Brazil - Pão de Queijo
These evoke strong memories from my days working in a 5 star hotel. On long shifts where we all needed a pick me up; one of the Brazilian chefs, Tony, would make these for us. They really perked us up and meant we all got to stop for 5 minutes to eat together. This is a really easy recipe and the tapioca flour is a must! It’s responsible for these Pão de Queijo’s iconic texture.
Ingredients - Makes 18
165ml whole milk
85ml olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
335g tapioca flour
2 medium eggs
80g mature cheddar, grated
90g parmesan, grated (plus extra for topping)
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C and line two baking trays with parchment.
Place milk, oil and salt into a saucepan over medium heat until it just about simmers. Place the tapioca flour into a bowl. Pour in the warmed milk mixture while mixing. Once combined, leave to cool for 5 minutes.
Add in the eggs and mix. Finally, add in the grated cheeses and mix to combine. (I found it easier to use a dough scraper at this stage.)
Portion the dough into 18 pieces (approx. 40-45g each.) Roll each piece into a ball in-between your hands and place a few inches apart on your prepared trays. Sprinkle a little extra parmesan on top before baking for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Serve & eat. They are great warmed up later in the day too.