This is Typical snack found around small villagers in the coasts of Venezuela and preferably eating with Fresh Cheese to add extra taste to the sweetness of the Papelon and Aniseed!!
For the Papelon Syrup:
1 cup of shredded Papelon or Dark Brown Sugar
1/4 cup of water
Ingredients for the Arepitas:
1 cup flour precooked cornmeal (Harina Pan)
1/4 cup wheat flour
1 pinch of salt
1/2 cup of Papelon/Dark sugar or molasses
1/2 cup of water
2 tablespoons of sweet anise seeds
Frying oil
preparation:
To prepare the Syrup/ melao, place in a small pot the Papelon with 1/4 cup of water, bring to a simmer until the Papelon dissolves and begins to thicken.
To prepare the sweet arepitas of aniseed in a bowl, mix the flours, the anise and a pinch of salt.
A hole is created in the center to add the melao and the rest of the water, Mix everything well with a fork or with the hand and let the dough rest for 5 minutes approximately.
After kneading well with the hand until a homogeneous mass is obtained, if the dough is very dry you can add more water. The dough should be soft and malleable.
Make small balls with the dough and crush them with your hand or on a surface until they are very thin, about half a centimeter thick.
To fry, the oil should be hot, the arepitas are placed and they are bathed with a skimmer until they are inflated, they turn to brown on both sides.
When removing the arepas they are left to drain and they are placed on napkins or absorbent paper to remove the excess oil.
They are preferably eaten warm, with cheese.
Enjoy!
