Cheese and Chorizo Turnovers | Volovanes de Chori-Queso Estilo Veracruz

Cheese and Chorizo Turnovers Recipe

Keeping up with the fun and easy snacks I posted last week, today I’m sharing a recipe for “Volovanes”. They’re a really quick way to fix dinner, and you can even have the little ones help out. They also make perfect appetizers and finger food for your holiday parties and are great for making a fun movie night with the kids.

This post is part of a compensated campaign, sponsored by Latina Bloggers Connect and Cacique. The opinions expressed are mine.

Volovanes, named after the French “Vol-au-vent”, are a typical snack for a mid-morning or late afternoon pick-me-up for the inhabitants of the City Port of Veracruz. They’re sold in bakeries around town but are easy to get at busy street corners where street vendors often sell them. The baskets they carry are full of Volovanes that come in an assortment of fillings, including: tuna, crab, cheese, mushrooms, pineapple, choriqueso, and the most famous one, ham, and cheese.

The influence of the bakers from colonial times, as well as the French Occupation during the 1860s, has made the State of Veracruz a place of rich gastronomy, with a great influence from the Old World. The French army was stationed in the central part of the state for 5 years, which was more than enough time for their cooking to permeate into the local cuisine.

In the beginning, the Volovanes were sold in a round shape, but with time the vendors started making them in a square or triangular shape. I guess the shape was changed for economic reasons since less dough is wasted that way. While I was living in Veracruz, there was an old man that used to pass by my street at around 2:00 PM shouting: “VOLOS, VOLOS…”. That was my queue to go get my afternoon snack!

Volovanes Street Vendor in the City Port of Veracruz, Ver, Mexico (Photo courtesy of  Karla G. Briseno, El Universal)
Before we get to the recipe, let me tell you that Cacique Cheese is hosting a Sweepstakes which consist of an expenses-paid family trip to Los Angeles, CA. CLICK HERE TO ENTER.

Cheese and Chorizo Turnovers Recipe

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

DIRECTIONS:

• Adjust the oven rack to the middle position, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. (Please check the ingredients list below)

• Cook the chorizo in a hot nonstick frying pan without oil. The chorizo will cook for about 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
• Once the chorizo has cooled, mix in a bowl with the shredded Queso Fresco Cacique and place in the fridge to keep cold until ready to use.

• Lightly dust your board or working area with flour and unfold one sheet of the puff pastry. With a floured rolling pin, lightly roll the dough into a 10 X 10-inch square. Do it very gently, try not to put too much pressure on the dough.
• With the help of a pizza cutter or a knife, cut the dough into 4 squares. Brush the borders of the squares with egg wash with the help of a brush. Place 2 tablespoons of the cheese-chorizo mix into the middle of each square.  Fold the one corner to meet the opposite corner to form a triangle. Brush the tops twice with the egg wash, make sure that the egg wash does not touch the outside edges of the pastry; this is important so that the edges expand and become very fluffy, like in the pictures below.

• Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown, rotating the baking sheet once to have an even browning. If you want your turnovers really crispy, turn off the oven and let them cool with the oven door slightly open.

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Cheese and Chorizo Turnovers Recipe

Turnovers Recipe or Volovanes, named after the French “Vol-au-vent”, are a typical snack for a mid-morning or late afternoon pick-me-up for the inhabitants of the City Port of Veracruz. They’re sold in bakeries around town but are easy to get at busy street corners where street vendors often sell them.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Breads

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 8

Author: Mely Martínez - Mexico in my Kitchen

Ingredients

• 2 ounces of pork Chorizo Cacique
• 6 ounces of Queso Blanco Cacique shredded
• 1 box of frozen puff pastry defrosted*
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water for egg wash

Instructions

• Adjust the oven rack to the middle position, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cook the chorizo in a hot nonstick frying pan without oil. The chorizo will cook for about 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
• Once the chorizo has cooled, mix in a bowl with the shredded Queso Fresco Cacique and place in the fridge to keep cold until ready to use.
• Lightly dust your board or working area with flour and unfold one sheet of the puff pastry. With a floured rolling pin, lightly roll the dough into a 10 X 10-inch square. Do it very gently, try not to put too much pressure on the dough.
• With the help of a pizza cutter or a knife, cut the dough into 4 squares. Brush the borders of the squares with egg wash with the help of a brush. Place 2 tablespoons of the cheese-chorizo mix into the middle of each square. Fold the one corner to meet the opposite corner to form a triangle. Brush the tops twice with the egg wash, make sure that the egg wash does not touch the outside edges of the pastry; this is important so that the edges expand and become very fluffy, like in the pictures below.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown, rotating the baking sheet once to have an even browning. If you want your turnovers really crispy, turn off the oven and let them cool with the oven door slightly open.

Notes

• *Defrost the puff pastry overnight in your fridge and do not remove until ready to form the turnovers.
• Keep chorizo and shredded Mexican Cheese Queso Blanco in the refrigerator until ready to use. That way it won’t melt rapidly and will stay inside the pastry.
• You can opt to fill the turnover using only the cheese.

Turnovers Recipe

¡Buen provecho!
Mely,

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