Those who follow this blog, may know that I am part of a recipe swap. A small (but growing) group of food bloggers led by Christianna of Burwell General Store. Each month, we revamp vintage recipes from a combination cookbook/hymnal that Christianna found at a swap meet.
This month’s recipe was an Ozarkian Taffy Apple. The first dish I made for this month’s swap was a vegan baked French toast with sautéed apples and maple caramel, but I just spent two days at Pebble Beach Food and Wine eating incredible food in the spring sunshine. Upon my return, I realized that the French toast dish was fine comfort food, it was gobbled up happily, but it was neither spectacular nor spring-like. It had to go!
I came home from Pebble Beach Food and Wine with a LOT of berries from Driscoll’s who was one of the sponsor’s of the event, so I knew they would come into play. This morning, I was checking out Cooking with Amy’s latest post since I had the pleasure of meeting her at Pebble Beach. In her gorgeous eatalogue of San Antonio, there was a fabulous photo and description of sopapillas.
Now, I have a major soft spot for these fried dough treats. When I was in college, I worked in a Mexican”ish” restaurant, where the cooks would ask at the end of a hard day, “Hey, you hungry? You want a sopapilla?” And they’d fry up little triangles of tortillas and drizzle them with a bit of honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon- or sometimes a bit of cajeta.
This is my take on sopapillas with cajeta. My caramel is made with apple juice and a bit of bourbon and the berries are bathed in the same mixture. The apple juice adds a sweet-tart freshness and the bourbon gives a warm amber nudge. I love the fun addition of ground pepper to this sweet dish- don’t be afraid of it at all. You see salt all the time in desserts, I know you’re going to love the pepper. What you’ll love even more is how EASY and quick this is. If you don’t have time to let the berries bathe for a long time, no worries, just soak them for as long as it takes to do the caramel and the sopapillas, they’ll still be packed with flavor.
- DRUNKEN BERRIES INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups mixed fresh berries
- 1 cup apple juice
- 3 tablespoons bourbon (I used Bulleit)
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper (I used a mix of pink, black, and white peppercorns)
- CARAMEL INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups organic white sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons filtered apple juice
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil cut into small pieces
- ½ cup warm full fat coconut milk (divided)
- ¼ cup rice milk mixed with 1/8 teaspoon salt
- SOPAPILLA INGREDIENTS
- 4 gluten free flour tortillas cut into 2 inch rounds
- grapeseed oil for frying
- 2 tablespoons organic granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean seeds
- ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
- DRUNKEN BERRIES INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine apple juice, bourbon, salt, and pepper in large bowl.
- Add clean fresh mixed berries to the mixture and allow to rest in the fridge for at least one hour (up to three)
- When ready to serve, strain berries very well
- CARAMEL INSTRUCTIONS
- Cook sugar, water, apple juice, and bourbon in a medium heavy bottom saucepan over medium high heat. Swirling gently to combine, from time to time. Watch your caramel closely as it moves very quickly from golden to burned. Bring to 350º
- Immediately remove from heat. Carefully, stir in ¼ cup coconut milk and the coconut oil- using a wooden spoon. Stir well until combined.
- Slowly add in the remaining ¼ cup coconut milk and whisk vigorously.
- Return pot to burner that was on, but do not turn on- add in the rice milk and salt mixture and whisk until completely combined. Then switch to wooden spoon to incorporate the corners of the pot.
- Transfer to a glass dish to cool.
- SOPAPILLA INSTRUCTIONS
- Mix sugar, cinnamon, vanilla bean, and pepper
- Using a 2” round cut tortilla into little tortillas
- Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until it starts to smoke
- Pour grapeseed oil about 1 inch deep. Turn heat down to medium high.
- Heat oil to about 375º. The oil needs to be very hot for the tortillas to puff up.
- Add four or so tortilla rounds at a time. Turn one time as soon as they puff and get golden. Remove and drain on paper towels then sprinkle with sugar mixture.
- Plate with a little caramel on top and berries on the side so the berries don’t collapse the sopapillas.
- Meet the Other Recipe Swappers
- Lindsay of Rosemarried
- Chef Dennis of More the a Mountfull
- Mari of The Unexpected Harvest
- Toni of Boulder Locavore
- Joy of the Herbed Kitchen
- Monique of Fat and Happy
- Shari of Good Food Week
- Priya of Sweet U
- Jennifer of Adventuresome Kitchen
- Lora of The Cake Duchess
- Pola of Cooking Italian in the Midwest
- Mary of The Gluten Freed Gourmet
- Jamie of Random Acts of Food
- Crissy and Lauren of the Little Yellow Kitchen
- Clair of Clearly Clair
- Nicolle of Rhythm of the Seasons
- Jacqueline of the Dusty Baker
- Linda of Everybody Eats
- Tricia of Eating is Art
- Cindy of Tyro Tidbits
Lovely! Sabrina, as always, I love reading your blog and seeing the depth of your food knowledge come through in each recipe. I can't wait to meet you later this month at BlogHer Food!
I can't believe you made vegan caramel. You are so bad ass. Sad I have to be a little late on the swap, but better late than never, right?
Wow that looks good! I never tried sopapillas before, but after seeing this great recipe I'll hunt them down!
Such a fun…and crazy deliscious looking recipe!!
I’m drooling, no joke.
wow! this is gorgeous! love a good sopapilla… but with vegan caramel!? i am super impressed! love your blog and honored to be in the swap with you!
Wow, this is a spectacular recipe! Very excited to try it when I need to shock people with yumminess!
That caramel looks so yummy, could practically drink it up. Great recipe!
I could nibble on that all day long…everything sounds so yummylicious!
Hi Sabrina,
How lucky you got to bring home some of those yummy berries. Love how you revamped this recipe. I've been eyeing your banana bread at the bake sale.
-Gina-
Apple juice and bourbon in the caramel- outstanding idea!
You got me at "drunken" 🙂 Everything looks so good, Sabrina!
This looks very addictive!
Sabrina BoBina. So yummy. What a great approach to this month's swap. Hope you are fully on the mend now.
That is a rockin' caramel sauce! I love the use of bourbon and the pepper! What a great twist on our recipe! glad you had a great time in Pebble, and hope your thumb is recovering nicely! Cheers!
Oh my Sabrina! I want to slather that apple caramel on everything in my pantry right now!
This looks delicious! And that caramel sauce looks divine. Thanks for sharing.