Cheese puffs have been a party staple for generations. In addition, who could blame anyone for giving them this status? They are golden, light, fluffy, and delicious. To make them correctly, you need to take a few moments to learn to make pate choux dough (pronounced pah- tah shoo). This light dough is used to make cream puffs, eclairs and other decadent desserts.
Cheese puffs make terrific appetizers of course. They can also be used as dumplings in soups like split pea or chicken. You can play with the recipe and try different cheeses. While most of us are happy with a sharp cheddar, it would be terrific with a nice Emmenthaler or Gruyere. Add your favorite herbs or even crumbled bacon. Everything is better with bacon.
If you are making these fresh for your party, give yourself plenty of time. Mixing the batter takes a little effort, and the puffs need to bake around a half hour, in total. Better yet, make them the day before. Just do not eat them all before your party starts. These cheese puffs are very tempting!
Recipe for Cheddar Cheese Puffs - Your guests will love them!
What You Will Need:
1 stick of butter (8 Tbsp)
1 cup of water
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup all purpose flour
4 large, fresh eggs
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (or cheese of your choice)
Freshly ground pepper
Dried thyme
How to Make It:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour your water into a saucepan with the butter and salt. Bring it to a boil. Once you have a nice rolling boil, lower the heat to medium, and add all the flour. Stir as fast as you can until the mixture forms a ball of dough that pulls away from the sides of the saucepan. The dough is very thick, so use a sturdy wooden spoon. Keep cooking over medium heat for a few more minutes.
Remove your pan from the stove and let it cool for a few minutes. Stir it occasionally so the dough can cool off evenly. The dough should be warm, not hot when you add the eggs so they do not cook immediately when you add them. When your dough has cooled enough, add the eggs one at a time, stirring until each one is fully mixed into the dough. The finished dough should be creamy in texture.
Add your grated cheese, a few grinds of black pepper, and some thyme. Put some parchment on your baking sheet. Scoop out small balls of dough approximately the size of a heaping tablespoon and lay them on the parchment, at least an inch apart. When the baking sheet is full, put it in the oven, and cook for 10 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. When your timer goes off, lower your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and let your cheese puffs cook for another 15 to 20 minutes. They should look puffed and lightly golden when they are done. You can expect about two dozen puffs from this recipe.
