Pao de Queijo… Addiction made in Brazil

I first had pão de Queijo  (cheese bread in portuguese) at my friend’s house a few years ago.  Originally from Brazil, Maria served us those delicious cheese balls as an appetizer. I remember thinking that they had a very unique, delectable taste and I didn’t believe Maria when she said that they were fairly easy to make.

Fast forward a couple of years and I come across the name pão de queijo in an article about Brazil, which described pão de queijo as ubiquitous on the streets of Brazil. Immediately, I decided to look for a recipe and give it a try. It turns out Maria was absolutely right, the “pãos” are very simple to make. Wiping out the entire bowl is a matter of minutes. Just like a friend of mine said, you find yourself with a pao in your mouth, without even realizing you put it there… as if they had magically found their way…

The unique composition of the “pãos” make them appealing to all palates. The tapioca flour used in the recipe, gives those the “bouchées” their distinct flavor, the melted cheese is warm and soft at the center and the combination is an absolutely wonderful gluten-free treat.  They can be served as an appetizer or a snack.

Although Colombia’s pandebono’s recipe is similar to pão de queijo, they are two distinct types of cheese breads composed of different ingredients.

Pão de Quejio

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Serves	10-12
Prep time	20 minutes
Cook time	20 minutes
Total time	40 minutes
Meal type	Appetizer, Snack

Ingredients

• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of milk;
• ½ cup of oil;
• 1 teaspoon of salt;
• 450g of tapioca starch;
• 2- 3 eggs;
• 200g of shredded parmesan cheese;

Directions

1.	Bring to boil in a big pan the water, the milk, the oil and the salt
2.	Remove the pan from the heat and add the tapioca starch. Mix wellwith a wooden spoon and let it cool down.
3.	Put the mixture in a bowl, add the eggs and knead well
4.	Add the grated cheese and keep kneading until the dough is smooth. (Although traditionally this is done by hand, a mixer comes in handy )
5.	Roll 1 tablespoon of mixture into small balls. (Tip: Grease you hands with oil before making the balls. Wash your hands once in a while if necessary)
6.	Place the balls on a baking tray greased with oil or lined with baking paper
7.	Bake the cheese rolls into a hot oven (F 350 degrees) for about 20 minutes until golden brown
8.	Serve warm
9.	Also: “Pão de queijo” can be frozen and baked directly from the freezer. Tip: Place the cheese rolls on a tray lined with baking paper. Put the tray in the freezer. When the cheese rolls are frozen, put them in a plastic bag and put them back in the freezer.

Note

http://www.sonia-portuguese.com/recipes/pqueijo.htm

Also: “Pão de queijo” can be frozen and baked directly from the freezer. Tip: Place the cheese rolls on a tray lined with baking paper. Put the tray in the freezer. When the cheese rolls are frozen, put them in a plastic bag and put them back in the freezer.