Featured Recipe
Altered Cheese Puff Bread
By Kate
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Chewy, golden puffs made with tapioca flour and a twist: Parmesan swapped for sharp cheddar, coconut oil replacing vegetable oil. Salted butter and a pinch of smoked paprika introduce depth. Ready in about 35 minutes, these bite-sized delights puff vigorously, crisp edges, glowing tops. You’ll want to watch them; timing varies with ovens. Sticky, wet dough, tricky to handle. Avoid flour lumps by adding tapioca flour slowly off heat. Use coconut milk to add subtle sweetness and moisture. Makes roughly 20 mini puffs.
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Prep:
15 min
Cook:
25 min
Total:
40 min
Serves:
20 servings
appetizer
snacks
gluten-free
easy baking
Introduction
Start with butter melting in a pan, mingling with salt and smoked paprika. The aroma sharpens your senses. Coconut milk brings richer sweetness than regular milk; subtle tropical whispers. Watch that boil. It’s a key trigger for cooking starch. Off heat, tapioca flour goes in slowly. Lump free, glossy dough forms—tacky, resistant to touch. Eggs follow, one by one, folding air and binding. It’s sticky but there’s rhythm here. Into tiny tins, dough swells, pushing out golden crowns under heat. Listen for faint crackle and see amber edges, bready aroma fills kitchen. Serve warm, fluffy yet chewy, edges crisp. Cold? A gummy trap. That’s texture in kitchen truth.
Ingredients
About the ingredients
Butter delivers mouthfeel and rich fat—unsalted is safest for control over seasoning. Coconut milk replaces dairy milk for moisture with a faint sweetness; substitute whole milk but omit sugar then since sweetness drops. Tapioca flour forms the chewy backbone—don’t interchange with regular flour, its starch characteristic unique. Sharp cheddar over Parmesan for bolder cheese notes balances smoky paprika. Eggs—don’t reduce or swap without recalibrating liquids, they create rise and structure. Coconut oil adds subtle flavor; use neutral oil if coconut isn’t your thing. Sugar tiny but key for crust color and mellow balance to tart cheese. Salt needed; tapioca flour alone bland. Smoked paprika optional but lends smoky heat bite—skip or replace with cayenne for spice punch.
Method
Technique Tips
Temperature control crucial—quickly bringing butter mixture to boil cooks starch just enough. Too hot when adding tapioca flour will cause spitting and lumps; slow addition avoids that. Beat with mixer only once flour mixed through, dough tempered—prevents over-splash and hot dough burns. Sticky dough? Normal. Use well greased pans, spoon carefully. Don’t fill muffin tins too full; dough expands rapidly. Baking time adjusted by visual cues: golden amber tops, firm edges that spring back on press. Underbaked means gummy bite. Let rest briefly to set interiors but serve warm; cold shifts texture unpleasantly. Keep in mind tapioca flour hydration varies brand—expect slight adjustments. Cheese presence feels dense; if absence of melting or taste, check cheese quality or add bit more next time. Paprika and oil tweaks alter aroma and aftertaste, personalize the puffs to your preference.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Slowly add tapioca flour when off heat; stay lump-free. Mixture will be sticky; don’t fret. Adjust as needed, different brands vary. Keep mixing until consistency resembles sticky dough.
- 💡 Look and listen. When boiling, listen closely for soft crackles. Some steam is good. Beware overcooking; scorch creates lumps. Best to remove heat immediately once it bubbles.
- 💡 Fill muffin tins two-thirds full. If overstuffed, messy results await. Puffs spill over, then deflate. Each puff needs room to grow. Timing matters more than you think.
- 💡 Watch for color. Bake until edges turn deep golden. A slight crack on top indicates readiness. Press gently; they should spring back. Underbaked? Gummy center is a no-go.
- 💡 Serve warm for best texture. Cold results in gumminess. Rest briefly, about 5 minutes, then dig in. Crisp crust, tender interior; everything hits the mark when fresh.
Kitchen Wisdom
What can I substitute if I dislike coconut?
Use neutral oil instead of coconut. Whole milk can replace coconut milk. Adjust sugar down because of less sweetness.
What if the dough is too sticky?
Add more tapioca, small amounts at a time. Beat well after each addition. Sometimes mixing longer helps; don’t rush it.
How to store leftovers?
Keep in airtight container at room temperature for a day. Refrigerate if longer. Reheat in oven for best texture. Avoid microwave.
What kind of cheese can I use?
Sharp cheddar is the play here. Parmesan works too; less sharp flavor. Try Gouda for something unique or any hard cheese that melts.
