Double Pine Salvadoran Quesadillas
I'm already starting to fill my freezer with goodies in anticipation of summer, when I won't be using my oven due to the heat. Every time I bake something now, I put half of it into the freezer - meat loaf, meatballs, pastry shells, cookies, banana bread, and more.
I first learned about these little breakfast cakes from El Salvador from my friend Kat of Chocolocateria, who brought quesadillas to a tea party because they are both terribly tasty and gluten-free. They are made with rice flour, and bake up tangy and rich, like a mash-up between cheesecake and pound cake. It turns out that they also freeze pretty well. I'm looking forward to enjoying quesadillas again in the summer with a cup of coffee.
Quesadillas are traditionally made with sesame seeds on top. I found the delicate citrus flavor of pine to be the perfect compliment to these
Double Pine Salvadoran Quesadillas
8 oz. butter, room temp
3/4 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. grated cotija cheese (or Parmesan)
1 c. rice flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. powdered pine needles*
big pinch of salt
pine nuts for topping
1. Use a mixer to cream together the butter and sugar.
2. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
3. Next, add the sour cream and cheese, and continue to mix
4. Sprinkle in the remaining ingredients except the pine nuts, being careful to evenly distribute the baking soda over the ingredients so that it doesn't clump, and combine the mixture until it forms a smooth batter.
5. Evenly distribute the batter between 36 greased mini muffin cups. Embellish the top of each with a few pine nuts, gently pressing them partially into the batter.
6. Bake in a 375 degree (F) oven for 15 minutes, or until the edges take on a nice golden brown, which brings out the cheesy flavor of the quesadillas.
7. Let the quesadillas cool in their pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to a rack to finish cooling.
*Fresh or dried pine needles buzzed through a spice grinder, then sifted
