Recipe - Bichak (Stuffed Baked Tricorners)

DOUGH
1 One half cup (abt) water; warm
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 pack (One fourth oz; 7 grams) dry yeast
3 One half cup Flour
3 tablespoon Corn oil
1 Egg; separated
1 Egg yolk; beaten with
One half teaspoon Corn oil

STUFFINGS
***SQUASH; CALABASA, OR
; PUMPKIN***
One fourth cup Corn oil
2 md (2 cups) onions; chopped
1 cup water; hot & One fourth t salt
2 tablespoon Sugar
1 pound Butternut squash; calabasa,
or
; pumpkin,

MEAT
2 tablespoon Corn oil
3 md (2 cups) onion; chopped
1 pound Ground beef or lamb
One half teaspoon Salt; or to taste
One fourth teaspoon Pepper; peeled & cut into
; 1/2in pieces

CHEESE
1 pound Farmer cheese
1 Egg yolk; beaten
3 tablespoon Sugar
One half teaspoon Ground cinnamon

JAM
1 cup Strawberry or grape or prune
jam; (lekach)
2 tablespoon Bread crumbs

Bichak are popular appetizers for tea or coffee hour. The pumpkin &
jam stuffings are on the sweet side while meat & cheese are savory &
could be eaten for lunches w/salad & dish of yoghurt. An added
attraction is that they may be prepared in large quantities, cooled &
frozen for the future.

Heat oil in a pan, add onions, & saute over moderate heat until
onions turn golden. Add water, salt, sugar, & squash or calabasa or
pumpkin & bring to a boil. Cover pan & cook over low heat for abt 20
mins as squash/calabasa/pumpkin becomes soft & disintegrates. Stir
now & then, which in effect mashes contents. Continue last mins of
cooking, uncovered, to evaporate all liquid & create & thick jam. The
mash is still moist.

MEAT: Heat oil in a skillet & brown onions lightly over moderate
heat. Add meat, salt, & pepper & stirfry for 5 mins, making certain
liquid has evaporated & mixture is dry. Cool.

CHEESE: Mix everything together. Set aside.

JAM: Mix jam & crumbs together. Set aside.

TO PREPARE TRICORNERS: 1. Mix One half cup warm water, sugar, & yeast
together & proof in a warm place until mixture foams, abt 10 mins.

2. Make a well in flour, add yeast mixture, oil, & 1 egg white, &
stir them into flour. Add balance of water, or enough water to
prepare a soft dough. Knead for several mins & roll into a ball. Oil
top lightly & leave dough in mixing bowl. Cover bowl w/foil or a
towel & let rise for 45 mins to 1 hour.

3. Punch down dough ball. Pull off abt One half cup of dough & roll into a
slightly flattened ball. Prepare 6 balls.

4. On wellfloured board roll out each ball, 1 at a time, to 12"
pancake. Using empty can or a cookie cutter, 3" in diameter, cut out
circles in pancake. Put 1 tablespoon of whichever stuffing you are using, or
variety of stuffings, in center of each circle. Fold over right &
left side of circle to meet in the center & bring up bottom to cover
stuffing. Pinch ends together to form tricorner pastry. Seal in
contents. Paint tops of bichak w/egg yolk.

5. Line baking pan or cookie sheet w/lightly oiled aluminum foil.
Place tricorners on foil & bake in a preheated 350F. oven for abt 40
mins, or until brown. Serve warm. Makes 48 to 50 bichak.

NOTE: Cool bichak, store in plastic bags, & freeze. To serve, thaw out
frozen bichak for One half hour & heat in preheated 350F. oven for 510
mins.

Recipe: "Sephardic Cooking" by Copeland Mark 600 Recipes Created in
Exotic Sephardic Kitchens from Morocco to India Copyright 1992
Published by Donald I. Fine, Inc., New York, N.Y. David Pileggi

Per serving: 3368 Calories (kcal); 145g Total Fat; (38% calories from
fat); 62g Protein; 457g Carbohydrate; 612mg Cholesterol; 1277mg
Sodium Food Exchanges: 25 One half Grain(Starch); 1 One half Lean Meat; 0
Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 27 Fat; 4 One half Other Carbohydrates

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