2/10/2004
Good Afternoon!
The Diversity Committee is a little bit behind schedule this week due to
the planning of our trip to the National Diversity Conference in May! Be on
the look out in mid-May for an exciting panel full of the Diversity Committee
Members (who usually prefer to hide behind the scenes and give the spotlight
to others), where we will be discussing what we learned and how it applies
to US in little 'ole Kansas!
This week's recipe is from Argentina and it involves a few of MY personal
favorite things (I'm a sucker for anything with caramel or coconut... this
happens to have both!!) Here are some fascinating facts about Argentina:
Argentina is the second largest country in South America, occupying most of the southern portion of the continent. The 1993 estimated population is 33.5 million with more than 90% of the population of European origin, Spanish and Italian being the most prominent.
More than one third of the population lives in and around Buenos Aires, the capital city. Two other major cities, Rosario and Cordoba, have over a million inhabitants.
Argentina is bordered by Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay and Chile. The Andes mountains, which border with Chile, are the second highest mountain range in the world.
The highest peak, Aconcagua, rises to 22,831 feet above sea level.
In the year 1514, Explorer Sebastian Cabot spent four years in and around the present location of Rosario, Argentina, where he built a fort. In 1536 the city of Buenos Aires was founded by Pedro de Mendoza. (An interesting bit of history was that John Strickland, of Sebastian Cabots crew, is credited with taking turkeys from Argentina and introducing them for the first time into England)
The Argentine Constitution declares Catholicism to be the official religion and Catholic church personnel are on the government payroll. The State church claims 92% of the population but few of this number attend church with regularity.
The literacy rate of about 95% is the highest in South America, and the country has 24 national universities and many state and private universities.
Happy Eating!
The Diversity Committee
Pasteles -Argentinean Caramel Filled Crescents
Argentinean caramel filled crescents. A sweet treat
that's worth the effort. Makes 4 dozen (24 servings).
Printed from Allrecipes, Submitted by Connie
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
7 tablespoons ice water
2 tablespoons milk
25 individually wrapped
caramels, unwrapped
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
Directions
1 In a large bowl, stir together the flour,
confectioners' sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with
a pastry blender or by hand until mixture forms pea
sized lumps. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time; tossing
the mixture with a fork until dough comes together. Divide
dough into 2 pieces, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2 In a small saucepan, combine the caramels and milk over
low heat, stirring constantly. Stir in the coconut ,
remove from heat, and allow to cool.
3 Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease
cookie sheets.
4 On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8
inch thickness. Cut out circles with a 3 inch round cookie
cutter. Beat the egg and 1 tablespoon of water together in a
cup. Moisten the edge of the cookie round with the egg
mixture, and place 1/2 teaspoon of the caramel mixture in the
center. Fold the circle over in half and press the edges with
a fork to seal.
5 Place the cookies onto the prepared baking sheet and
brush the tops with the egg mixture. With a knife cut three
slits across the top of each cookie. Bake 15 to 20 minutes,
until golden brown. Remove cookies to wire racks to cool.
Store at room temperature. These cookies do not freeze well.
Nutrition Info
Servings Per Recipe: 24
Calories: 186 Total Fat: 9.4g Cholesterol: 30mg Sodium: 156mg Total Carbohydrates:
23.4g Dietary Fiber: 0.6g Protein: 2.5g
Copyright © 2009 by the University of Kansas
