Sopapillas With Dulce De Leche

Ingredients for dulce de leche:
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

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Ingredients for sopapillas:
1 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 teaspoon
1 T ground cinnamon
1 3/4 cups sifted flour, plus more for kneading dough
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 T very cold vegetable shortening
2/3 cup ice cold water
1 1/2 cups canola or vegetable oil
1 1/2 pints vanilla ice cream

Preparing dulce de leche:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Scrape milk into an 8-inch baking dish; cover tightly with aluminum foil. Place dish inside a roasting pan; fill pan with enough water to come halfway up sides of baking dish. Bake for 1 1/4 hours, adding more water to pan if needed.

When milk becomes a thick caramel, remove from oven; let cool, covered, for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 1/2 cup

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Preparing the sopapillas:
Combine sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Use fingertips or a pastry cutter to work in shortening to form coarse crumbs. Slowly add water; mix until just combined.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap; let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat until it reaches 350 degrees F on a deep fry thermometer. Line a large plate with several layers of paper towels.

Roll dough on a lightly floured surface into a 1/4-inch thick, 12 inch by 15-inch rectangle, then cut into 2-inch by 3-inch pieces (about 24).

Fry in batches of 5 until golden and puffed on both sides (about 1 minute per side). Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels for 30 seconds.

Immediately dredge in cinnamon sugar. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream and a dollop of dulce de leche.

Serves 4 to 6