Cheese puffs

Cheese puffs

This mouthwatering appetizer recipe is sure to elicit cheers from your guests (and you). These poppable cheesy pastries will disappear fast, so depending on how big a crowd you’re serving, you might want to make 2 batches. You can make these easy cheddar Cheese Puffs up to 1 week ahead and freeze them until party (or game) time.

Yield: 2½ dozen puffs
Nutrition facts: Per puff: 75 calories, 56 g fat, 3 g carbohydrates (0.1 g fiber), 3 g protein

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Ingredients

1 cup water
½ cup (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 cup flour
4 large eggs
1½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil 2 baking sheets or line with nonstick liners.
  2. In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the water, butter, salt and cayenne (if using). Bring to a boil over high heat and reduce the heat to medium. Add the flour all at once and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan.
  3. Remove from the heat. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition (the mixture will separate at first but will come back together as you beat it). Stir in the cheese.
  4. Drop the dough by tablespoons about 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, switching positions halfway through baking, for 25 to 30 minutes until puffed, golden and crisp.
  5. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tip: You can bake these 1 week ahead and then freeze them. Reheat the unthawed puffs in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes.