Cheese puff are perfect for appetizers and soup – the light and fluffy inside and crispy exterior make these delicious little bites hard to put down. These savory snacks are made using the same dough as cream puffs and gougeres (also known as choux pastry), but instead of filling them with a sweet cream, the dough gets mixed with shredded cheese, then baked. The result are cheesy bite-sized puffs with a lightly crisp outside and soft and airy inside – I like to use Cabot Seriously Sharp cheddar in this recipe but you could use any kind of aged cheddar or gouda.
These cheesy bite-sized puffs are easy to make, but there is a trick to ensuring that they cook evenly. The key is to preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and have a lined baking sheet ready with a large cookie scoop or piping bag equipped with a wide tip (use a silicone mat if you don’t have parchment paper sheets).
Warm the milk, butter and salt together in a medium saucepan over high heat until it starts to boil. Reduce the heat to medium and add the flour all at once – stir energetically until the mixture forms into a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and beat in eggs one at a time until the mixture is smooth and shiny. Then add the cheese and stir to incorporate. Using the cookie scoop or piping bag, scoop generous mounds onto a prepared baking sheet and leave about an inch between each mound – they will expand as they bake. Bake the puffs for 20 – 25 minutes until they are puffed, golden and lightly brown. بف جبن