This burnt cheese foldover recipe is the quickest, most fuss-free cheesecake you’ll ever make. It’s also caramelized to perfection and is a unique twist on traditional cheesecakes.
It goes through a chemical reaction called the Maillard Reaction that turns the sugars in the cake a deliciously rich, deep brown.
Filling
The filling for these burnt cheese foldovers is a blend of cream cheese, eggs, heavy cream, all-purpose flour, salt and sugar. It has a delicately sweet and light flavour, which goes really well with the cheese in these tacos.
You can use a range of different melty cheeses for this recipe, but I went with Monterey Jack. It was perfect for this filling, as it has the same melting qualities as mozzarella but with a little more flavour and a smoother texture.
After mixing the ingredients together, place a few tablespoons of tamale dough on a corn husk and spread into a circle. Then place a few strips of peppers and cheese down the centre of the dough. Wrap the dough around the peppers and cheese, then fold up the husk, tying it with a thin strip pulled from another husk. Repeat with the remaining husks and dough. Then bake in a hot oven until golden brown and bubbly on the outside, about 5 minutes. Once the tamale has cooled, cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Preparation
The preparation of this cheesy taco may be a bit more time consuming than some other recipes, but it will pay off in spades when you bite into the finished product. To make sure that you end up with the best burnt cheese tacos possible, you should get a high quality cheese (we love this Battelmatt, for example) and bake them at the right temperature. The cheese must be toasted in the oven or on a grill to the point where it becomes golden and bubbles like there’s no tomorrow. The process is called the Maillard reaction and it happens when carbon-containing compounds, such as sugars or amino acids, are exposed to heat. The process also produces some of the best-tasting hors d’oeuvres you’ve ever tried.
Cooking
A lot of people are under the impression that burnt cheese is bad, but it’s actually pretty delicious. You get the flavor from a chemical reaction that happens when carbon-containing compounds are exposed to high heat: it’s known as the Maillard Reaction. Basically, it creates some new compounds that give food a richer, more appetizing taste. This is why a grilled cheese sandwich or toast with some caramelized onions tastes so good. It’s also why cheese that is melted or baked tastes so tasty, too. That’s the basis of this burnt cheese foldover recipe, too.
If you want to make these even easier, use parchment paper for the baking tray. It’ll help prevent the cheese from sticking and will save you from a lot of mess.