Cheese Puffs
May be made up to one month ahead and frozen
- 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, cut into pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup grated Boar's Head Gruyère cheese
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Grease two large cookie sheets.
- In 3-quart saucepan, combine butter, salt, cayenne and water. Bring to boil; stir until butter is melted. Remove from heat; add flour all at once, stirring until incorporated. Return to medium-low heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until mixture forms balls and leaves side of pan. Remove from heat.
- Stir in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until batter is smooth and satiny. Stir in cheese.
- Drop teaspoons of batter on cookie sheets, forming mounds about 3/4 inch in diameter. A pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip makes quick work of making the mounds. Puffs should be at least 1 inch apart, as puffs will double in size.
- Bake puffs until deep golden, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Serve at room temperature, or to serve hot, reheat in 400F oven 5 minutes.
- Makes about 75 puffs.
