Cheese Puffs

 

Cheese Puffs  As seen on Made In Vermont)

Ingredients

1/2 cup milk

1 stick (4 ounces/113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour

3 to 4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese

 

Directions

1.      Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Set aside.

2.      In a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup water with the milk, butter, sugar and salt and stir over low heat until the sugar, butter and salt have melted. Raise the heat to medium and bring to a healthy simmer.

3.      Take from the heat and immediately add the flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens, is smooth and no flour lumps remain. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, until a film forms on the bottom of the pan. Continue stirring, careful not to scrape up the film, for a minute or two more.

4.      Transfer the mixture (panade) to a food processor. Mix for a minute to dissipate the heat. Add the eggs one at a time with the processor running. Pay attention to the consistency of the paste. It should be smooth and shiny, so you may only need 3 of the eggs. Stir in the cheese.

5.      Using a small cookie scoop, scoop generous mounds onto the parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them an inch apart. Place in the oven, immediately reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese puffs are golden brown. 

Cook’s Note

Alternatively, you could make the cheese puff dough ahead of time, scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets and freeze until frozen solid. Then transfer to a ziptop bag and store in the freezer until you are ready to bake. Just increase the baking time by about 5 minutes.