Cheese Puffs With Salsa Cream Filling

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 teaspoon salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
• 1 cup flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1 egg, lightly beaten for egg wash
• 1 cup finely grated cheddar cheese or 1 cup swiss cheese, plus
• 3 tablespoons finely grated cheddar cheese or 3 tablespoons swiss cheese
• 1 (11 ounce) jar salsa (or your own)
• 8 ounces whipped cream cheese

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 425*.
• 2 grease 2 baking sheets.
• 3 to make dough: in a heavy 2 qt.
• 4 saucepan, combine 1 cup water with butter, salt, pepper,and nutmeg.
• 5 when butter has melted and water is boiling, remove pan from heat andd beat in flour all at once with a wooden spoon.
• 6 stir vigorously until the mixture forms a ball and leaves sides of pan.
• 7 (if it doesn't, return pan to heat and beat hard 1 to 2 mins., until it forms a ball).
• 8 off of the heat, beat in 4 eggs, 1 at a time until each is thoroughly incorporated.
• 9 beat in 1 cup of grated cheese.
• 10 transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a plain 1/2" tip.
• 11 pipe rounds on the prepared baking sheets, each about 1 inch in diameter, 1" high, and 2" apart.
• 12 with a pastry brush, very carefully brush the tops of the rounds with some of the egg wash, being sure not to let any drip onto the baking sheets.
• 13 (it will act like glue and prevent puffs from puffing).
• 14 sprinkle the remaining cheese over the tops of the rounds.
• 15 bake for 20 to 25 mins.
• 16 or until golden and crisp.
• 17 remove from the oven and turn off the oven.
• 18 with the tip of a small, sharp knife, pierce the top side of each puff, then return the baking sheets to the oven to dry for 10 mins.
• 19 remove and let cool on wire racks.
• 20 while the puffs are baking or as they cool, make the filling: drain the salsa.
• 21 in a bowl combine the cream cheese with half of the drained salsa.
• 22 add salsa to taste.
• 23 with a small sharp knife, cut off the top half of the puffs.
• 24 spoon filling into each puff and place the tops of the puffs back on.