Cheese ensaymada is a sweet brioche baked with some butter and topped with shredded cheese. Some versions may also have a topping of margarine, and others may have cheese or ube as a filling. Almost every local bakery shop in Philippines sells these local delicacies, and the best thing is that they are cheap too. The ingredients needed are similar to those required in cakes, but the biggest challenge is to let the dough rise appropriately. Read this oneHOWTO article to find out how to make cheese ensaymada the right way.
The first step to make cheese ensaymada is to dissolve the dry yeast in warm water. By doing this, you will activate it to make it ready for the recipe.
Add 1 tbsp of white sugar to it, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Wait until the mixture doubles up and foams up. This indicates that the yeast has become active. The mixture of lukewarm water and sugar is effective in activating yeast, so make sure to use both of them. If you use normal or cold temperature, the yeast will take extra long time to rise, and too hot water can kill the yeast. So, it is advised to use lukewarm water only. If the yeast does not rise, you will have to discard this lot and make another one, as your yeast must have died
Mix salt and flour in a bowl, let it sit aside.
Take sugar and butter in an electric mixer bowl along with paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for around 5 minutes, until it becomes fluffy and light. Use a rubber spatula to scrap down the matter from sides.
Turn down to low speed, and start to add one egg yolk at a time while beating each of them properly.
Add the mixture of flour and salt, then evaporated milk, and then mix well until they incorporate completely.
Slowly add the mixture of yeast in it, and mix properly.
Remove the paddle, attach dough hook, and knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic.
Lightly grease a bowl, keep the dough in it, cover with a plastic wrap or moist cloth, and let it rest in it for a couple of hours. You will see that the dough has doubled in size. Punch it down with your fist and make 12 portions out of it.
Use a rolling pin to flatten each portion. If you are having trouble, let it sit for another hour and come back to work on it
Brush each flat portion with the melted butter in the middle.
Roll to make a tight log with this portion, and coil to make a spiral shape that will be perfect to make cheese ensaymada. Place this piece on a flat baking sheet which you must have greased already. You may also place these pieces in muffin cups or brioche molds.
Leave the pieces at room temperature for around an hour. If you are using muffin cups to make them, place all of them in a muffin pan, preheat your oven to 350°F, and bake for around 15 minutes until they become golden brown in color. If your pan is made of very thin aluminum or tin, then the sides and bottoms of your cheese ensaymada may get burnt or become too brown. If that’s the case, it is advised to use double or triple layers of baking tins, or use a thick bottomed pan.
Remove from oven and let them cool for 10 minutes.
Now it’s time to prepare the topping. Use a handheld or electric mixer to make a cream of sugar and butter. Spread this cream on top of each bun, and then sprinkle each with shredded cheese. Your cheese ensaymada is ready. They taste best when served warm!
You can either eat these as a dessert during a Kamayan or have them as an afternoon snack, the decision is yours!
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