Bacon Cheddar Arepas - Venezuelan-style Corncakes with Bacon

Place the bacon in a heavy skillet (cast iron works well) over medium heat and cook until crispy. Drain bacon on paper towels. Finely chop bacon after it has cooled.

Wipe excess bacon grease out of skillet and set aside (do not wash skillet).

In a large bowl, stir together the masarepa cornmeal, the flour, salt and sugar. Stir in the water, buttermilk, melted butter, grated cheese and chopped bacon. Mix well, then let mixture rest for 5-10 minutes.

Take a small handful of the mixture and shape into a disk. The dough should come together without cracking or crumbling and should not stick to your hands. If dough is too wet, add a small amount of masarepa and knead. If dough is too dry, add a small amount of water and knead well. Continue adding water or cornmeal until desired texture is reached.

Shape dough into flat disks about 3 inches across and about 1/2-3/4 inch thick. Use fingers to repair cracks along the edges of the disks.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure skillet is wiped clean of most of the bacon grease - just a thin film is sufficient. Heat skillet over medium heat and place arepas (in batches if necessary) in the skillet, turning them over once they have browned slightly and developed a crust. Once both sides are lightly browned and crusty, remove arepas from skillet and place on a baking sheet in the oven for 8-10 minutes, to finish heating them all the way through.

Serve arepas warm. Makes about 8 arepas.