Cheese Puff Food

CHEESE PUFFS

Steps:

• Soften cheese and work all ingredients together with hands, and roll into balls the size of marbles.
• Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
• Makes 6 dozen.
• Note: These can be frozen for months.
• To freeze: place on cookie sheet, freeze then store in plastic bag.
• Bake when needed.

CHEESE PUFFS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt and cayenne to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny. Stir in Gruyere and mustard. , Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 425° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or cold.

CHEESE PUFFS (GOUGERES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Combine the flour with the salt, black pepper, thyme, chili powder, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl.
• Put the milk and butter in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. When the butter melts, turn heat to low. Add the seasoned flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough forms a ball. Remove from heat.
• Separate the white and yolk from one egg, reserving the yolk for glazing.
• Put the dough into a large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed for one minute. Then beat in one egg and the extra egg white. Beat until completely absorbed into the dough. Then add the remaining 4 eggs, one at a time, waiting each time until the previous egg is completely absorbed. After all 5 eggs (plus the one egg white) have been incorporated, the dough should be smooth and satiny.
• Add the Parmesan and Gruyere cheeses, and pepperoni if you are using it. Incorporate thoroughly into the dough.
• Use a pastry bag to pipe dough onto 2 ungreased baking sheets. You can also drop dough from a teaspoon. For tiny puffs, mounds should be about 1/2 inch in diameter. From small appetizers, mounds should be 1 inch in diameter. For puffs large enough for filling, mounds should be 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Keep the size of the puffs uniform so they bake properly. Space puffs about 1 inch apart.
• Beat the remaining egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of milk to make a glaze. Lightly brush the tops of the puffs with glaze before baking. Sprinkle tops with your Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in pre-heated oven for 10 minutes (5 minutes for tiny puffs). Reduce heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Bake 10 minutes more for tiny puffs; 15 to 20 minutes longer for medium or large puffs, or until puffs are golden brown. Test by removing a puff from the oven and breaking it open. The inside should be baked through. If it is still doughy or wet, bake another 5 minutes.
• Remove pans from oven and leave puffs on pans until cool enough to serve.

CHEESE PUFFS (GOUGERES)

Steps:

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

CHEESE PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a saucepan, heat the milk, butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg over medium heat, until scalded. Add the flour all at once and beat it vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for 2 minutes. The flour will begin to coat the bottom of the pan. Dump the hot mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Immediately add the eggs, Gruyere, and Parmesan and pulse until the eggs are incorporated and the dough is smooth and thick.
• Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. Pipe in mounds 1 1/4 inches wide and 3/4-inch high onto the baking sheets. With a wet finger, lightly press down the swirl at the top of each puff. (You can also use 2 spoons to scoop out the mixture and shape the puffs with damp fingers.) Brush the top of each puff lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with a pinch of Gruyere. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown outside but still soft inside.

CHEESE PUFFS

Steps:

• Melt cream cheese and cheddar cheese, and butter in the microwave or in top of a double boiler.
• Remove; fold in beaten egg whites.
• Dip the bread cubes in the mixture to coat.
• Place on baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap.
• Chill overnight (the coated bread cubes can also be frozen for later baking).
• Remove from the fridge, remove plastic wrap.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minute, or until brown.
• These puffs freeze well after baking.

CREAM CHEESE PUFF PASTRIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Unfold pastry sheet onto cutting board; cut into 12 squares. Press 1 pastry square onto bottom and up side of each of 12 muffin pan cups sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake 15 to 20 min. or until pastry cups are puffed and golden brown. Meanwhile, mix cream cheese and mozzarella until blended.
• Use rounded handle of wooden spoon to press hole into center of each pastry puff, being careful to not press through to bottom of cup. Fill each hole with 1 tsp. pasta sauce and about 1 Tbsp. cream cheese mixture.
• Bake 7 to 10 min. or until filling is heated through. Sprinkle with remaining ingredients.

CHEF JOHN'S PARTY CHEESE PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
• Stir water, butter, and salt together in a pot; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and whisk flour into butter mixture until a paste-like dough forms, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer dough to a bowl to cool until warm, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Whisk 1 egg, thyme, and black pepper into cooled dough until egg is completely incorporated. Add remaining egg and whisk until completely incorporated into dough. Stir 3/4 the cheese into dough until combined. Scoop 1-inch balls of dough onto prepared baking sheet. Top each with remaining cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden and puffed, 15 to 20 minutes.

CHEESE PUFFS

Steps:

• Heat, without boiling, in a heavy-bottomed saucepan: 1/2 cup water, 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces, 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• When the butter has melted, stir in, all at once: 1/2 cup flour.
• Keep stirring vigorously until the mixture coheres and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Keep stirring for another minute over the heat, then transfer to a mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly. (Stirring will speed up the cooling process.)
• Beat in, one at a time: 2 eggs.
• Beat in the first egg thoroughly before adding the next. Stir in: 3 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup).
• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (not necessary, but it makes cleanup easier). Spoon the dough onto the baking sheets in spoonfuls either 1 or 2 inches in diameter and 1 1/2 inches apart. You can also pipe out the puffs with a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch plain tip.
• Bake undisturbed for 10 minutes, at 400°F. Lower the temperature to 375°F and bake for 15 minutes more. The puffs should be golden brown and crisp on the outside. With a sharp pointed knife, pierce each warm puff with a small slit to let out the steam, which helps them stay crisp. Serve right away. The puffs can be recrisped and reheated in a 375°F oven for 3 minutes.
• Variation
• In place of the cheese, use 2 or 3 salt-packed anchovies, soaked, filleted, and chopped.