Brazil: How to Make Brazilian Pastels and Cheese Puffs

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About

The Brazilian pastel is a typical fast-food dish, consisting of half-circle or rectangle-shaped thin crust pies with assorted fillings, fried in vegetable oil. The result is a crispy, brownish fried pie. Pastel is the Spanish and Portuguese word for pastry and is the name given to different typical dishes of many countries that speak these languages.

(Vegetarian and Vegan Options Available)

+ INGREDIENTS +

Pastel (dough)

- 3 cups flour

- 1 tbsp salt

- 3 tbsp oil

- 1 cup hot water

Stuffing

- can be filled with ground beef, veggie ground, cheese, ham, or any flavour of your choice! Get creative.

Cheese Puffs

- ½ cup oil

- ⅓ cup water

- ⅓ cup milk

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 2 cups tapioca flour

- ⅔ cup Brazilian cheese

- 2 large eggs beaten eggs

+ PREPARATION +

Pastels:

Step 1-

Place flour into a large mixing bowl.

Step 2-

Dissolve salt and oil in a separate bowl of hot water, then add it to the flour while slowly mixing.

Step 3-

Once the dough has taken shape, add more water and mix for one more minute.

Step 4-

Using a dough sheeter, or with a rolling pin, flatten the dough into rectangular sheets about 26 cm wide; then place 1/2 cup of desired stuffing in each section, leaving 3 cm on either side. Fold the dough on top of the stuffing, then sealing and divide it.

Step 5-

Once the pastel is closed with stuffing inside, it must be refrigerated at <4°C immediately in sealed container until cold.

Step 6-

Deep fry the pastel until the internal temperature reaches 74°C for 5 seconds. The outside of the pastry should be golden brown.

Step 7-

Serve within 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Cheese Puffs:

Step 1-

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

Step 2-

Pour oil, water, milk, and salt into a large saucepan and place over high heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat immediately, and stir in tapioca flour until smooth. Set aside to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 3-

Stir the cheese and egg into the tapioca mixture until well combined, the mixture will be chunky like cottage cheese. Drop rounded, 1/4 cup-sized balls of the mixture onto an un-greased baking sheet.

Step 4-

Bake in preheated oven until the tops are lightly browned, for 25 to 30 minutes.

Step 5-

Enjoy!

Be sure to post your cooking results on social media using the hashtag #SurreyFusion and tag @surreybcevents.

Links

• Learn more about Brazil surreyfusionfestival.ca

Organizer

City of Surrey

The City of Surrey's Special Events team organizes four major special events annually: Party for the Planet, Surrey Canada Day, Surrey Fusion Festival and the Surrey Tree Lighting Festival. Surrey Fusion Festival brings together over 80,000 people annually to celebrate food, music, and culture.