Diane's Sopaipillas

As I visit my family in Texas for the holidays, my duty to my readers doesn't relinquish. This recipe comes from my parents' neighbor, Diane Eaton, a resident of Llano, TX and a connoisseur of great desserts.

Sopaipilla is a dish that originated in South America. With a flaky crust and crusty cinnamon topping, it makes for a great southwestern dessert. After dinner, my family and I sat down in rocking chairs on the patio overlooking the Llano River, glass of bourbon in hand, and all sampled this delectable treat.

Ingredients

2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese

1 ¼ sticks of butter or margarine, softened, divided

1 ½ cups of sugar, divided

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, divided

2 (8 oz) packaged of refrigerated crescent rolls

½ teaspoon of cinnamon

The Process

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13x9 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Combine cream cheese with four tablespoons of butter in a large bowl and beat at medium speed with a mixer until mixture is creamy. Gradually beat in one cup of sugar. When mixed, beat in one tablespoon of vanilla extract.

Unroll one package of crescent rolls onto the bottom of the prepared pan. Do not separate the rolls at the perforations. Press the dough to stretch to the edge of the pan, pressing to seal the perforations. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly onto the dough. Unroll the second package of crescent rolls on a lightly floured surface and shape into 13x9 inch rectangle, pressing the dough to seal the perforations.

In a small sauce pan, melt the remaining butter, stir in the remaining sugar, and then add the vanilla and cinnamon until the mixture is unified. Spread the concoction evenly over the dough.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the dish is slightly puffed and the top is golden brown. Cool before cutting it into squares.

Taste Test

Coming out of the oven, the sopaipillas had a pleasant cinnamon smell. The spread on top became crispy and complimented the creaminess of the inside. The dough wasn't crispy but was firm enough to hold without it completely falling apart, an enjoyable surprise. The cinnamon topping had great flavor but didn't overpower the taste of the cream cheese. I would describe this as a Mexican cheesecake.

Leftover Quality

I am tempted to say these were better the next day.  The cream cheese mixture melted into the crust but didn't affect the consistency of the dessert. I was still able to hold it in my hand and eat it like a cookie.

Final Grade

I give Diane's sopaipillas an A. They had great flavor and perfect texture, they were inexpensive and relatively easy to make (although it was messy, but that added to the fun).  Thanks, Diane!