Bolivian Recipes: Cuñapes

Cuñapes
(Yucca starch and cheese bread)

Ingredients

3.3 pounds fresh cheese, grated
1.1 pounds yucca (also known as cassava or tapioca) starch
1 spoonful sugar
3 spoonfuls milk
salt to the taste (if the cheese is not salty)

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, mix grated cheese, yucca starch, sugar and salt (if the cheese is not salty). Finally add milk, pouring little by little until having a smooth, but not dry, dough.
2. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a table sprinkled with some yucca starch. Knead until the dough is smooth and even.
3. Make small balls. With the forefinger, make a small hole at the bottom of each ball. Place the cuñapés in a yucca-starch-sprinkled baking sheet, with the hole in direct contact with the sheet.
4. Bake at a high temperature (American oven: 419 degrees Fahrenheit; European oven: 217 degrees Celsius) for twenty to twenty-five minutes, or until cuñapés are golden.

Main Dish