Time travel with just one bite

Please don’t click that red x at the upper right corner of the page or navigate away from my cheese tarts.  I implore you to give my “rustic” tarts a fair chance.

It may not be much to look at but these seemingly simple creations have lived in my mind for the past 17 years.   My desire to recreate those moments of bliss that I experienced as a child has lived on in me, and has driven me to make these Cheese pies.

There was one place in Georgetown that I know of that made these delectable savor pastries and that was Arapaima, a pastry shop practically next door to Sacred Heart Primary School.  I attended that school in the early 90s and spent many lunch breaks at Arapaima.  As its name suggests, it was named after a fresh water fish found in South America.  As you enter the  doors you were greeted with a nautical theme, nets made of rope draped and wheels of ships adorned the walls.

How is it that after so many years I have such a distinct memory of a place that I’ve visited as a child?  I believe it’s because that’s the moment that my love affair with food began.  These are my earliest memories of paying attention to how food tastes, and to not just eat but have an experience.

After migrating to the US, I always had a yearning for these pies but just didn’t know where to find it or how to make it, until one day!  I had the good fortune of tasting something called “quiche”.   My heart soared, could it be??  It most certainly was a form of the “cheese pies” that I longed for.

I kept this recipe fairly simple, because that’s what the cheese pies were, a creamy, cheesy custard with a hint of pepper and scallion encased in a flaky pastry crust.    I found a recipe for pastry on Allrecipes.com but modified it a bit buy using half butter and half shortening because everything is better with butter.



Cheese Pie

Pastry

1 1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup butter, cold

1/4 cup shortening

3 tbsp ice cold water

Filling

1 cup evaporated milk

1 egg

2 tbsp flour

1 1/4- 1 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese

1 scallion, green parts only finely chopped

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

cayenne pepper to sprinkle of top (optional)

To make Pastry:

Mix flour and salt together in a bowl. Using a fork or pastry cutter, cut butter and shortening into flour until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.  Add 3 tbsp of water and mix until well combined.  Wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 mins before using.

Preheat oven to 350.  In a bowl, mix flour with egg, mix until well combined and smooth.  Whisk in milk, then add all other ingredients, except cayenne pepper and stir.  Set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry to 1/8 inch thickness, in other words, pretty thin.   I used bowl about 6 inches in diameter  to cut out the circles. Line muffin pan with pastry, lightly press.  If the pastry becomes too soft, making it difficult to roll, place it back in the refrigerator for a few minutes to chill.

Bake crust for 5 mins, then remove from oven and spoon filling into the crust.  Return to oven and bake for an additional 15-20 mins.   The tops should puff up when they are done.  Remove from oven and allow to cool before eating..if only I could have waited that long.
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Posted by & filed under Appetizer. This post has 21 comments.

21 thoughts on “Time travel with just one bite”

  1. Cynthia

    I do remember Arapaima and I went to Sacred Heart School and was a parishioner at the Church as well. I knew Aparpaima back in the day when it sold strictly chicken and chips and then later it started to sell pastries as they sectioned off the place. Cheese tarts are always a delight.

  2. Chennette

    My first few months in Guyana, I had no idea what they called this. I assumed it was a mini quiche, but most bakeries stared blankly at me if I used the word quiche. Then some called it cheese pie, some called it egg pie (the latter probably signals a cheese-deficiency!)…I try them everywhere I go :-) but I just point now.

  3. Amy B.

    Roar. First photo I see and my heart almost screamed cheese! I just love cheese. I think im gonna snatch your recipe and make some :D I wanna share this post to my friends in Foodista . If you don’t mind adding the foodista widget for shortening, then that would be great! :-) Hope you keep on posting

    Cheers,
    Amy from Adelaide, Australia

  4. Nalini

    I am planing to try these soon. Just one question….I was thinking of making these to take to a friend’s dinner party. She lives 4 hours from me. Which method of warming these up is better when I get to her house, an oven or microwave? Or can they be served as is?

  6. JehanP Post author

    These are great served warm or at room temperature. If you must warm them up, using an oven will give you the best results.

  7. Christina

    My husband is from Guyana, so I wanted to make him something nice. It came out so good. It was the first time I have ever made pastry from scratch! Thank you for the wonderful recipes…plus my husband said it reminded him of Guyana!

    Thanks again…Christina from Canada

  10. Lanzie

    Jehan you give me hope for all things Guyanese recipe!! I visit this page ever week religiously and I’m soo caught up with the recipes and food that I never noticed a comment section. I am so happy and thankful for your site…… continue the good work, you are an inspiration to me!

  12. JehanP Post author

    Awww, thank you Lanzie, that’s so sweet of you! My readers such as yourself, who leave such wonderful comments are my inspiration and what keeps me going. Thank you!

  14. Riana

    Oh my days!!! I stumbled on this site while doing a search on google for Guyanese egg balls..I’m so excited now that I found it.Thank you so much.I will now be a regular visitor since I absoultely love all the recipes I have seen and definetly will be trying out a few..Cheers!!

  17. Tash

    Jehan, I came across your website while looking for a recipe for mango sour. Not only did I find it, but I also found a recipe that I’ve been looking for for years now – cheese pies! I left Guyana almost 12 years ago, and ever so often, I have a craving for cheese pies but could not find the recipe anywhere – not even in my Guyana cookbook. I’m definitely going to try your recipe – I can’t wait! Oh, BTW, I also went to Sacred Heart in the early ’90s, and boy do I remember Arapaima – I loved that place!

    P.S., I’m loving your website!

  18. JehanP Post author

    Thank you Tash, I have such fond memories of eating cheese pie, cheese roll and scones for lunch. When did you graduate? I left in 92.

  20. Aady

    Hi.. Wud luv to try ur recipe.. But don’t hav shortening here.. Can u help me out wit a substitute? Margarine? Or all butter? Pleezzee lemme knw =)

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