Cheese puffs "Cacho-e-pepe"

Votes: 1

Time: 30 min.
Complexity: easily
Servings: 40

Nutritional value per serving:

Calories 63, total fat 4 G., saturated fats 3 G., proteins 3 G., carbohydrates 3 G., fiber 0 G., cholesterol 38 mg, sodium 66 mg, sugar 0 G.

"When I'm expecting guests for dinner and there's a lot of cooking to do, I serve the simplest appetizers: shavings of Parmesan cheese, slices of good salami, and a bowl of salted Marcona almonds," says Ina Garten. "But when I invite friends over for a drink, I go all out and make something special, like these cacio e pepe cheese puffs with black pepper. Everyone loves them!"

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

1 cup whole milk
110 g unsalted butter
1 cup premium flour
4 large eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated aged Italian pecorino cheese, plus extra for sprinkling
0.5 cup freshly grated Italian Parmesan
1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon of water or milk

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

We recommend

Recipes with similar ingredients: premium flour, milk, eggs, Parmesan cheese

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Preheat oven to 220°C. Place two baking sheets in the oven, evenly spaced.
In a medium saucepan (11 cm in diameter and 15 cm in depth), combine the milk, butter, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough is smooth. Heat the milk until it just barely reaches a boil. Turn off the heat when bubbles begin to form around the edges. Do not allow it to boil.

Reduce heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Transfer the dough to the bowl of a food processor. Immediately add the eggs, 1/2 cup of pecorino, and Parmesan cheese and process until the eggs and cheese are completely incorporated.
Transfer the dough to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1.5 mm round tip. Pipe mounds of dough 3 cm wide and 2 cm high (spaced 2.5 cm apart) onto two parchment-lined baking sheets. Using a damp finger, lightly press a swirl into the surface of each mound. You can also use two spoons to scoop out the dough. Lightly brush the surface of the dough with beaten egg and sprinkle with pecorino, salt, and black pepper.

Hard cheeses such as Pecorino and Parmesan are best pureed in a food processor for easier measuring.
Bake for 15–20 minutes, until the puff pastry is golden brown. Rotate the baking sheets to ensure even browning. Serve hot.

Freezing Tips

If making ahead, bake the puff pastries and let them cool, then freeze them in a tightly sealed bag. Before serving, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and reheat at 190°C for 10 minutes.