Spicy Cheese Puffs

Name: Spicy Cheese Puffs
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: semi-hard cheese — 300 g; eggs — 3 pcs; sweet paprika — 1 tsp; ground cumin — 1/2 tsp; salt — 1/2 tsp; all-purpose flour — 200 g; smoked paprika — 1/4 tsp; chili powder — 1/4 tsp

30 minutes

Easy

Some snacks are just dangerously addictive - you start eating and simply cannot stop. These cheese balls are exactly that kind of food. They’re like sunflower seeds: they keep popping into your mouth one after another, and before you know it, you’ve lost all self-control! 😉

They are the ultimate appetizer to pair with beer or wine. If you want to kick things up a notch, toss them while they’re still hot in a mixture of salt, smoked paprika, and chili powder. Just a word of caution: go easy on the chili so you don’t overdo it!

Baking Snacks & Appetizers American cuisine European cuisine

17 seconds ago

Ingredients for 6 servings:

Dough

semi-hard cheese
300 g
eggs
3 pcs
sweet paprika
1 tsp
ground cumin
1/2 tsp
salt
1/2 tsp
all-purpose flour
200 g

For Rolling (Optional)

smoked paprika
1/4 tsp
chili powder
1/4 tsp

Recipe:

Ingredient Notes:

Cheese. You’ll need a semi-hard cheese with a fat content of 45% or higher and a bold flavor. In the US, Sharp Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Colby-Jack (that beautiful marbled, two-toned cheese) are perfect choices. You can also use Gouda, Edam, or Emmental.
Eggs. The recipe calls for medium or large eggs (approx. 50-55 g without the shell).
Flour. Standard all-purpose flour with about 10% protein works best.
Spices. The dough is seasoned with sweet paprika and ground cumin. It’s a fantastic aromatic combo! If you’re not a fan of cumin, feel free to skip it. For a deeper flavor, try smoked paprika. If you like a real kick, you can add some chili powder directly into the dough instead of just using it as a garnish – but only if you like it spicy! 😉
Black pepper. For a subtle flavor accent, you can also add about 1/4 tsp of ground black pepper to the mix.
Salt. Be careful here! The amount of salt you need depends entirely on how salty your cheese is. If you’re using a very salty cheese, dial back the added salt accordingly.
No leavening. You won’t find any baking soda or baking powder here. These balls “puff up” naturally thanks to the fat content in the cheese, which acts as a physical leavening agent during frying.

Let’s start cooking!

Grate the cheese using a coarse grater.

Place it in a bowl and add the flour, eggs, salt, and spices.

Knead the dough until it is elastic and has bits of cheese throughout.

Break off pieces of the dough and roll them into logs about 1-1.5 cm thick.

Cut the logs into pieces.

If desired, roll the pieces into balls with your hands for an aesthetic touch.

Fry in well-heated oil (190°C/375°F) until golden brown.

Transfer them to paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Then, transfer them to a bowl and, if desired, sprinkle with salt, paprika, and chili powder. Toss to coat.

Serve warm. These balls pair well with dips, such as tartar sauce.

Enjoy!

This Spicy Cheese Puffs recipe was checked, prepared and approved by Chef Tatyana Nazaruk - author of FlavorIt.com.
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