Sopaipilla

Sopaipillas with Chancaca Syrup (Chile)

Chilean sopaipillas are soft, golden discs of pumpkin-enriched dough, deep-fried and served either plain with pebre or drenched in warm chancaca syrup. This recipe makes both versions so you can choose.

Prep

45 min

Cook

30 min

Total

75 min

Serves

8 (about 24 sopaipillas)

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz) pumpkin or squash, kabocha, butternut or Chilean zapallo, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
• •500 g (1 lb 1½ oz) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• •60 g (2 oz) lard or vegetable shortening, lard is traditional; butter works but makes a softer, less crisp disc
• •1 tsp salt
• •1 tsp baking powder
• •100 ml (3½ fl oz) water, or pumpkin cooking liquid, as needed
• •1 L (1¾ pt) vegetable oil, for deep-filling, about 5 cm / 2 in deep
• •250 g (9 oz) raw cane sugar (chancaca or panela), or dark brown sugar for the syrup
• •250 ml (9 fl oz) water, for the syrup
• •1 whole cinnamon stick
• •1 whole orange peel strip, about 5 cm / 2 in, no white pith
• •2 whole cloves
• •1 tbsp lemon juice

Steps

1. 1 Boil the pumpkin chunks in salted water until completely tender when pierced with a knife, 12–15 minutes. Drain well, reserving a little cooking liquid, then mash until perfectly smooth. Spread on a plate and let cool to room temperature - hot pumpkin will melt the fat and make the dough slack.
2. 2 In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. Rub in the lard or shortening with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
3. 3 Add the cooled mashed pumpkin and mix with a fork, then work the dough with your hands, adding the water a spoonful at a time, until a soft, slightly tacky but manageable dough forms. It should not be sticky. Knead gently for 2 minutes - do not overwork.
4. 4 Cover and rest the dough for 20 minutes at room temperature.
5. 5 While the dough rests, make the chancaca syrup: combine the raw cane sugar, 250 ml water, cinnamon stick, orange peel and cloves in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then simmer gently for 10 minutes until slightly syrupy. Stir in the lemon juice, strain out the spices, and keep warm over the lowest heat.
6. 6 Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half out to about 5 mm (¼ inch) thickness. Cut rounds with a 7–8 cm (3 inch) cutter, gathering and re-rolling scraps once. Prick each disc once or twice with a fork - this stops them puffing into balls and keeps them flat and tender.
7. 7 Heat the oil in a deep, heavy pot to 175–180°C (350°F). If you have no thermometer, a small piece of dough should rise to the surface within 2–3 seconds and bubble steadily without smoking.
8. 8 Fry the sopaipillas in batches of 4–5, turning once, for 1½–2 minutes per side, until puffed, golden and cooked through. They should be evenly coloured with no pale spots. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towels.
9. 9 Serve immediately: either plain or with butter and pebre, or ladle the warm chancaca syrup generously over a stack of sopaipillas so they soak it up.
10. 10 Safety note: keep the oil temperature steady - overheated oil above 190°C (375°F) can smoke and catch fire. Never leave hot oil unattended, and keep the pot lid nearby to smother any flare-up.