Guyanese Cheese Rolls

This delicious snack is sold at snackettes and markets all across Guyana. As a child, I’d come home from school and immediately recognize the smell of freshly baked cheese rolls. I’d grab a roll (okay, maybe two) and douse them with extra pepper sauce. Here is my take on tradition.

Ingredients

Dough

• Flour 2 1/2 cups, plus extra for dusting
• Frozen Butter 2/3 cup (1 1/3 sticks), grated
• Curry Powder 1 tsp
• Salt 1 tsp
• Egg 1, beaten, for brushing

Cheese Filling

• Scallions 2, thinly sliced
• Sharp Cheddar grated, 1 1/2 cups
• Black Truffle Pecorino 1/2 cup (see Note)
• Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Kasoori Methi) 1 tsp
• Thyme Leaves 1 tsp
• Onion Powder 3/4 tsp
• Garlic Powder 3/4 tsp
• Paprika 1/2 tsp
• Hot Sauce 1–2 Tbs, to taste
• Dijon Mustard 2 tsp
• Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Cook It

1. Make the dough: In a large bowl, combine flour, butter, curry powder and salt. Using your hands, slowly incorporate the butter throughout the flour, until it forms pea-sized lumps.
2. Pour in 3/4 cup ice-cold water and mix to form a soft, pliable dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
3. Make the filling: In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well.
4. Assembly: Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Cut dough into 9 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll a piece of dough into a 6 x 8-inch rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. Brush edges with egg wash. Add 2 Tbs of cheese mixture along one long side of the rectangle, fold over dough once. Add 2 Tbs of cheese mixture and fold over a second time. Fold over a third and final time to close the cheese roll, seam side facing down. Use your fingers to pinch the seam back into the dough to seal it shut. Using a fork, crimp along the edges to secure the filling. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces and cheese mixture.
6. Place rolls on the prepared baking sheet, then brush with egg wash. Bake for 20 minutes, until lightly browned.

Note: Truffle pecorino, or pecorino al tartufo, is an Italian sheep’s milk cheese infused with black truffles. Buttery and nutty, a little goes a long way when you want the truffle aroma. You can find it at speciality delis and cheesemongers.

Excerpted from Mad Love: Big Flavours Made to Share, from South Asia to the West Indies–A Cookbook  by Devan Rajkumar. Photography by Suech and Beck. Copyright © 2023 by Devan Rajkumar. Excerpted with permission from Figure 1 Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher