Bizcochitos de grasa or Uruguayan Crackers

Bizcochitos de grasa oder uruguayische Cracker

Guys, I believe this is going to be a long post as I need to explain quite a bit. For recipe number 3 of my cookie week, I brought along Uruguayan crackers or bizcochitos de grasa, which are sometimes simply called bizcochitos. These savory crackers are usually served for breakfast or even prior to breakfast. Just as we are used to drinking coffee, Uruguayans drink mate tea. Not the old-fashioned way with tea bags, no, you will serve the loose tea in a curved container, which is called “bombilla”. The brown container you see on the pictures is what I am talking about. Usually the loose tea is placed in the bombilla, the filled with hot water and then you drink it with a type of straw. Mate tea is so common in Uruguay, you will always be offered a cup of it, regardless at which time of the day. You will see people on the streets happily walking around with thermos flasks, hot water is served at every single kiosk. Obviously, when we went on a holiday in Uruguay a few years ago, we naturally drank a lot of it. By the way, everybody will drink from the same straw and water is going to be refilled constantly. I don’t think I have ever heard of anybody being worried about hygiene.

Yes, mate tea contains a lot of caffeine and it’s not by accident that Uruguayans love it in the morning. This stimulant is served throughout the day, you will also see people drinking the tea in the evening. I personally believe that Uruguayans are immune to caffeine, they are so used to drinking their tea, it doesn’t matter if you have another cup just before going to bed. Since the tea is fairly bitter, my German friends have complained about this “peace pipe”, which was one way of describing the ritual of drinking it together. I find that rather ironic as I didn’t drink coffee for many years as I found it to be too bitter. This shows that it simply is a matter of habit. If I recall correctly, I happily drank mate tea as a six-year old, usually with some sweets to soften the bitterness.

Bizochitos de grasa oder uruguayische CrackerAnd this finally brings me back to the crackers. They are served with the mate tea as a snack and also to soften the bitterness. Bizcochito de grasa literally translates as fat pastry. Since originally they are prepared with beef tallow, this is a cracker called pastry with beef tallow. However, I don’t know if it is easy to find beef tallow where you live, at least here in Germany it is much easier to find goose fat or lard and for that reason I decided to replace the beef tallow with it, I honestly don’t think that it makes much of a difference, they still taste delicious.

Bizochitos de grasa oder uruguayische CrackerThese crackers were perfect for the Uruguayan gauchos or cowboys as they kept long enough and could be eaten on the horse in the worst case. Mind you, Uruguay has four times more cattle than inhabitants. Normally the crackers are served plain, but you may serve them with butter, a dip, some jam, cold cuts or cheese. But regardless of how you serve them, please serve them with mate tea.

Bizcochitos de grasa are prepared with yeast dough and then you make some kind of fast-track puff pastry with it, but don’t worry, you only need to wait for one rise of the dough, that’s about it. No further waiting times are required. You basically brush melted lard on the rolled-out dough, fold it in thirds, repeat the process, and then you can start cutting out cute little circles, so don’t worry, you can’t really screw up the dough. I don’t really know what the chemical reaction is behind of all of this, but somehow the yeast dough, puff pastry mix yields a very soft dough with lots of layers, which somehow also manages to be nicely crunchy. It is a bit hard to explain and that’s why I would recommend just making them for you to see how these crackers taste.

Bizochitos de grasa oder uruguayische CrackerCredit: Miicakes (in Spanisch)

Bizcochitos de grasa or Uruguayan crackers

Serves: About 150-60 bizcochitos
Prep Time: 45min preparation + 1 hr of rising Cooking Time: 12-15min Total Time: 2hrs

Bizcochitos de grasa or Uruguayan crackers are a simple yeast dough with puff pastry characteristics. These savory crackers are perfect for mate tea and can be served plain, butter, a dip, cheese or jam.

Ingredients

  • (Deutsch) 75 gr + 40 gr Gänseschmalz
  • 250 gr Mehl, Type 405
  • 5 gr Salz
  • 1 Prise Zucker
  • 10 gr Frischhefe oder 4 gr Trockenhefe
  • 125 gr Wasser

Instructions

1

(Deutsch) 75 gr Gänseschmalz kurz anschmelzen, es muss nicht komplett alles geschmolzen sein, aber zur Hälfte flüssig, dann zur Seite stellen.

2

In einer großen Knetschüssel Mehl, Salz und Zucker vermischen, die Frischhefe hineinbröckeln oder die Trockenhefe hinzugeben. Lauwarmes Wasser hinzufügen, am Ende den Gänseschmalz hinzugeben. Alles mit dem Knethaken der Maschine ca. acht Minuten verkneten bis ein weicher, geschmeidiger Teig entsteht.

3

Abgedeckt ca. eine Stunde oder bis sich das Volumen verdoppelt hat, stehen lassen.

4

Dann den Teig auf einer bemehlten Arbeitsfläche zu einem Rechteck etwa 30x40cm ausrollen. Den restlichen Gänseschmalz komplett schmelzen und ca. die Hälfte auf den ausgerollten Teig verstreichen, dann etwas bemehlen. Die zwei äußeren Drittel danach zur Mitte hinklappen. Dieses Teigpaket erneut zu 30x40cm ausrollen und wieder mit Gänseschmalz bestreichen, wieder gedrittelt zusammenklappen und nochmal ausrollen. Diesmal so ausrollen, dass ein ca. 4mm dicker Teig entsteht.

5

Den Ofen auf 180 Grad heizen und kleine Kreise von ca. 3cm Durchmesser aus dem Teig ausstechen. Ich habe dazu den Messbecher für kleine Alkoholmengen wie für Cocktails benutzt. In jeden Kreis nochmal mit der Gabel einstechen. Die Teigreste erneut ausrollen und neue Kreise stechen. Der Teig muss nicht nochmal gehen, sondern kann sofort in den Ofen. Ca. 12-15min backen oder bis die Cracker leicht golden sind. Abkühlen lassen.

Bizochitos de grasa oder uruguayische CrackerP.S.: The painting in the back shows a gaucho or Uruguayan cowboy happily drinking mate tea and was painted by my sister.

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2 Comments

  • Reply
    Anne Mone
    Saturday November 30th, 2019 at 04:35 PM

    Hallo Jenny
    So herrlich, die Bilder mit dir und deinem Schätzeli in schwarz-weiss. Danke für das Teilhabenlassen.
    Ich muss mal schauen, ob ich hier in der Schweiz an Gänseschmalz herankomme. Ich kenne das nur aus Deutschland.
    Schönen 1. Advent,
    liebe Grüsse
    Anne

    • Reply
      Jenny
      Saturday November 30th, 2019 at 09:44 PM

      Danke dir, Anne!
      Gut zu wissen, dass Gänseschmalz was Deutsches ist, war mir nicht bewusst, gibt es vielleicht Rindertalg in der Schweiz?
      Grüße, Jenny

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