Sopapillas are light, airy pastries, fried in oil and dusted with cinnamon and/or sugar, and served warm accompanied by honey or syrup. And they are delicious — a traditional Mexican dessert, served alongside savory dishes, or with coffee, or just as dessert — a succulent fried pastry, sweet, little “puffs” — that are enjoyed by all. If that weren’t enough, these sopaipilla cheesecake bars are even better still.
Sopapillas originated in Spain, centuries ago, and their name “sopaipilla” is from the Spanish “sopaipa,” rooted in the Mozarabic language, a cultural blend of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian influences during Spain’s medieval period. The Spaniards arrived in Mexico in the 16th century and with them, the sopapilla.
The indigenous peoples of Mexico were making dough and frying it as far back as 2500 BCE and continued the practice until the arrival of Spanish colonizers. But here’s the difference. They made dough from maize and other grains and then fried it. The Spaniards introduced wheat flour and sugar to Mexico, therefore changing the whole dynamic. They became sweet.
So once again, it was the melding of cultural differences, foodstuffs, and culinary techniques that transformed the sopapilla into what it is today. It has transcended cultures and crossed borders and is now popular in Mexican restaurants across the U.S. and Canada, along with Tex-Mex cuisine.
Our recipe for Sopapilla Cheesecake Cookie Bars makes things easy. We are not going to make dough, or fry it, but rather we’re going to achieve the pastry’s crispy texture by using puff pastry, and by pre-baking the crust. We are then going to kick-it-up with the addition of a cream-cheese layer, and top it with another sheet of puff pastry, sprinkled with cinnamon, sugar and butter, baked once again until browned and crispy.
We have now turned the traditional Mexican sopapilla into a crunchy, creamy, cheesecake filled cookie-bar, a pick-me-up-with-your-fingers delight to tantalize the tastebuds!
Sopapilla Cheesecake Cookie-Bars:
Ingredients:
- 2 – (10″ x 15″) puff-pastry sheets (1 or 2 boxes) (hojaldre)
- 2 (8 ounce or 227 g) bricks of full-fat cream-cheese, room temperature (queso crema)
- 1 ¼ Cups (225 g) granulated sugar, divided (azúcar estándar)
- ¼ Cup (61.3 g) sour cream, room temperature (crema)
- NOTE: Mexican crema is not exactly like U.S. sour cream. To mimic the taste of sour cream, add a squeeze of lime to crema (as sour cream is more acidic) and a pinch of salt. I, however, prefer the taste and flavor of crema. But that’s a personal choice.
- 2 tsp. (8.67 g) vanilla extract* (extracto de vainilla)
- Mexican brands noted for intense flavor: Villa Vainilla; Vainilla Totonac’s; Molina Vainilla.
- 1 egg, room temperature (huevo)
- 1 Tbs. (16.6 g) ground cinnamon (canela molida)
- 4 Tbs. (56.7 g) salted butter*, melted (mantequilla)
- *Best Mexican brands: Lala; Gloria; Alpura; Aguascalientes; Flor de Alfalfa.
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400F (204C).
- Put a rack in the center of the oven.
- Spray a 9“x 13” baking dish with cooking spray.
Next:
- Take a sheet of puff pastry and lay it flat in the baking dish, pressing the extra pastry against the sides of the dish. Using a fork, poke holes all over the dough (to prevent it from puffing).
- Bake the crust for 15 minutes.
Next:
Prepare the cheesecake filling:
- Beat cream-cheese and 1 Cup of sugar for 2 minutes.
- Add egg, sour cream, and vanilla, and mix until *just* combined, about 5-10 seconds.
- Remove the crust from the oven.
NOTE: If it has puffed, let it sit for 5 minutes to deflate.
Next:
- Spread the cheesecake filling onto crust.
- Top with another sheet of puff pastry and gently tuck in.
- With a pastry brush, brush half the melted butter onto the puff-pastry.
Next:
- Combine remaining ¼ Cup of sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
- Sprinkle the puff pastry with cinnamon sugar.
- Drizzle the remaining butter over the top.
Next:
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the puff-pastry (on top) cooks through.
- NOTE: Don’t worry if the crust puffed, it will release steam as it cools, or you can use a paring knife to poke a small hole so steam escapes.
Next:
- Let cool for 20 minutes.
- Transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely for several hours, or overnight, so the bars have a chance to set.
- Slice the bars using a clean knife, wiping the knife after each slice, so the bars are cleanly cut.
Disfruta!
Deborah McCoy is the one-time author of mainstream, bridal-reference books who has turned her attention to food, particularly sweets, desserts and fruits. She is the founder of CakeChatter™ on FaceBook and X (Twitter), and the author of four baking books for “Dough Punchers” via CakeChatter (available @amazon.com). She is also the president of The American Academy of Wedding Professionals™ (aa-wp.com).
