Mozzarella Cheese Puffs Food

FRIED MOZZARELLA PUFFS

Steps:

• Combine water, butter, and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer; pour in flour all at once and reduce heat to medium. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until a dough starts coming together. Cook, scraping up and stirring the dough, for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat; transfer dough to a mixing bowl. Let cool until no longer hot but still very warm, 5 to 10 minutes. Add egg and season with cayenne and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk vigorously until mixture combines into a very soft, sticky dough. Switch to a spatula and scrape dough into a ball.
• Seal dough and spatula with plastic wrap and refrigerate in the bowl until cool, about 1 hour.
• In the meantime, season marinara sauce with oregano, red pepper flakes, balsamic vinegar in a small pot over medium heat. Add anchovy fillet. Stir together and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes; turn off heat and let sit until ready to use.
• Grate mozzarella cheese over the dough and stir to combine.
• Heat oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) in a deep fryer or heavy-duty pan over medium heat. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (93 degrees C) or any temperature for keeping warm.
• Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of dough per puff and form into a football shape using two spoons. Fry puffs, 5 or 6 at a time, in the hot oil until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Keep puffs warm in low oven while frying the rest. Serve with hot marinara sauce.

MOZZARELLA PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Make an indentation in the top of each uncooked biscuit. Fill indentations with oregano and a mozzarella cube. Pinch the dough around the mozzarella cubes.
• Place the biscuits, pinched side down, on a medium, ungreased baking sheet. Cover with pizza sauce.
• Bake in the preheated oven 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

GOUGèRES (FRENCH CHEESE PUFFS)

Steps:

• Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat it to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Bring the milk, butter, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the flour all at once, lower the heat to medium and, using a wooden spoon, immediately start stirring energetically. The dough will form into a ball and there will be a light film on the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring for another two minutes or so to dry the dough: Dry dough will make puffier puffs.
• Turn the dough out into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or work by hand in a large bowl with a wooden spoon and elbow grease). Let the dough sit for a minute to cool, then add the eggs one by one, followed by the white, beating on medium speed until each one is incorporated before adding the next. The dough may look as though it's separating or falling apart -- just keep going, and by the time the egg white goes in, the dough will be smooth. Beat in the mustard, followed by the cheese. Give the dough a last mix-through by hand.
• Scoop or spoon out heaping tablespoon-sized balls of dough (I use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop), and drop the dough on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between the mounds. (The scooped dough can be frozen on the baking sheets.)
• Slide the baking sheets into the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 375°F. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pans from front to back and top to bottom. Continue baking until the gougères are puffed, golden, and firm enough to pick up, another 15 to 17 minutes. Serve immediately -- these are best directly from the oven. Storing: Although the puffs are best served hot out of the oven, they are still nice (although flatter) at room temperature that same day. If you want to keep baked puffs longer, freeze them and then reheat in a 350°F-oven for a few minutes.
• Make-Ahead/Freezer Instructions: Scoop the dough and freeze on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then pack them in an airtight container. You can bake them straight from the freezer; just give them a few more minutes in the oven.
• Note/Variation: Dorie adds ⅔ cup walnuts or pecans, lightly toasted and chopped, to these gougères. My family prefers them without nuts but it's a nice variation to try. Add them along with the cheese.

MOZZARELLA CHEESE PUFFS (PIUMINI DI MOZZARELLA AL FORNO)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Sift dry ingredients together.
• Cream butter, add mozzarella and blend.
• Add flour mixture, mix well and shape into small balls.
• Place balls on lightly greased baking sheet.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.
• Serve hot/warm.
• **Note:Cheese Puffs may be frozen unbaked.
• Adjust cooking time if Puffs are placed in the oven while still frozen.

MOZZARELLA PUFFS

Steps:

• Make an indentation in the center of each biscuit.
• Sprinkle with oregano.
• Cut the mozzarella into 10 cubes.
• Place a cube in the center of each biscuit.
• Pinch dough tightly around cheese to seal.
• Place seam side down on an ungreased baking sheet.
• Spread pizza sauce over tops.
• Bake at 375 degrees 10-15 minutes.

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.

SPINACH PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Unfold puff pastry; cut each sheet into 12 sections. Place in greased mini muffin cups, pressing gently onto bottoms and up sides, allowing corners to point up., In a large bowl, stir together spinach, cream cheese, mozzarella, feta, 1 egg, garlic, pepper and salt. Spoon 1 tablespoon into each cup. Bring pastry corners together and pinch to seal. In a small bowl, beat remaining egg. Brush over pastry edges. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes.

HERBED CHEESE PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
• In a medium bowl, mix together Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, mayonnaise, basil, oregano, green onions and garlic.
• Separate each unbaked biscuit vertically into 3 pieces. Spread 1 tablespoon cheese mixture on each piece.
• Arrange pieces in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven 10 to 12 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm!