Churrascas: Quick bread from Talca

Talca is the city where I live and it is famous for its “Churrascas”.  Every morning, bright and early, a group of five women make and sell churrascas from a little street stand a block from my house.  Truckers, construction workers, businessmen, sales clerks, and house wives stop to buy a breakfast of a cup of tea and a churrasca with their choice of filling: butter, cheese, chopped chicken, ham, or avocados.  We often use churrascas, since they are cooked on top of a grill, at the communion services when we are at camp at the Shalom Center.

Ingredients:

• 8 cups of flour with baking powder (If the flour doesn’t have baking powder, add three teaspoons of baking powder.
• 3 spoonfuls of vegetable shortening
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup warm milk

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and kneed.  It should be soft.  If it is to dry add water a spoonful at a time.  Divide into balls a little larger than a fist and then flatten to ½ inch thick.  Cook with a grill on hot coals.  If a grill is not available, the bread can also be cooked in a hot skillet.  Cook until golden brown.  According to Chilean tradition, the bread should be eaten warm but not hot.  Hot bread will give you a tummy ache!