Vegan Buñuelos

Tomorrow is grocery day so tonight's meal was all about throwing things into a tortilla: sauteed sweet onions, orange and yellow peppers; roasted jalapenos; and chickpeas. Tasty, but really just a variation of stuff I have blogged before. I thought we needed something special for afters so I made vegan buñuelos, a Mexican fried dough dessert (that usually has egg and butter). From what I can see, there are a variety of ways to make these so I am not sure there is a "correct" way. I made these like wee little doughnuts since there is no vegan doughnut shop anywhere near here. The dough is not very sweet (they aren't like a Tim Horton's doughnut) but are absolutely addictive. They taste best when freshly cooked so I have posted a recipe for 6. Double or triple according to how many you are feeding. Word of warning: I have never had a "real" buñuelo to compare these to, but to my mind these are awesome and taste and look like I think they should.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 cup all purpose flour

- 1/2 tsp baking powder

- 1/4 tsp baking soda

- 1/4 tsp ground anise

- 1 tbsp sugar

- 2 tsp ground flax seed

- 3-4 tsp water

- 1/4 cup soy milk

- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

- 2 tbsp Earth Balance margarine, melted

- oil for frying

- 1/4 cup sugar

- 1 tsp cinnamon

METHOD

1. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, anise, and sugar in a medium bowl.

2. In a small bowl add ground flax with 3 tsp of the water and let sit for a minute. Whisk with a fork until mixture thickens. Whisk in soy milk and vinegar.

3. Add flax mixture to the flour and mix with a fork. As the dough begins to come together mix in melted margarine with the fork. Use you hands to bring the dough together, adding the final tsp of water if needed. Knead dough on a counter top (floured, if needed) for 7 to 10 mins, or until dough is smooth. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky.

4. Divide dough into 6 equal pieces and shape into balls. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 mins.

5. Heat a few inches of oil in a pan to about 375 degrees (med-hi on my stove). Mix together sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. While oil is heating, poke through the centre of each dough ball with the end of a wooden spoon and insert your pointer finger to shape each ball into a ring.

6. Fry in oil for about 60 seconds, turning once, until it floats and is a nice golden colour. If you use a small saucepan, like I do, you may want to flip it a few times. They like to sit at the bottom of the pan for a bit before they float, so they can brown quite quickly when in contact with the bottom of the pan.

7. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels or paper bags. While still hit, toss each doughnut in the cinnamon and sugar. Enjoy right away.