One of my favourite Venezuelan recipes!

This traditional Venezuelan snack is not only easy to make but also very tasty! They are cheese sticks wrapped with a simple homemade dough and then fried so they get all crispy in the outside while the cheese melts in the inside.

In Venezuela they are a popular snack or party food, while at home we usually make them as a starter for a nice weekend meal when we have more time to cook. There is even a popular saying in Venezuela: “fiesta sin tequeños no es una fiesta” which translates to “party without tequeños is not a party” as they are such a beloved dish.

My recipe is very easy to follow and you have have the dough ready in less than an hour with only about 12 minutes of kneading. Best part is also that the dough can be made in advance so then you can have tequeños on demand whenever you are craving them!

🌱Vegetarian

🍽️ 4 portions

Ingredients

• 250g plain wheat flour

• 1 egg

• 40g whole milk (lukewarm)

• 80g salted butter (room temperature)

• 5g sugar

• 250g semi-hard white cheese (traditionally queso llanero but I used emmental)

Method

• In a big bowl add the wheat flour, sugar and finally the butter cut into small cubes. Using your fingers breakdown the butter into the flour until getting a crumbly texture. Add the beaten egg, milk and mix with a wooden spoon. Then start kneading the dough with your hands for about 10 minutes. You will know the dough is ready when it doesn’t stick to the bowl and has a smooth shiny surface.

• Form the dough into a bowl, cover with cling film or a cloth and leave to rest for 30 minutes. Then take the dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic for about 2 -3 minutes.

• Roll the dough out with a rolling pin into a rectangle, about 4mm thick. Using a knife cut the dough into 1.5cm wide strips lengthwise

• Cut the cheese block into rectangular pieces 8 cm long and about 1.5cm wide. You can form the tequeños as big or small as you like; just cut the cheese accordingly to your preference.

• Take one strip of dough and use it to cover one of the ends of one cheese stick. Wrap the dough around the stick in a spiral overlapping the edges until you reach the other end. Cover the other end with dough and pinch edges close to seal. Make sure the cheese is completely covered with dough and no gaps remain. Repeat the process with remaining cheese sticks.

• Now it is time to fry the tequeños. Add about 4cm of oil to a frying pan and bring to medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, fry the tequeños in batches of 3, turning them until all sides are golden brown. Remove tequeños to a plate covered with paper towels to dry off excess heat. Serve immediately with your sauce of choice

FAQS and Tips

• While the dough rests you can make a quick ali oli sauce or guasacaca (Venezuelan guacamole) to have with your tequeños