Name: Homemade Trinidad Cheese Puffs Recipe
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 40 persons
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: 250 grams All Purpose Flour; 375 ml Water; 225 grams Unsalted Butter; 4 Large Eggs; 1/4 teaspoon Salt

Front shot of Cheese Puffs in a plate in a wooden background

In Trinidad, Cheese Puffs are a typical snack found at family gatherings and birthday parties. The delicate light pastry filled with a creamy Cheese Paste is simply addictive. The puffs are known as Choux Pastry or Pâte à choux in the pastry world and are made from 4 simple ingredients of flour, butter, water, and eggs. They get their puffed-up texture during the baking process when steam causes them to inflate. The cheese paste is added later as a filling to create a delicate sandwich of sorts. The next time you are invited to a potluck, whip up a batch of these lovely Trinidad Cheese Puffs and watch everyone stack to their heart's content.

Author: Narandradath Jaikaran

Prep Time

60 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

105 mins

Serves

40 persons

Ingredients

Choux Pastry

250 grams All Purpose Flour
375 ml Water
225 grams Unsalted Butter
4 Large Eggs
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Cheese Paste Filling

1 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated
75 grams Unsalted Butter
1/4 grams Black Pepper (about a pinch)
5 grams Mustard
50 grams Mayonaise
1/2 Teaspoon Lime Pepper Sauce (Optional)
2 grams Salt (1/2 teaspoon)

Instructions

Choux Pastry

Add water and butter to a large pot. Heat over the burner until all the butter has melted.

Lower heat and gradually add flour while turning (using a whisk or spoon). Turn until the mixture leaves the side of the pot and merge and there are no more lumps—Cook for a further 1 min.

Pour mixture into the mixer bowl of a stand-up mixer or a large basin and set to cool

Start mixer, fitted with paddle, on slow speed and gradually incorporate eggs one at a time. Add eggs slowly until the mixture is stubbornly flow able but to a soft consistency.

Using a 12" piping bag fitted with a #829 tip (or another star tip), fill 2/3 and gooseneck the top of the bag.

On a greased baking sheet, pipe puffs hold the bag vertically down at first. Start the piping in the center, moving outwards to form a 2" circle, then spirally (swirl) up while decreasing the circle diameter, completing about two rotations, and ending in the center, pulling the bag up while ending the deposit. Compress any pointed tip with a wet finger.

Note, for large puffs pipe to 2" diameter. Vary for other desired sizing.

Form rows and columns separated 2" spaces apart on your baking sheet.

Set oven 350 °F and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or to medium brown. Don't overcook.

Remove from the oven. Place on a cooling rack to cool.

Cheese Paste Filling

Combine all cheese paste ingredients into a bowl and mix thoroughly.

Fill in a piping bag 8" fitted with #12 tip.

Slit a small tee at bottom of puff shell and pipe in paste

Garnish and serve