Golfeado vs Cinnamon roll

A fight between two of the most important sweet rolls in Venezuela. Which one will turn out to be your favorite? Let's start talking about the typical Venezuelan "Golfeado".

The "Golfeado".

What is the "Golfeado"?

It is originally from Venezuela, specifically in the Altos Mirandinos in the area of Carrizal. It consists of a dough filled with grated papelón and wrapped resulting in a circular roll, this, after being cooked, is finished with a piece of cheese "Guallanes" or hard cheese "Llanero" placed on top.

These are easy to find in many bakeries since most bakeries prepare them, but some specialize in the preparation of these, becoming the favorite of many individuals. In the past, there were street vendors that offered them all over the city, but nowadays there are very few left.

The "Golfeados" are commonly accompanied with cheese, but there are people who decide to eat them alone and their flavor is still as exquisite. The accompaniments can vary with the drinks that are decided to complement this sweet, the most common is with any type of coffee, usually dark coffee or coffee with milk, and the other drink is with water since for some people the "Golfeados" can be a little cloying and control the sugar with water.

This sweet is usually eaten at family gatherings as a dessert, as a snack any day you crave something sweet, for rainy days are perfect if they are heated a little and accompanied with coffee or just after a day full of work or tasks give you a treat.

How is "Golfeados" prepared?

The ingredients for the "Golfeados" are:

• Milk
• Butter
• Grated brown sugar or grated papelón sugar.
• Yeast
• All-purpose flour.
• Salt
• Lightly ground aniseed
• Egg
• Hard cheese or "Guallanes".

To start the preparation, we must heat the milk, butter, and sugar over low heat until the butter melts and all the ingredients are united. This will be left to cool until the mixture is lukewarm and then the yeast will be added.

Simultaneously in another container mix the flour, salt, and aniseed, then add the mixture containing yeast and egg, this should be put together and can be passed to a lightly floured surface to knead for a few minutes until our dough is smooth and a little sticky. We will pass the dough to a bowl and cover it to rest for about an hour or until it doubles in size.

Now we will extend the dough to a surface and flatten it until it has a thickness of approximately 1 centimeter, now we will add the grated cheese and brown sugar, or panela and we will roll all the dough, then we will cut it and this way we will obtain our roles, which we will take to a baking tray with a separation between each "Golfeado" and let them rest again for about 30 minutes.

During this waiting time, you can heat the oven to 175ºC degrees and then place the "Golfeados" to bake for about 30 minutes or until they are golden brown on the top.

After they are ready you can put more cheese on the top and they are ready to enjoy.

Now let's talk about the Cinnamon rolls.

Cinnamon rolls

What is a Cinnamon roll?

It originated in Sweden and Denmark in the 1920s, where it was only prepared by wealthy families since the cost of the ingredients was too high for people of a lower status. This is a snail-shaped roll that is filled with sugar and cinnamon, and on top, it is bathed with a sugar glaze that complements its flavor.

This roll is incredibly famous worldwide, so the variations that have been made to the recipe are multiple, now we can find Cinnamon rolls with chocolate, red fruits, pumpkin, healthier ingredients, vegan, among many other variations.

Cinnamon rolls can be purchased in supermarkets, franchises that specialize in this product and the enjoyment of it, in bakeries, or with brands that sell these doughs and glazes ready to bake and taste.

They are ideal to eat for dessert or at snack time with a hot or cold drink, depending on your tastes. But just like the "Golfeados", it is common to consume them with the coffee of your preference.

How are Cinnamon rolls prepared?

The ingredients are:

• All-purpose flour
• Dry and fresh yeast
• Warm milk
• Butter
• Egg
• Salt
• Sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Brown sugar or papelón
• Nutmeg
• Powdered sugar
• Philadelphia cheese

In a bowl mix water, warm milk, sugar, and yeast stir until it dissolves, let it rest and in about 10 minutes the yeast will be active.

While we wait, we are placing in a bowl the flour, a pinch of salt, the egg, the liquids of before, and the vanilla. Knead all this for about 5 minutes or until everything is integrated, then add the butter little by little and knead again for about 7 to 10 minutes more. Once the dough is ready, it will be a soft and smooth dough.

Grease a large bowl with oil and put the dough, cover the top of the bowl and let it rise until it doubles in volume.

Now mix in a bowl all the ingredients for the filling: sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stretch the dough into a rectangular shape about 1 centimeter thick. Now proceed to spread all the filling over the entire surface and proceed to roll the dough on the longest side of the rectangle and the resulting rate will be cut obtaining the roles, these will take them to a tray and let them rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Once the volume of our Cinnamon Rolls has doubled, preheat the oven to 200ºC. Brush the surface of the rolls with milk and bake them for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are lightly browned.

Once ready, remove from the oven and let cool slightly on a cooling rack.

Prepare the glaze by mixing the powdered sugar, Philadelphia cheese, and hot water until smooth. We bathe our delicious roles with this magnificent glaze all over their surface and they are ready to taste.

Tell us which was the winner of this battle from your perspective? and which one would you prepare?