Rock’n Pão de Queijo

 Pão de Queijo, commonly called Brazilian Cheese Bread, is a real treat! These light, fluffy puffs of cheese are made with tapioca flour and are way easier to make than you might think. We used a combination of our pepper Jack, Rock’n Jack and fresh parmesan to get the characteristic chewy texture with a pepper kick. The flavor and fluffiness of Brazilian Cheese Bread is the big draw, but these treats are gluten-free as well! Bob’s Red Mill is one of the more common manufactures of tapioca flour and bags can be found in Whole Foods-type stores.

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter or olive oil
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups tapioca flour
• 1 tsp garlic
• 1 cup Rock’n Jack, shredded
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan
• 2 eggs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine olive oil, water, milk, and salt into a saucepan, and heat to boiling over high heat. Remove the pan from heat as soon as it comes to a boil. Transfer liquid to the bowl of a stand mixer and add in tapioca flour and garlic. Beat on medium until smooth, about 3-5 minutes. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Beat eggs lightly in a small bowl. Add eggs and cheese into the tapioca mixture and mix until well combined. The mixture will be slightly crumbly. Drop rounded tablespoon sized balls of the mixture onto an ungreased baking sheet. A small cookie scooper works well for this!
4. Bake in preheated oven until the tops are lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes.