These are commonly sold in bakeries and food stands in Brazil. They are a common breakfast item or daytime snack. The dough is quite similar to a french Pâte à Choux (used for éclairs, beignets, etc), but it is gluten-free (if you care), but no piping is necessary (or possible). My preferred way to eat them is by slicing them open and adding jam or requeijão.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups of grated cheese (traditionally it would be something similar to queso fresco, but I find that Monterey, mozzarella, white cheddar or Mexican blends work well enough)
- 1 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (and a bit to oil your hands)
- 2 eggs
- 1 lb tapioca flour/starch
- 2 tsp salt
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
- Place tapioca starch in a bowl over a heat resistant surface
- Add milk, oil and salt to sauce pan and bring to boil
- Once boiling, remove from heat and pour over tapioca starch slowly
- Stir with a wooden or silicone spatula. Mixture will be lumpy and gummy. No need to get it fully homogeneous now
- Wait for 5~10 minutes until the mixture is cool enough then mix in eggs one at a time
- Once well mixed, add the cheeses. Now the mixture should be more or less homogeneous and easier to handle
- Add a bit of oil to your hands and pull out a ball slightly smaller than a golf ball. Roll with your hands and place on the baking tray about 1~2″ apart
- Once a tray is full, bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes
Steps for make ahead frozen pão de queijo:
- Follow steps 1-8 of regular recipe, but you can place the balls closer together (without touching).
- Place the baking tray in the freezer and wait for at least 15 minutes until the balls are firm
- Place in a freezer sealable bag
- When you need to bake, preheat to 350°F and bake for 40-45 minutes