GLUTEN-FREE BRAZILIAN CHEESE PUFFS
This recipe comes courtesy of our friend Esther in Tasmania, via a cookbook by Annabel Crabb, and before that from, well, the whole of Brazil.
(Good recipes are always passed along, aren’t they?)
These naturally gluten-free balls of cheesy deliciousness are ubiquitous in Brazil, where this traditional bread is eaten with any meal but most often at breakfast time.
Annabel Crabb, however, prefers their appearance with a glass of wine. And we tend to agree with her:
So here’s to the cocktail hour, and the cheesy deliciousness of Brazilian Cheese Puffs to go with it.
Jan
BRAZILIAN CHEESE PUFFS
(Pao de queijo)
Makes around 30
125 ml full cream milk
70 ml rice bran oil or vegetable oil
70 gm Greek style yoghurt
1 egg
240 gm tapioca flour
60 gm finely grated parmesan (or half gruyere)
60 gm grated cheddar (or half mozzarella)
Pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 180°C and oil a 12-hole mini-muffin tin well.
Put everything apart from the cheeses in a food processor or blender and whiz until combined. (If you don’t have a machine place the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk.)
When everything is smooth and combined, refrigerate the mixture in a jug until ready to cook then stir the cheeses in well, along with a pinch of salt.
(It seems that the cheeses can be modified according to your preference. Some recipes even add feta.)
Pour the batter into the oiled tins nearly to the top of each cup.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the puffs have risen spectacularly into crisp golden orbs. Serve at once.
Without doubt, Brazilian Cheese Puffs are best served hot. And they generally disappear fast.
So you’ll probably need to quickly wipe clean and re-oil the mini muffin tin, and refill it for the next round.