Paprika-Scented Manchego Cheese Chorizo Puffs
Half-Buzzed Hostess
Photo by James Ransom
- Serves
- 24
- Prep Time
- 20 Minutes
- Cook Time
- 40 Minutes
Homemade puff pastry combined with chopped chorizo and manchego cheese. The hardest part of this recipe: not eating all the cheese while you're cooking. (So do what I do and buy extra cheese so you can pick while you cook. Self restraint is over-rated.)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup chorizo, finely diced
- 3/4 cup manchego cheese, finely diced
- 1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup water
- 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1/4 teaspoon iodized salt
- 1 cup flour
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 cup sea salt
Featured Video
These puffs are a delightfully simple way to amp up your holiday table. Manchego and chorizo are a classic pairing, and investing in the good Spanish stuff will pay dividends here. To keep the Iberian theme going, consider using a sharp pimenton in lieu of paprika. (Either way, though, be careful to dust the paprika salt lightly over the puffs. A nice, light sprinkle will add a lovely bite that contrasts well with the puffs' pillowy interior; a heavy-handed approach could result in fatal oversalting.)
Directions
- Step 1
Preheat oven to 375° F. In a bowl, combine chorizo, cheese, and scallions. Set aside. In a heavy saucepan, bring water, 1/4 tsp. salt, and butter to a boil until butter is melted. Remove from heat and add flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Return the saucepan to to medium heat and stir with the wooden spoon until a film develops on the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes. Transfer dough to an electric mixer. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue to beat the dough for 5 minutes. Stir in the chorizo mixture. Transfer to a pastry bag. Pipe dough into 1-inch balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. While the puffs are cooking, combine paprika and sea salt. Remove puffs from the oven and immediately sprinkle with paprika mixture. Serve warm.