CHEESE FINGERS (TEQUEÑOS) EASY WAY
Cheese Fingers: Fried School Memories
Cheese fingers —or cheese sticks, or Venezuelan tequeños, call them what you like — are pure crunchy love: firm cheese wrapped in dough and fried until golden. They take me straight back to school recess in Cali, running to the cafeteria for those giant fingers with stretchy dough that pulled with every bite. Even today, when visiting my mom, I stop by the corner arepas and buñuelos stand to grab some.
Here in Germany, I recreated them in a mini version because who has time for homemade dough? I tested ready-made supermarket doughs and came up with this quick recipe using just 3 ingredients. The winner: store-bought pizza dough, which stays firm, absorbs little oil, and tastes almost like the traditional one. I also tried Flammkuchen dough or "German pizza," as it's also known, and puff pastry "blätterteig" —good for oven or airfryer, but pizza dough is my favorite for frying.
A key tip on the cheese: Use a firm, low-fat one so it doesn't explode when frying. I chose Beloso's Latino and Costeño cheese (find it at beloso.de or Latin stores in Germany). If you're in Colombia, go for costeño; elsewhere, try feta or Turkish white cheese as an alternative.
Ingredients:
1 bag of pizza dough "Pizzateig XXL" (ideal for frying; use Flammkuchen or puff pastry for baking).
Latino or costeño cheese (Beloso brand, or feta/Turkish white cheese as substitute).
Oil for frying.
Beloso Cheese 
Beloso Cheese in sticks 
Cheese fingers or tequeños 
Cheese fingers or tequeños 
Cheese fingers or tequeños 
Cheese fingers or tequeños
Step-by-step preparation:
Dry the cheese well: place it in a colander to drain the water. Cut it into 8 cm long sticks (I cut across the block).
Cut the dough into 2 cm wide strips. Don't leave it out too long or it stretches and gets messy.
Wrap each cheese stick in a dough strip. Seal the ends with a bit of water and tap it on the counter to compact it. If possible, chill for a few minutes so the dough doesn't soften.
Heat oil in a pan to 170-180 °C (a kitchen thermometer is a cheap investment that makes all the difference!).
Fry carefully, turning until golden on all sides. Drain excess oil on paper towels.
Prefer oven? Preheat to 180 °C, place on a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake until crispy. Serve hot and enjoy!
These little fingers are perfect for quick cravings or sharing with friends and family.
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