Tequeños, Venezuelan Cheese Sticks

2 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ cup water
¼ cup rice bran oil
¼ cup milk
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 block (350 g) semi-hard white cheese, for frying
Rice bran oil, for frying
SPICY PINK SAUCE:--
1 cup Best Foods Mayonnaise
⅓ cup Tuimato Sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp SIDS HOT WORCESTER SAUCE
1 tbsp rum
¼ tsp cayenne pepper, or more for spicy lovers

Make the Tequeño Dough:
Place the flour, salt, and baking powder into the bowl of a stand mixer with the hook attachment. Mix to combine.
Add water, oil, milk, and brown sugar and mix the dough for 5-7 minutes over medium speed, until the dough is smooth and starts pulling away from the bowl's sides.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Form the dough into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, unwrap the dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Knead with your hands until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 2-3 minutes. If the dough feels too sticky, add more flour (about one tablespoon) over the surface, if necessary.
Form the Tequeños:
Roll the dough out into a 30 x 40 cm rectangle, 3 mm thick. Using a knife, or a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 2 cm wide strips lengthwise so that you end up with 12 strips.
Cut the cheese block into 6 equal pieces, then cut each piece in half lengthwise; you end up with 12 cheese sticks. NOTE: You can form the tequeños as big or small as you like; just cut the cheese accordingly to your preference.
Take one strip of dough and cover one of the ends of one cheese stick with dough. Continue to wrap dough around the stick in a spiral fashion, overlapping the edges until you reach the other end. Cover the other end with dough and pinch edges close to seal thoroughly. The cheese has to be completely covered with dough. Repeat with remaining cheese sticks.
Fry the Tequeños:
Add about 5 cm of oil to a frypan. Heat oil to 175°C over medium heat. When the oil is hot, fry the tequeños in batches, 2-3 at a time, turning them until all sides are golden brown. Remove tequeños to a plate lined with paper towels. Let cool for 1 minute, and serve immediately with guasacasa, cilantro mojo, garlic sauce, and/or spicy pink sauce.
SPICY PINK SAUCE:
Mix SIDS HOT WORCESTER SAUCE with all the ingredients with a fork or wire whisk until smooth and creamy. If you like a sauce with more bite, add more cayenne pepper. This sauce will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.
Store: Refrigerate any leftovers and then reheat them in a 175°C oven until it’s warmed through.
Freeze: Freeze before frying and fry straight from frozen when ready to enjoy. I do not recommend freezing fried tequeños.
Cheese: Unfortunately, not all white cheeses will work well for this recipe. You have to use a semi-hard queso Blanco that softens while frying but still holds its shape.
QUICK TIPS:
If you’re making a large batch of Tequeños, you can keep them warm until ready to serve. Preheat the oven to 120°C and place the Tequeños, covered in foil to keep warm.
Make sure you fully cover your cheese with the dough, so the cheese doesn’t leak out. No one wants a cheese explosion.
If you’d prefer your dough to be sweeter, you can add extra sugar to it.
Maintaining the cooking oil temperature at a steady 175°C throughout the frying process is essential. I highly recommend using a frying thermometer. If the oil gets too hot at any point, remove it from heat until the temperature has lowered. Otherwise, the tequeños won’t cook properly.
If you do not have a stand mixer, you can do the process of kneading by hand.