Italian Pepperoni Cheese Puffs Recipes

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.

ITALIAN PEPPERONI-CHEESE PUFFS

Steps:

• Grease 2 large baking sheets; set aside. In a large saucepan combine water and shortening. Bring to boiling. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously.
• Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat. Cool for 10 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition.
• Stir in pepperoni, cheese, parsley, garlic powder, and pepper.
• Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake in a 450 degree F oven for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm.

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.

RICOTTA PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. On a lightly floured surface, unfold puff pastry. Cut each sheet into nine squares. Mix ricotta cheese, red peppers, 2 tablespoons Romano cheese, parsley, oregano and pepper., Brush pastry edges with milk; place 2 rounded teaspoonfuls of cheese mixture in center of each square. Fold edges of pastry over filling, forming a rectangle; seal edges with a fork. Cut slits in pastry; brush with milk. Sprinkle with remaining Romano cheese., Place 2 in. apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Remove to wire racks. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.