Dedos de Queso (Colombian Cheese Sticks)
Cheese wrapped in a short dough and fried, with a sliver of guava paste or dulce de leche inside if you want it. The cheese has to be one that softens without running. Makes about twelve.
Servings: 12
Calories: 196kcal
Ingredients
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 250 g firm cheese low moisture: queso costeño, halloumi or firm mozzarella. Soft cheese runs out during frying
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 75 g butter cold and cubed, for the breadcrumb texture
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 beaten egg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Guava paste or dulce de leche optional; a thin sliver per stick is plenty
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and the cubed cold butter. Rub it together with your fingers until it looks like breadcrumbs.
- Add the beaten egg and the water and knead until you have a firm dough. If it sticks to your hands, add a little more flour.
- Wrap it in cling film and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the cheese into sticks about 1 cm thick and 10 cm long.
- On a floured surface, roll the dough out to about 30 cm long and 5 mm thick.
- With a pizza cutter or a knife, cut strips about 2 cm wide.
- Put a piece of cheese at one end of each strip, and a thin sliver of guava paste or dulce de leche alongside it if you want.
- Roll it up tightly, making sure the edges are sealed all the way round.
- Repeat until the dough and the cheese are used up.
- Fry in plenty of oil at about 175°C until golden. Sealed properly, the cheese softens inside without escaping.
- Serve with pink sauce, tomato sauce or avocado sauce.
Notes
Sealing is the whole battle. Any gap in the dough and the cheese finds it, escapes into the oil and leaves a hollow stick. Press the seam and both ends firmly, and chill the finished sticks for a few minutes before frying if the kitchen is warm. The cheese matters as much: queso costeño, halloumi or a firm low-moisture mozzarella soften without running, while fresh mozzarella in water will flood the pan. Guava paste and cheese is a standard Colombian pairing and the combination of sweet and salty is the point rather than a novelty.
Nutrition
Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 436mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 344IU | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 1mg