Cut in shortening
until mixture resembles cornmeal.
Add starter mixture to dry ingredients. Stir quickly
with a fork to moisten dry ingredients.
Turn out onto lightly floured surface and
knead until smooth, adding small amounts of flour as needed.
Cover with clean cloth
and let dough rest for 5 minutes.
Roll dough out into a 12 x 15-inch rectangle about 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick. Cut
into 3-inch squares or triangles.
Drop a few pieces at a time into deep, hot cooking oil at 400 degrees F (205
degrees C). Fry about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Sopapillas will
puff up like pillows.
Drain on paper towels.
Serve warm with honey and confectioners' sugar or cinnamon and sugar. Or
you can serve as an entree topped with chile verde or chile colorado.