mozzarepas

One of my mom's favorite things about New York street fairs are the mozzarepas that they often sell. Mozzarepas are corn cakes that are filled with mozzarella cheese. They are served warm, so that the cheese oozes out of the slightly sweet corn pancakes.

I combined a couple of recipes to make my mozzarepas. I made a thick, cornmeal-based batter, and panfried them in butter. Then, I sandwiched the arepas with grated mozzarella cheese, placed them back in the pan, and cooked them until the cheese melted.

Mozzarepas

1 1/2 c. yellow cornmeal
3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sugar
1 c. whole milk
1/2 stick butter, plus more for panfrying
1 c. grated mozzarella

Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Heat milk and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, and simmer until butter is melted. Remove from heat and add to dry ingredients. Let stand until batter thickens, 3 to 4 minutes.

Heat butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Drop 1/4 c. batter in pan, and fry until golden. Drain on paper towels, and repeat with remaining batter. Place 1/4 c. mozzarella cheese between two arepas, and return to pan to heat through, so that the cheese melts.