Food + Drink

Garlic Cheese Puffs

Serve these appetizers at your next gathering.

Garlic Cheese Puffs
Courtesy of home economist Jane Rogers
Makes 30–36 bite-size puffs

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup flour
2/3 cup or 3 ounces shredded sharp cheese (reserve 1 tablespoon)
1/3 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 large eggs

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Move rack to upper third of oven. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil. 

In medium-size saucepan, melt butter, add garlic and allow mixture to bubble briefly. Add water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir rapidly with wooden spoon. Briefly move pan off and on heat until a well-mixed clump of fairly thick dough forms and again take pan off burner briefly.

Add Parmesan and cheddar (except reserved tablespoon) to pan and mix while returning pan briefly to burner, if needed, so that cheese melts. Remove pan from burner. Break egg into mixture and quickly mix; do not allow egg to cook. Stir rapidly. Repeat with second egg and stir until a shiny ball of dough forms that pulls away from pan. (Can be done in food processor or with electric mixer.)

Place dough in pastry bag or resealable plastic bag with a small hole cut in corner. Or use spoon to form grape-tomato-size balls. Place balls 1 inch apart on baking sheet and top with reserved cheese. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, then rotate pan from front to back. Bake additional 5 to 7 minutes until golden. Serve warm or reheat in low oven 5 to 10 minutes. Freezes well.