Quesadilla Salvadoreña is not that ordinary quesadilla where tortilla is filled with cheese and then grilled. This Salvadoran creation is, in fact, a dessert! It's a rich, delightful cheese filled bread / pound cake which is perfect with a cup of tea or coffee!
Now that my blog is a little bit more popular and I am getting more emails, comments, and messages on Facebook, you will find more recipes suggested by you, my dear readers, here. Last week I made Kedgeree, a delicious British rice and smoked fish dish, suggested by a fellow blogger in the comments section, while today I brought to life the idea given to me by Alejandra, who is from El Salvador. It's a relatively small country in Central America bordering with Guatemala and Honduras. To be frank, I didn't know too much about it before that.
I was really happy to exchange emails with Alejandra and to find out more about her home country. The fact that I have never cooked anything from El Salvador before made me even more excited!
The recipe she suggested to start my journey through the cuisine of this interesting country with is Quesadilla Salvadoreña. Now before your imagination draws an image of a grilled tortilla generously filled with cheese and other goodness, which is how we can describe Mexican quesadilla, let me stop you by telling that this Salvadoran quesadilla is nothing like it. In fact, these dishes are even not in the same category: the one coming from El Salvador is a dessert!
You heard me right. Quesadilla Salvadoreña is a sweet cheese filled bread / pound cake. The type of cheese usually used to make it is queso duro - a Parmesan-like Salvadoran cheese. I don't know if you'll be able to find it, I certainly didn't, but don't worry, though. The good old Parmesan cheese, which is perfectly accessible everywhere, is a great substitute. The majority of recipes online use it.
The end result is a rich, not too sweet, delightful cake. Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. If you will ever visit El Salvador, you should be able to find Quesadilla Salvadoreña in every local bakery (panadería). If you won't have such a chance, just devote 15 minutes of your time and bring Salvadoran flavors into your own kitchen.
This cake was so good my family didn't leave any crumbs behind. I am undoubtedly adding it to the collection of my most favorite international recipes. Thanks, Alejandra! 
Quesadilla Salvadoreña - Sweet Cheese Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup milk
- 4 eggs
- 1 ½ cup rice flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup melted butter
- ¼ cup sesame seeds , for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix the grated cheese with the milk until very well combined. Set aside.
- Separate the egg whites from the yolks and add them to another bowl. Beat with a mixer until soft peaks form. Now add the yolks, one by one, and continue beating after each addition. Set aside.
- Sift the flour and the baking powder together into a third bowl. Add the sugar and stir. Now add the egg white and yolk mixture to the flour and mix well until all the flour is incorporated.
- Add the sour cream, melted butter, and the cheese and milk mixture. Mix well until smooth.
- Preheat an oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter and lightly flour a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour the batter spreading it evenly. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before removing from the baking dish. Cut into slices and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Jaime
My husband is from El Salvador so Quesadilla for him is traditionally a breakfast bread to enjoy with coffee- particularly on Sundays. He's constantly buying it from local Salvadoran restaurants and says it never tastes right. Queso Duro is easy to find in my area, so I used a cup of that with 1/2 Parmesan/romano and salvadoran crema instead of the sour cream! He said this recipe tasted just like home, and proceeded to have me make it 4 more times to share with his family and friends that missed the real thing!
Suzy
This is the best recipe ever I do lesssugar and a little less butter, my family loves it is so delicious.