Cheese Puffs for Cheese Lovers!

 Eric an I are both HUGE cheese lovers. For Eric's 25th birthday we invited friends over to celebrate. Since cheese is one of his favorite foods, I decided to do cheese appetizers, one of which was cheese puffs (the other was cream cheese ragoons). I have made cheese puffs before but never really fell in love with any particular recipe. Then I tried making cheese puffs out of pate a choux, a light pastry dough. I made a test batch before the party. I loved the texture and how easily they puffed up, not to mention how easy they were to make. But when we bit into them, both Eric and I turned to each other and declared that they needed more cheese. So with a little tweaking and experimenting I came up with cheese puffs for cheese lovers.

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
4 eggs
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. 

In a saucepan bring the water, salt, and butter to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium heat and immediately add flour. Stir continuously. You will notice the dough shrink away from the edges of the pan and form a ball in the center. Remove the pan from the heat and give the dough a couple of minutes to cool off. You want the dough warm but not hot enough to cook the eggs when you add them. Stir in one egg at a time and mix until mixture becomes creamy. Add cheese, thyme, and pepper. Mix well. Spoon about a tablespoon of dough on a baking sheet. Space the cheese puff about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes at 425. Reduce heat to 350 and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes.

Recommendations

I highly recommend using Kraft’s Triple Cheddar shredded cheese. I love cheddar cheese and this mix of sharp cheddar, mild cheddar, and Vermont white cheddar with a touch of Philadelphia cream cheese is to die for.

Enjoy!

~Krissy