Italian Cheese Puffs Recipes

ITALIAN CHEESE PUFFS

Steps:

• Set oven to 375 degrees.
• Prepare a baking sheet.
• In a small bowl, mix together the mayo, onion, parsley and basil until blended.
• Spread each slice of bread with 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture.
• Cut into 4 triangles, and place on baking sheet.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until bubbly and golden.
• If desired, a small amount of shredded cheddar cheese may be added to mayo mixture or sprinkled on top before baking.

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.

ITALIAN CHEESE STICKS

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Lightly roll out the sheet of pastry into a 10-by-12-inch rectangle, then brush with the melted butter. Sprinkle over the mozzarella, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, the oregano and basil. Using a rolling pin, press the cheese into the pastry. Cut the 12-inch side of the pastry into 12 strips. Twist each strip about 5 times and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Mix together the egg and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Brush the strips with the egg mixture and sprinkle over the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake until golden brown and puffed, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool before removing from the baking sheet. Serve the cheese sticks with warm marinara alongside.

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.

SAUSAGE CHEESE PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes, breaking into crumbles; drain. , In a large bowl, combine biscuit mix and cheese; stir in sausage. Add water and toss with a fork until moistened. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. , Bake until puffed and golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

ITALIAN PEPPERONI CHEESE PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets.
• Set aside.
• In a large saucepan, combine water and shortening.
• Bring to a boil.
• Add flour all at once stirring vigorously.
• Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball.
• Remove from heat.
• Cool for 10 minutes.
• Add eggs, one at a time beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition.
• Stir in pepperoni, cheese, parsley, garlic powder, and pepper.
• Drop by rounded teaspoons of dough 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets.
• Position the two baking sheets on separate oven racks.
• Bake for 15-17 minutes or until firm and golden brown, switching oven racks halfway thru baking.
• Transfer to a wire rack.
• Repeat, as needed, for remaining dough.
• Serve warm.
• If desired, serve with pizza sauce.

CHEDDAR CHEESE PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats. In a medium-size heavy saucepan, combine 1 cup water, the butter and salt, and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and add flour. Mix with a wooden spoon until dough starts to pull away from sides of pan and form a lump. Set aside, without stirring, 5 minutes.
• Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. With each addition, dough will look glossy and slick at first; let it come together before adding next egg. Mix in mustard, cayenne and cheese. Dough will be quite loose and sticky.
• Scoop up a heaping teaspoon of dough and use another spoon to scrape it onto lined pan; it should form a mound about an inch in diameter. Alternatively, use a pastry bag or thick plastic bag with one corner cut off, to pipe small mounds onto pan. Repeat with remaining dough, leaving 1/2 inch between puffs.
• Bake until puffy and golden, about 25 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Remove from oven and serve immediately, or turn oven off and open door slightly to keep puffs warm up to 1 hour.

QUICK CHEESE PUFFS

Steps:

• Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. Cut bread into strips; place strips, buttered side down, on the bottom and around the sides of two greased 10-oz. baking dishes. In a bowl, beat eggs and milk. Add cheese, onion salt and hot pepper sauce. , Pour over bread. Place the dishes on a baking sheet. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Serve immediately.

IRISH BEER CHEESE PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner (such as Silpat®).
• Combine butter, beer, salt, and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Let butter melt and bring to a simmer. Add flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until it all comes together, about 30 seconds. Continue to cook and stir until the dough dries out a bit and starts sticking to the bottom of the pan, another minute or so. Turn off the heat and continue stirring for another 1 to 2 minutes, scraping as much off the bottom of the pan as you can.
• Transfer dough into a bowl. Add one egg and whisk it into a bit of the hot dough. Keep whisking in more dough until incorporated. Repeat with remaining egg, cleaning out the whisk as needed, until well combined and dough is sticky.
• Add ¾ cup Cheddar cheese and cayenne and stir until incorporated.
• Scoop 12 rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Press a little Cheddar on the tops and sides of each puff.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until nicely puffed and beautifully browned, about 25 minutes. Turn off the oven and crack the door; let cheese puffs cool, undisturbed, for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the spread: Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add leek and ½ teaspoon salt; cook and stir until just barely tender, 7 to 10 minutes, adding a splash of water every few minutes to prevent browning.
• Stir in green onions and sauté briefly for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer leek-onion mixture to a bowl and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add lemon juice and mascarpone cheese and mix until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until cheese puffs have finished cooling.
• Serve cheese puffs with spread.