Mexican Elephant Ears
What do you snack on when you want something a little bit special?
Sure, you could open a box of crackers and munch away, or maybe snitch some cookies, or if you’re feeling virtuous an apple, banana or orange.
But what if you had something just a cut above, that would tide you over from the mid-afternoon slump until the evening meal at 7 p.m.? Something that would be a good counterpoint to your afternoon latte, yet wouldn’t ruin your dinner.
I give you Mexican Elephant Ears — puff pastry lightly stuffed with two kinds of Mexican cheese, a bit of chorizo for some flavor and oomph, and a few flecks of cilantro so we can say it was green. Roll it up in a fanciful shape, slice, bake and away you go!
These will keep in an airtight container for a couple of days. But trust me, they won’t last that long. Orejas de elefante will be your new favorite snack.
Note: Click the ‘Products‘ tab above to learn more about the Cacique® ingredients used in this recipe. You can find these ingredients near you by clicking the ‘Find Stores‘ tab, selecting the products you are looking for, and entering your zip code.
WHAT YOU NEED
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (this is half of a 17.3-ounce package)
- 3 ounces Cacique® Pork Chorizo (about 1/3 of a 9-ounce tube)
- 1 ounce Cacique® Panela cheese, crumbled finely
- 1/2 ounce Cacique® Cotija cheese, crumbled finely
- 2-3 tablespoons finely minced fresh cilantro
HOW TO MAKE IT
- Heat oven to 375F degrees. Line a baking sheet or cookie sheet with a Silpat liner or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Heat a frying pan or skillet on medium heat. Add chorizo and cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. It will crumble as it cooks. Remove from pan and place meat on a paper towel-lined plate. Spread meat out so it drains.
- Place pastry on a lightly floured board or surface with one of the short sides closest to you. With a rolling pin, roll gently to smooth creases. Sprinkle cooked chorizo over pastry, then Panela, then Cotija, and then cilantro. Starting from the short side at the bottom, roll up the pastry sheet tightly just to the center; turn board around and roll the other side of the pastry tightly toward the center. It will look like 2 skinny loaves of bread next to each other. Lightly press rolled halves together.
- With a very sharp knife, slice roll in half horizontally, put the 2 halves on a plate and pop into the freezer. Freeze 10 minutes, for easier slicing. Remove one half-roll from the freezer and cut it into 12 even slices. Place slices evenly apart on prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-16 minutes, or until golden.
- Remove from oven and transfer elephant ears to a wire rack to cool. Repeat cutting and baking process with the other half-roll (which you have left in the freezer during the baking of the first sheet). You may use the same Silpat or parchment paper lining. Serve at room temperature.
