Asparagus-Parmesan Cheese Puffs

By á-174942

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound asparagus spears
• 3/4 cup milk
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 eggs room temperature
• 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Gruyère cheese

Details

Servings 36

Preparation

Step 1

Cut or snap off the tough stem ends from the asparagus spears and discard. Cut the spears crosswise on the diagonal into 1/4-inch pieces. Bring a sauté pan three-fourths full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus and simmer just until tender, about 1 minute. Drain immediately and set aside.

In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the milk and butter and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, sift together the flour, salt and cayenne pepper into a small bowl. As soon as the milk reaches a boil and the butter has melted, remove from the heat and add the flour mixture all at once. Using a wooden spoon, beat vigorously until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly butter the paper.

Add the asparagus, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Gruyère to the cooled dough and stir to mix well. Using a teaspoon, scoop up rounded spoonfuls of the dough and place them about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and, using a spatula, transfer the puffs to a warmed serving dish. Serve immediately.

This recipe yields 36 puffs; 6 servings.