Combine dry ingredients and mix in 1 tablespoon lard, butter or margarine

Dissolve yeast in the water

Add yeast to scalded milk, cooled to room temperature

If not using yeast, use 1-1/2 cups milk and omit the 1/4 cup warm water. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients

Add about 1-1/4 cups liquid to dry ingredients and work into dough

Add more liquid until dough is firm and springy and holds its shape, similar to a yeast dough. Knead dough 15 to 20 times, then invert the bowl over the dough and set aside for approximately 10 minutes

Heat 1 quart lard or oil to 420F

in a deep-fryer. Roll one fourth of the dough to 1/4-inch thickness or slightly thinner, then cut into squares or triangles

Do not reroll any of the dough

Cover the cut dough with a towel as you fiy the sopaipillas, a few at a time, in the hot fat

They should puff up and become hollow very soon after being dropped into the fat

To assure puffing, slightly stretch each piece of dough before lowering it into the fat, then place the rolled or top side of dough into the fat first, so it will be the bottom side

Hold each piece of dough down in the fat until it puffs

Drain sopaipillas on absorbent paper towel. Sopaipillas may be dusted with a sugar-cinnamon mix- ture and are especially good with honey

Stuff hot large sopaipillas with refried beans, chile con came, chopped onion, grated cheese and lettuce or guacamole for a main dish. Sopaipillas can be frozen for up to three months

To serve, heat in a foil packet in a 350F

oven for about 15 minutes

Just before serving, open the foil so that the sopaipillas will dry out on the outside

Makes 4 dozen.