Bichak (stuffed baked tricorners)
Ingredients
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c (abt) water, warm
1 ts Sugar
1 pk (1/4 oz, 7 grams) dry yeast
3 1/2 c Flour
3 tb Corn oil
1 Egg, separated
1 Egg yolk, beaten with
1/2 ts Corn oil
1/4 c Corn oil
2 md (2 cups) onions, chopped
1 c -water, hot & 1/4 t salt
2 tb Sugar
1 lb Butternut squash, calabasa,
-or pumpkin,
2 tb Corn oil
3 md (2 cups) onion, chopped
1 lb Ground beef or lamb
1/2 ts Salt, or to taste
1/4 ts Pepper, peeled & cut into
-1/2-in pieces
1 lb Farmer cheese
1 Egg yolk, beaten
3 tb Sugar
1/2 ts Ground cinnamon
1 c Strawberry or grape or
-prune jam (lekach)
2 tb Bread crumbs
Instructions
Bichak are popular appetizers for tea or coffee hour. The pumpkin & jam stuffings are on the sweet side while meat & cheese are savory & could be eaten for lunches w/salad & dish of yoghurt. An added attraction is that they may be prepared in large quantities, cooled & frozen for the future.
Heat oil in a pan, add onions, & saute over moderate heat until onions turn golden. Add water, salt, sugar, & squash or calabasa or pumpkin & bring to a boil. Cover pan & cook over low heat for abt 20 mins as squash/calabasa/pumpkin becomes soft & disintegrates. Stir now & then, which in effect mashes contents. Continue last mins of cooking, uncovered, to evaporate all liquid & create & thick jam. The mash is still moist.
MEAT: Heat oil in a skillet & brown onions lightly over moderate heat. Add meat, salt, & pepper & stir-fry for 5 mins, making certain liquid has evaporated & mixture is dry. Cool.
CHEESE: Mix everything together. Set aside.
JAM: Mix jam & crumbs together. Set aside.
TO PREPARE TRICORNERS: 1. Mix 1/2 c warm water, sugar, & yeast together & proof in a warm place until mixture foams, abt 10 mins.
2. Make a well in flour, add yeast mixture, oil, & 1 egg white, & stir them into flour. Add balance of water, or enough water to prepare a soft dough. Knead for several mins & roll into a ball. Oil top lightly & leave dough in mixing bowl. Cover bowl w/foil or a towel & let rise for 45 mins to 1 hour.
3. Punch down dough ball. Pull off abt 1/2 cup of dough & roll into a slightly flattened ball. Prepare 6 balls.
4. On well-floured board roll out each ball, 1 at a time, to 12-" pancake. Using empty can or a cookie cutter, 3-" in diameter, cut out circles in pancake. Put 1 tb of whichever stuffing you are using, or variety of stuffings, in center of each circle. Fold over right & left side of circle to meet in the center & bring up bottom to cover stuffing. Pinch ends together to form tricorner pastry. Seal in contents. Paint tops of bichak w/egg yolk.
