Have you ever made cheese balls? They are the perfect appetizer to enjoy with sparkling wine or cocktails. To make them, you first need to make a pâte à choux dough (pronounced “pat ah shoo”). Try a cheese balls recipe from our delicious suggestions and you will love it!
Try these light and airy, hearty cheese balls (gourgères) with cheddar cheese and thyme or rosemary.
Ingredients for 24 servings:
1 Stick Butter
240g water
1/2 teaspoon salt
120 g Allzweckmehl
4 large eggs
230g grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or rosemary
Freshly ground pepper
Method of preparation:
- Place water, butter and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Add the flour and stir.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the flour all at once. Stir quickly. The mixture will form a ball of dough that will pull away from the sides of the pan.
- Add flour and stir to make cheese puff pastry
- Heat the cheese bubble dough. It is helpful to use a wooden spoon to stir as the batter will be quite thick. Cook for a few more minutes. The cheese batter should pull away from the sides of the pan.
- Let cool for a few minutes, then add the eggs, one at a time.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for a few minutes. Stir,with it the doughcools more evenly. You want the batter to be warm, but not so hot that the eggs will cook when they hit the batter when added.
- Add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition until the eggs are incorporated into the batter. (If you prefer, you can do this part in a food processor or by hand with a wooden spoon). The dough should be quite creamy.
- Stir in the grated cheese, thyme and a few dashes of pepper.
- Place spoonfuls on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Preheat oven to 220°C. Using a spoon, place small balls (about a heaping tablespoon) of the dough onto a baking sheet lined with silicone or parchment paper, leaving at least an inch between spoons.
- Put in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 180°C and bake for a further 15-20 minutes until the dough is puffed and slightly golden.
Potato cheese balls
It's worth peeling a few more potatoes just to make these golden, cheesy puffs.
Ingredients for 6 servings:
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon cream or milk
Salt to taste
40 cubes of mozzarella cheese
120 g Flour
1-2 large, lightly beaten eggs
90 g Panko
High-quality oil for deep-frying, e.g. B. grape seed oil
Preparation instructions:
- Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a generous pinch of salt to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat, uncovered, until fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well and puree.Stir in the creamand season with salt. Set aside to cool.
- When potatoes are cool, use an ice cream scoop or measuring spoon to scoop out 2 tablespoons of potatoes. Form into a ball, flatten slightly and place a cheese cube in the middle. Pull the mashed potatoes up around the cheese cube so that it encloses it. Roll carefully into a ball.
- Set up a breading station with three shallow bowls. One with flour, one with lightly beaten egg and one with panko. Gently dip the balls in flour, shaking off the excess, then brush with egg. Roll in panko to cover completely. Set aside on a plate or tray and continue to coat all the balls with panko.
- In a deep, heavy-based pot, heat oil over medium heat until it reaches 190°C. Carefully place the potato-cheese balls into the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd them, turning occasionally, until the breading is golden brown and crispy, 2-3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Allow to cool slightly and enjoy hot while the cheese is still stretchy.
Prepare the variation with milk
Slightly warm, with a crispy shell and a cheesy, pillowy interior, they're the perfect little bite!
Ingredients for 16 servings:
240 g Milch
1 stick of unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
120 g Flour
4 large eggs, room temperature
230 g cheese, finely grated
Instructions for preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 220°C.
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan, combine milk, butter, salt and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Turn the heat to low and add all the flour at once. Stir until the mixture is very smooth. Continue cooking and stirring,until a dough formsuntil it no longer sticks to the sides/bottom of the pot and is no longer sticky, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
- While the flour mixture is cooling, beat the eggs completely in a separate bowl. Remove 2 tablespoons of the eggs for the egg mixture and set aside.
- Gradually add the egg mixture to the batter, stirring with a spoon after each addition. Once the eggs are fully incorporated, stir in the grated cheese.
- Pour the mixture into a freezer bag or piping bag and pipe circles onto the prepared baking tray. Using wet fingers, smooth the tops of the circles.
- Whisk the reserved egg with 1 teaspoon of water and brush over the piles. Sprinkle with additional cheese if desired.
- Bake at 220°C for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 180°C and bake for 18-19 minutes until puffed and browned.
