Recipes

FILLING:

1. In a casserole add the margarine and the spicy red pepper water. Set to boil over high heat until the margarine separates from the pepper. Next add cumin, ground black pepper, oregano, and salt. Let cook for ten minutes over low heat so that the mixture does not stick. Stir constantly. Next add the white onion and let it cook for five more minutes. Finally add the green onion.

2. Remove the casserole from the heat, add the sugar, vinegar, parsley, potato and cooked peas.

3. Instead of using gelatin, as the traditional recipe calls for, sprinkle in a little starch to help the filling set and thicken the filling's juices. 1-2 tbsp of something like potato starch should work.

4. Mix everything together. Let it cool in the refrigerator over night or until it thickens. If wanted, add the olives, raisins and egg before it thickens or add them directly on the dough when preparing the salteñas.

DOUGH

1. Sift the dry ingredients together.

2. Cut in the chilled margarine and shortening and mix with a fork/pastry mixer/food processor

3. Stream in the water while you mix it with your hands. Add enough water that it holds together.

4. Knead the dough 2-3 times to build up the gluten then wrap it air tight in plastic and chill at least 4 hours.

FORMING THE SALTENAS:

1. Pull a handful of dough from the original ball and roll it out on a floured surface to about 1/4" thickness.

2. Put a spoonful or two of filling in the center (enough so there is a rim of dough to pinch together along the edge.

3. To form the braid along the edge, I really need to make a video, but in the meantime, you use your forefinger and thumb from each hand to pinch from one edge of the saltena to the other to close the filling in the dough. To make the braid I move from left to right taking a a pinch in my left thumb and pointer and folding it under a pinch with my right thumb and pointer. Then I squeeze. What is squeezed is then the next pinch. Continue until it basically looks like a football. It take practice and if you want to make sure you don't toughen or overstretch your dough, I suggest practicing with modeling clay before you bake.

BAKING

1. Put salteñas, on cookie sheet lined with foil.

2. Place each salteña separate from the next one.

3. Brush each saltena with a little soymilk to help with browning and texture.

4. Bake them at a high temperature (European oven: 300 C.; American oven 400 or more F) between 15-20 minutes. Serve them warm.