Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread)

Is it seriously halfway through June already?? It seems like summer has been flying by, though we have been enjoying ourselves so far. We’ve been camping, hiking, and fishing a few times already and had some fun up in Poudre Canyon this past weekend. Though I haven’t done all that much in the way of baking, I’ve done a ton of gardening this summer. I finished up some garden spaces that we started last year and planted a few dozen perennials and annuals. We also added a vegetable garden next to our driveway to replace an awkward spot of lawn that was essentially a small strip of weeds. I never realized how much hard work it can be to dig up grass and weeds and turn and amend soil for a new garden. Otherwise I’ve been reading novels on and off and spending as much time as possible with Alejandro and the pups.

On to these delicious cheese balls. Most people I’ve talked to have had pão de queijo at Brazilian Restaurants before, though they were new to me when I first heard about them a few years back. Alejandro learned of them from a podcast, and he suggested I try making them. We were hooked the very first time I made them. Since then, I’m not sure we’ve ever managed to leave leftovers for the next day. They are addicting and far too easy to pop into your mouth.

The cheese balls are made with tapioca flour, which is definitely key in this recipe. It produces an amazingly chewy texture reminiscent of Japanese mochi, another favorite of mine. The lovely flavor of parmesan only adds to the deliciousness. To top it off, they are easier to make than most quick breads and the ingredients can quickly be combined in a single bowl. The original recipe states to use a blender, but I am lazy and abhor cleaning our blender. Whisking is just as effective and allows for much easier cleanup.

Recipe

Ingredients:

1 egg, at room temperature
2/3 cup milk, at room temperature
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1½ cups tapioca flour
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 °F. Grease a mini-muffin tin.

2. Whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth.

3. Pour mixture into the tin, filling each cup nearly to the top. The mixture may need to be given a quick whisk every so often, as the tapioca flour tends to settle out a bit.

4. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until balls are puffed and just lightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for a few minutes before serving.  Serve warm, reheating any leftovers.

Yield: about 20

(Recipe from Easy and Delish)

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