Description
A recipe for making crunchy cheese puffs flavored with dill pickle and cheddar cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup fine cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon dried dill weed
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and cayenne pepper.
- Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- In a small bowl, whisk the cold water and egg together. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead the dough briefly on a lightly floured surface until it comes together.
- Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap it, and chill it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- While the dough chills, mix the shredded cheddar cheese, dill pickle juice, and dried dill weed in a separate bowl.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough out to about 1/8 inch thickness.
- Cut the dough into small shapes, about 1 inch square or use a small cookie cutter.
- Press a small amount of the cheese mixture onto half of the dough pieces. Top with the remaining dough pieces and crimp the edges firmly with a fork to seal.
- Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a deep pot or Dutch oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).
- Carefully drop the puffs into the hot oil, working in batches to avoid overcrowding.
- Fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown and puffed.
- Remove the puffs with a slotted spoon and drain them on a wire rack lined with paper towels.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- For a stronger pickle flavor, you can lightly toss the finished puffs with a small amount of extra dill pickle juice immediately after frying.
- You can bake these instead of frying; bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) for 12 to 15 minutes until golden.
- Prep Time: 45 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Category: Snack
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 puffs
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 250
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 6
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 10
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 6
- Cholesterol: 35
Keywords: cheese puffs, dill pickle, cheddar, fried snack, savory pastry