Ingredients
- 8 tablespoon (1 stick) cold butter, cubed
- 2 cup grated emmental, gruyère, cheddar or other semihard cheese
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon paprika or ground cumin (optional)
Preparation
Baking Directions:
1.Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse just until the mixture resembles a coarse meal; do not overprocess.
(You can also use a pastry cutter or a fork to cut the mixture to the same consistency in a bowl.)
Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until you're ready to bake the puffs.
(Or roll the ball into two logs, wrap tightly and freeze for up to a month.)
2.Form the dough into 1-inch balls.
(Or cut the frozen dough crosswise into 1/4-inch slices).
Put the balls or slices on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between them.
Slightly flatten each ball with your fingers.
Bake until the pastries puff and turn golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
Cool completely on a wire rack, then sprinkle with additional paprika and serve.
