water in a bowl. Whisk in the pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set; fold in the whipped topping.

Arrange half of the cake in the bottom of a 14-cup trifle dish. Sprinkle evenly with a layer of blueberries. Spread half of the cream mixture over the blueberries and gently spread (I piped it using a plastic bag and cut the corner off). Top with a layer of strawberries. Layer the remaining cake cubes on top of the strawberries, then add more blueberries and top with the remaining cream mixture. Finish with the remaining strawberries and blueberries, arranging them in a pretty pattern. Cover and refrigerate at least one 1 hour.

*I only used 10 oz of a 16 oz cake.