Brazilian Cheese Puffs

Pão de queijo

Just in time for Thanksgiving. Mix up in 20 minutes and eat in another, hot from the oven … A simple foolproof recipe. This small cheese bread is typically eaten as a snack but I say it’s a perfect bread accompaniment for a Thanksgiving meal. It’s mild in flavor, and the cheese is not overwhelming. I suppose you could make them cheesier by using stronger tasting cheeses. And if that’s not enough, you could experiment with herbs or just add some minced garlic. This recipe is pretty authentic and I enjoy the simplicity.

A gluten free recipe … The internal stretchiness and crispy exterior of this little puff come from using tapioca flour. Once the batter is mixed you’ll find it’s quite elastic. Rolling into little balls for baking can be a challenge. (Butter those hands!) All is very characteristic of tapioca flour. Mix the batter by hand or use your electric mixer. Either works perfectly.

Recipe

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Use a parchment paper covered baking sheet.
Makes approximately 2 dozen 2 inch rolls.

1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Cup milk
1/2 Cup water
2 Cups tapioca flour
1 Teaspoon salt
2 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups finely grated cheese (Mozzarella and Parmesan combination, my choice)
1 Tablespoon soft butter for hands

Heat first three ingredients over medium/low heat until a low boil. Remove from heat.

In the meantime, measure the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to mix.

Pour the heated ingredients over the flour/salt mix and stir or beat until mixed. It is a sticky batter. Allow to cool down for about 5 minutes.

Beat eggs and add cheese in a separate bowl. Whisk. Now add to the batter and thoroughly mix. Allow the batter to cool to room temperature. About 15 minutes.

Butter fingers (palms too) and begin forming balls about 1 1/2 inch size. Place 1 1/2 inches apart on parchment paper covered cooking sheet.

Bake for about 20 minutes until very lightly brown and set. They’re done.

Eat warm or cold.