TEQUENOS! ( FRIED CHEESE ROLLS)

There are many things i miss about Venezuela however these little guys are on the top of my list. When i go to Venezuela i look forward sitting down in a bakery or cafe with a nice cup of coffee and a plate full of them. I grew up having these, there is a joke within my circle of friends that when you go to a really big wedding you know when the party is over when they bring out these hot scrumptious little treats. It used to be that some wedding in Venezuela would end around 5-6 A.M. Tequenos are more popular around breakfast or brunch time. ENJOY!

Remember this recipe will make a lot is meant to be for a group of people!


INGREDIENTS:
8 cups of all purpose flour
1 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp of salt
1tsp of sugar
2 cups of white cheese ( do not use mozarella) it can be found in refrigerator is called queso blanco.

DIRECTIONS:

1) Combine the flour,oil,egg, salt and sugar in a bowl.
2) while kneeding ( on a lightly floured board) add a tablespoon or 2 of water.
3) It will be messy however keep kneading and you will see the dough will take shape.
4) keep kneading until it does not stick to your hands.
5) if you need to add more flour to your board until it does not stick to your hands.
6) Let the dough rest for about 1-3 hours.
7) while the dough is resting cut the cheese into strips they should be around 1/2 by 1/2 inch please don't make them too long or they will be difficult to use in the dough.
8) Once the dough is ready shape into balls slightly larger than your fist.
9) Roll them out until they are 1/4-0.125 inch thick.
10) cut the rolled out dough into strips that are 3/4" wide.
11) Wrap the cheese fingers with the dough strips.
12)Make sure all the cheese is covered with the dough otherwise the cheese will leak when you fry them.
13) Once they are wrapped dust them with flour and fry them in a deep fryer do not overcrowd at least 2-3 minutes until golden brown, place on paper towels to remove excess oil. ENJOY!