Bichak (stuffed baked tricorners)

1 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1½ cup (abt) water, warm
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 pack (1/4 oz, 7 grams) dry yeast
3½ cup Flour
3 tablespoons Corn oil
1 Egg, separated
1 Egg yolk, beaten WITH
½ teaspoon Corn oil
¼ cup Corn oil
2 mediums (2 cups) onions, chopped water, hot & 1/4 t salt
2 tablespoons Sugar
1 pounds Butternut squash, calabasa, or pumpkin,
2 tablespoons Corn oil
3 mediums (2 cups) onion, chopped
1 pounds Ground beef or lamb
½ teaspoon Salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon Pepper, peeled & cut into 1/2-in pieces
1 pounds Farmer cheese
1 Egg yolk, beaten
3 tablespoons Sugar
½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
1 cup Strawberry or grape or prune jam (lekach)
2 tablespoons Bread crumbs

Directions

DOUGH

STUFFINGS

SQUASH, CALABASA, OR PUMPKIN

MEAT

CHEESE

JAM

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 ½ 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 ½ 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.

5. Line baking pan or cookie sheet w/lightly oiled aluminum foil.

Place tricorners on foil & bake in a preheated 350F. oven for abt 40 mins, or until brown. Serve warm. Makes 48 to 50 bichak.

NOTE: Cool bichak, store in plastic bags, & freeze. To serve, thaw out frozen bichak for ½ hour & heat in preheated 350F. oven for 5-10 mins.

Recipe: "Sephardic Cooking" by Copeland Mark -- 600 Recipes Created in Exotic Sephardic Kitchens from Morocco to India -- Copyright 1992 Published by Donald I. Fine, Inc., New York, N.Y. David Pileggi

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