Arepa Boyacense (Corn Cakes from Boyacá Colombia)
These arepas are cheesy, slightly sweet, crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside. They are the traditional arepa from the department Boyacá in Colombia, which is in the Andean region. With only 7 ingredients and 30 minutes of your time, you can make a delicious, foolproof, and homemade version for breakfast or snack time.
Ingredients
Dough
- 3/4 cup yellow pre-cooked cornmeal (harina de maíz amarillo precocida) (102 grams)
- 3 big tablespoons of all-purpose wheat flour (45 grams)
- 3 tbsp sugar (40 grams)
- 1/3 cup grated queso campesino (40 grams; replace with queso fresco)
- 3 tbsp non-salted butter at room temperature, plus extra for cooking (50 grams)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup milk (120 ml)
Filling
- grated queso campesino (approx. 70-100 grams)
Instructions
Prepare the dough
- Add cornmeal, all-purpose wheat flour, sugar, grated cheese, butter, and salt to a mixing bowl. Mix with your hands until the butter is incorporated and you have a crumbly dough
- Add milk per tablespoon and knead. It's possible you only need a couple of tablespoons and not the whole listed amount. This depends on the humidity of the cheese.Knead for about 5 minutes until the cheese, butter, and milk are completely incorporated and you have a smooth and soft dough that keeps its shape when formed into a ball
Shape arepas
- Divide the dough into 4 balls. Take a ball in the palm of your hand and shape it into a cup using your thumb. Add grated cheese
- Place the dough around the cheese, shaping it into a ball. Make sure there are no openings. Flatten the arepa into a disc of about 1,5-2 cm. Repeat these steps until you have four arepas
Cook arepas
- Add some butter to the frying pan. Cook the arepas on medium to high heat for approx. 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Flip and cook the other side for another 4-5 minutes
- Cook the edges by rolling the arepas around in the hot pan (see pictures above)
- Serve immediately, for breakfast, with a cup of hot chocolate, or as a side dish
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