Mozzarella Cheese Puffs (Piumini di Mozzarella al Forno)
🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
🕒 Cook Time: 15 minutes
🕒 Total Time: 30 minutes
🍽 Servings: 24 puffs
🔪 Category: Appetizer
🔍 Keywords: European, Kid Friendly, High In…, < 30 Mins, Oven, Freezer, Easy
Description:
These Mozzarella Cheese Puffs are a delightful blend of flavors and textures, making them an ideal appetizer for any occasion. With just a handful of ingredients and a short preparation time, they’re perfect for busy days or unexpected guests. Plus, you can make them ahead of time and freeze them for later, adding convenience to their list of virtues.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 6 ounces mozzarella cheese
Instructions:
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Preheat oven: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). This ensures that it’s hot and ready when your cheese puffs are prepared for baking.
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Sift dry ingredients: In a mixing bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, salt, and paprika. Sifting helps to aerate the dry ingredients, ensuring a light and fluffy texture in your cheese puffs.
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Cream butter and cheese: In another bowl, cream the butter until smooth and creamy. Then, add the grated mozzarella cheese and blend until well combined. This mixture forms the base of your cheese puffs and provides that irresistible cheesy flavor.
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Incorporate dry ingredients: Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients to the butter and cheese mixture, mixing well after each addition. Ensure that all the ingredients are evenly incorporated to achieve a uniform dough.
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Shape into balls: Once the dough is formed, shape it into small balls, about 1 inch in diameter. You can use your hands to roll the dough into balls, ensuring they are smooth and evenly sized.
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Arrange on baking sheet: Place the shaped cheese puff balls onto a lightly greased baking sheet, spacing them slightly apart to allow for expansion during baking. This ensures that they cook evenly and develop a golden brown crust.
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Bake: Transfer the baking sheet to the preheated oven and bake the cheese puffs for 15-20 minutes, or until they are puffed up and golden brown. Keep an eye on them towards the end of the baking time to prevent over-browning.
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Serve: Once baked to perfection, remove the cheese puffs from the oven and serve them hot or warm. The melted mozzarella center will be gooey and delicious, making them irresistible to cheese lovers of all ages.
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Freezing instructions: These cheese puffs can also be frozen before baking for future use. Simply shape the dough into balls as directed, then place them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer the cheese puff balls to a freezer bag or container for long-term storage. When ready to bake, place the frozen cheese puffs on a baking sheet and adjust the cooking time as needed to ensure they are thoroughly heated through.
Nutritional Information (per serving):
- Calories: 74.2
- Fat Content: 5.5g
- Saturated Fat Content: 3.4g
- Cholesterol Content: 15.8mg
- Sodium Content: 96mg
- Carbohydrate Content: 4.1g
- Fiber Content: 0.1g
- Sugar Content: 0.1g
- Protein Content: 2.1g
These Mozzarella Cheese Puffs are a crowd-pleasing appetizer that will disappear quickly whenever they’re served. Whether you’re hosting a party, looking for a quick snack, or planning ahead for future gatherings, these puffs are sure to be a hit. Enjoy the cheesy goodness and the convenience of having a delicious appetizer ready to go whenever you need it! 🧀🥖🎉
