Cuñapes: Chewy Cheese Bread
Bolivian Food and Recipes

Cuñapés are a type of Bolivian bread snack that is easily made with just a few ingredients. This delicious, chewy bread is filled with cheese and formed into round balls, which are normally served warm. Cuñapés are typically served in the afternoon, at teatime, with either tea or coffee, but feel free to enjoy them any time. They are that good! Be sure to read all the way to the bottom of the recipe so you can find out the funny way these little cheese bread rolls got their name!


You will find the recipe in both English and Spanish below. It was contributed by Jin Yoo-Kim of Los Angeles, California. Enjoy!

La receta ha sido traducida al español, líneas abajo.

Recipe in English

Ingredients:

1 cup yucca (tapioca) starch (you can get this in Latin American or Mexican grocery stores)

1 Round (about 3 cups) of Mexican cheese like Queso Fresco or fresh mozzarella balls (you'll want to use a fresh cheese that crumbles, not a string cheese)

1 egg, beaten

Salt to taste

Milk or water as needed and only if the dough is too dry (explanation below)

Instructions:

Crumble or grate the cheese into a big mixing bowl, then add the yucca starch and egg and a pinch of salt. Knead it with your hands until you have a dough-like consistency.

(At this point, if it's too dry, you can add some milk or water, 1 teaspoon at a time, and only enough to create a "dough" that holds together but is not wet or sticky). It should be the consistency of cookie dough.

Make them into little balls, about 2 inches in size. Use your thumb to poke an indentation into each ball. (You don't want to make a hole all the way through like a donut, just an indentation like a large dimple on one side).

Place the cheese balls, with the indented side down, onto a greased and floured pan or non stick pan. Let them sit for 15 minutes.

Pre-heat your oven to 375F (190C). Bake them in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until they are a light, but toasty golden color (see above photo).

Note: Make one batch first. If it comes out too cheesy, then add more starch, 1 tbsp. at a time.

Serve with hot tea or coffee.

Funny (but interesting) fact: pressing your thumb into the bottom of each cuñapé before baking, creates an air pocket under the cuñapé. As the bake, they will rise slightly and you may see that on some (or all of them, if you've done it correctly), a small bubble will form at the very top of the bread, causing them to look like a breast.

Another way to achieve this look is to poke an indentation into the TOP of the cuñapé and press a bit of cheese into it, which will inflate while baking and result in a similar shape.

These breads originated in Eastern Bolivia, in the Guaraní communities of Santa Cruz, where food is normally baked outdoors in clay ovens. The word cuñapé comes from 2 words: cuñá which means woman and pé which means breast in the Guaraní language.


https://youtu.be/4IaZNaKAeck

Receta en Español

Ingredientes
1 taza de almidón de yuca
3 tazas de queso fresco
1 huevo
Leche o agua si es necesario (si está muy seco)

Rallar el queso, y luego mezclarlo con el almidón de yuca y agregar el huevo batido.

Hacer una masa con las manos. La consistencia debe ser blanda, como la de galletas, más o menos.

Se puede agregar un poquito de agua o leche (una cucharilla a la vez) solo si es necesario para que la masa se ablande, pero no debe quedar muy líquida o pegajosa.

Hacer unas bolitas de aprox. 5 centímetros, haciéndo en ellas una pequeña indentación con el dedo porla parte de abajo (en un solo lado, no se debe perforar la masa completamente como donuts, por ejemplo).

Póngalas en una bandeja para hornear engrasada. Déjelas reposar quince minutos antes de hornearlas.

Mientras tanto, ir calentando el horno a 375F (190C). Ponga en horno caliente por 15-20 mins o hasta que los cuñapés salgan doraditos (ver la foto anterior).

En Bolivia se suele disfrutar de estos ricos cuñapés en la tarde, a la hora del té, con té o café.

Dato curioso (pero interesante): presionar el pulgar en la parte inferior de cada cuñapé antes de hornear, crea una bolsa de aire debajo del cuñapé. A medida que se hornean, se elevarán ligeramente y es posible que vea que en algunos (o en todos, si lo ha hecho correctamente), se formará una pequeña burbuja en la parte superior del pan, haciendo que se vean como un pecho.

Otra manera de lograr la forma de pecho es haciendo un hueco en la parte superior, el cual se llena con un poquito de queso antes de hornear.

Estos panes se originaron en el este de Bolivia, en las comunidades guaraníes de Santa Cruz, donde la comida típica se cocina afuera y en hornos de barro. La palabra cuñapé es, en realidad, 2 palabras conjuntas: cuñá que significa mujer y pé que significa pecho