Arepa Pancake

Arepas are like cornmeal pancakes just thicker dough. Traditionally, common in Colombia and Venezuela.


Ingredients

1 Cup of pre-cooked white cornmeal
3 Teaspoons of Sugar
1 Cup of Milk
1 Egg
1 Teaspoon of Mayo
1 Teaspoon of Honey
Cheese to taste (I used Provolone)
A dash of Salt

Whisk Cornmeal and Sugar together.

Add Milk.

Whisk.

Add Mayo, Egg and Honey.

Blend well.

Spread some butter on a pancake pan and Turn Heat to Medium-Low(level 4)

Pour only half the mix in the pan.

Close and let cook for 5-6 minutes. Turn pan over.

After another 5-6 minutes turn pan over again and check that both sides are golden brown. If one side doesn't look cooked enough leave it a bit longer, just keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't burn. Then place Arepa on a plate.

Add the rest of the mix into the pan. Repeating cooking process.

Meanwhile, take any cheese you'd like best.

With a bread knife, cut Arepa Pancake in half.

Add Cheese inside.

Enjoy!

You may add anything else you'd like. Cream Cheese, Ham, Turkey, or Veggies.

Love, Mari

Cornstarch Alfajores

Cornstarch Alfajores (Alfajores de Maicena) is a very common pastry in Argentina. It's like a very delicious sweet cookie sandwich.

Ingredients

40g of Butter
63g of Sugar
1 egg
1/4 Tsp. of Pure Vanilla Extract
1/4 Tsp. of Lemon Zest
125g of Cornstarch
50g of Self-rising Flour

After cooking ingredients

Dulce de leche a.k.a Caramel (Has to be thick, not runny. I used a 13.4oz La Lechera can.)
Dried shredded coconut (I used Alicante Coco Rallado, from an Argentine store.) 

Directions

Mix room temperature Butter until creamy.

Mix in Sugar in Butter.

Set container aside. In a separate cup mix together an Egg, Vanilla and Lemon Zest.

Little by little beat in the Egg mix into the Butter mix.

If container is too small place the mix into a bowl. I should have done it in the beginning.

Set aside and in a separate bowl sift Cornstarch and Flour together.

In batches, add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.

Mix with a spoon.

Repeat.

Until dough doesn't stick too much, then move into working the dough with clean hands.

Keep adding dry mix.

You will end up with a ball like this one. 

Roll it out 1 cm thick.

Cut in circles with a cookie cutter of any size. Then place circles on a baking sheet or non-stick tray.

Bake on 365 degrees fahrenheit in the oven.

Let them cool, then turn them over.

Add Dulce de Leche in center.

Spread it.

Close them with another cookie.

Dip cookie sides in the coconut.

Enjoy!!

Love, Mari