Ojos - Mexican Pan Dulce

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the rings, but add the water in parts little by little and mix in between; you might need less or all of it, but ensure to make a smooth and not sticky dough; knead until everything incorporates and wrap it in plastic to let it rest while you make the filling. Add in the mixer all the ingredients for the filling and mix; scrape with a spatula the insides of the bowl to ensure that everything mixes well until there are no lumps; add the food colorant for a vibrant yellow color, but you can avoid it if desired. Dust with flour in your working area, and with a rolling pin, roll out the dough in a rectangle of about half a centimeter of thickness to cut stripes of about 2 centimeters wide and 20 centimeters long; stick your finger in water and wet one of the ends of a strip to glue both ends forming a ring; place the ring on a sheet pan with parchment paper and fill them up with the batter about ¾; bake at 380 F for 20 minutes or until the center is fully baked, test it carefully with your finger, and it should feel like a sponge; the ring won’t change color much, so as long as the filling is baked, they are done. The size will depend on you, I made them smaller than what you find at the bakeries, and I got 12 out of this recipe with a little filling left.