Recipe: Curried Cheddar Puffs

CURRIED CHEDDAR PUFFS

2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
6 tablespoons margarine or butter (3/4 stick), cut up
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
4 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 2 large cookie sheets.

In 3-quart saucepan, heat curry powder, coriander, cumin, and ground red pepper over medium heat, stirring constantly, 1 minute or until very fragrant. Stir in margarine or butter, salt, and 1 cup water; heat to boiling over high heat. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in flour all at once; return to medium-low heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until mixture forms a ball and leaves side of pan. Remove saucepan from heat.

Stir in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition until batter is smooth and satiny. Stir in cheese. Spoon batter into large decorating bag fitted with large writing tip (about 1/2 inch diameter). Pipe batter, about 1 inch apart, onto cookie sheets, forming mounds 1 inch wide and 3/4 inch high. Or, drop dough by teaspoons, forming small mounds. With fingertip dipped in water, gently smooth peaks.

Place cookie sheets on 2 oven racks. Bake puffs 25 to 30 minutes, until deep golden, rotating cookie sheets between upper and lower racks halfway through baking time. Remove to wire racks to cool. Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve puffs at room temperature or reheat to serve warm. To reheat, place puffs on cookie sheet in 400 degrees F oven 5 minutes.

Makes about 8 dozen. Each puff is about 20 calories. Bake and freeze these up to a month ahead.

Source: Cathy G., Allen Park, MI