1/2 ts Salt
1 c  Warm water
2 oz (1/4 cup) pork lard (cut in
Pieces)
1 lb Flour
Peanut or safflower oil for
Frying
Confectioners sugar and
Cinnamon for dusting

Dissolve salt in water and set aside to cool to lukewarm. Rub fat into
flour with fingertips until it resembles very fine crumbs. Add salted
water to flour and mix dough with hands until it comes clearly away
from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and
knead and pull it out for 5 minutes. Knead dough into round cushion
shape, put into polyethylene bag and set aside a minium of 2 hours,
but preferably overnight. Do not refrigerate. Cover a tray with
smooth, clean cloth. Remove dough from bag and knead a minute or so
on lightly floured surface, then divide into small balls approx 1
1/4″ in diameter; there should be 30 of them. Set on tray and cover
with slightly damp cloth or polyethylene wrap so outside of balls
does not dry out and form a crust. Have ready a small fry pan
containing oil to depth of 1/2″. Have ready another tray, covered
with 2 layers of paper towels. You will need an ordinary kitchen
fork; metal spatula and thin rolling pin. Dust work surface very
lightly with flour. Roll out balls until 5-5 1/2″ in diameter (dont
worry if it is an uneven circle, as sopaipillas can be cut into any
shape). Cut dough into 4-6 small triangles and set them aside until
you have repeated process with 3 more balls and are ready to begin
frying the first batch. Heat oil. Just before it begins to smoke,
lower flame as you put 1 piece of dough into it. Keep pressing dough
down lightly with back of fork, it shoud then start to bubble and
puff up. Turn over and cook on second side. Whole process should take
only a few seconds and the sopaipilla should be barely gold in color.
Drain on towels. Quickly fry remainder of batch, sprinkle with
sugar-cinnamon mixture while still hot, then cool off. Repeat with
remaining dough, working in batches.