Quesadilla Salvadorena

Everyone has eaten quesadilla before.  You see them under the appetizer section of the menu at all the restaurants.  Quesadillas are usually filled with  melted cheese, meat, and veggies. But did you know there is also such thing as dessert quesadilla?  And no, I'm not talking about the kind made of melted chocolate chips in the middle either!  I'm talking about a pound cake, a sweet cheese pound cake to be exact. 

In El Salvador, quesadilla is a fluffy, moist, sweet cheese pound cake.  What type of cheese could possibly go good in a cake?  That is a very important question, because the cheese is what makes quesadilla so irresistible.  In El Salvador, a combination of two or three cheeses are used:

The first cheese that is always used to make quesadilla is called queso duro, a type of very hard and salty cheese.  The American version of  this cheese is Parmesan cheese.  The second cheese typically used in combination with this cheese is called cuajada fresca, a very moist, grainy soft cheese that is quite similar to Italian ricotta cheese.  You can see a picture of cuajada on my post for making Nuegados.  Crema, a thinner and more acidic type of sour cream, can also be added in combination with the other two cheese.  

You can usually find prepackaged quesadilla at your local global foods store, usually in the "pan dulces" section.  It can take a while to find just the right brand of pre-made quesadilla though because a lot of brands will sell you hard, stale quesadilla that can give this cake a bad name.  If you get lucky enough to find a brand that is fresh and moist and soft, it will likely cost you.  Pre-made quesadilla is not cheap, and one pack usually runs anywhere from $6-15 dollars.  

So why don't people make their own quesadilla if the prepackaged ones are so expensive and usually terrible to the taste?  Probably because most people think it takes a lot of time.  Other quesadilla lovers may not be exactly sure how to make it.  If this is your case, you have come to the right place.

I must admit that this is one of those recipes that tastes *exactly* like the real thing just brought back from El Salvador from your tia!

Scroll down to see my "So-good-I-cannot-believe-it-wasn't-made-in-El Salvador-recipe".

Quesadilla Salvadorena:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of rice flour (you can also use "Bisquick" pancake flour here)
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 3/4 cup of sour cream or 1/2 cup of crema
• 4 oz. of Parmesan cheese or queso duro
• 3 eggs, separated into yolks and whites
• 1 stick of melted, salted butter
• 1 tsp. of baking powder
• Sesame seeds to garnish top

Directions:

• Beat egg whites until firm, but not stiff, and set aside.
• Beat sugar and butter on high until light and fluffy.
• Add in egg yolks one at a time and beat well until creamy.
• Add in parmesan cheese little by little until well incorporated.
• Fold in in sour cream and baking powder with a spatula.
• Sift rice flour over the mixture and use spatula to incorporate into mixture.
• Finally, fold in egg whites using the same spatula.
• Pour batter into a 13x9, rectangular, glass glass baking dish.
• Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
• Place dish into oven and let bake at 350 degrees for about 38 minutes.

You can view a few pictures of the quesadilla-making process below:

Buen Provecho!