When a French gougère gets mixed up with some pepperoni and cheese, you end up with Pepperoni Cheese Puffs. You can't get mad about that! It's a fun way to serve up appetizers.
How to make Pepperoni Cheese Puffs
The dough is a simple choux pastry dough that you can just as easily fill with cream and drizzle with chocolate! Minus the cheese, of course.
So you start the cheese puff dough by melting butter in some water and bringing it to a boil. Then you add the flour all at once and stir until it is all incorporated and comes together in a ball.
Let it cool a bit then add in the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously.
It will look a bit clumpy, but the more you stir and mix it, it will come together. If you get frustrated with it, you can always use a Danish dough whisk or even an electric mixer.
What kind of cheese should I use?
I usually use pecorino romano, but I've also used parmesan. Both of these are dry and salty and hold up really well in the dough.
Once the cheese puff dough is smooth, mix in the pepperoni, cheese, and parsley.
Scoop the cheese puff dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. You can use a teaspoon for this, but I like to use a small cookie scoop for the precision of it. They all turn out the same perfect size for popping in your mouth!
How to serve Pepperoni Cheese Puffs
These little morsels are easily just popped into your mouth as they are! However, having a little marinara sauce to dip them in makes it a little more tasty.
Variations on the add-ins
Pepperoni and cheese are just one option to mix in. There are as many options as there are ideas!
- Sundried tomatoes & Kalamata olives
- Ham & pineapple
- Feta cheese & roasted red peppers
- Smoked salmon & capers
- Sauteed mushrooms & Gruyere
- Your turn! What combinations can you come up with?
Recipe
Pepperoni Cheese Puffs
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup water
- ⅓ cup butter
- 1½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
- ¾ cup pepperoni finely chopped
- ¾ cup pecorino or parmesan cheese finely shredded
- 1 Tablespoons parsley finely chopped
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
MARINARA SAUCE
- 1 cup tomato puree
- 2 cloves garlic chopped small
- salt to season
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large sauce pan, combine water and butter. Bring to a boil. Add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously until the mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition. Stir in the pepperoni, cheese, parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Drop dough by rounded teaspoons or cookie scoop, 2 inches apart onto parchment paper lined baking sheets.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm with Marinara Sauce.
MARINARA SAUCE
- Put the tomato puree in a small pot. Add the garlic and season with salt. Heat till warm. Serve in a small bowl with the Pepperoni Cheese Puffs.
Rebecca
Love your recipes, so glad I found them! I may try a salty somewhat dry Mexican cheese & see how they turn out.
Tammy Circeo
Thank you so much for your kind words, Rebecca. I'm sure your choice of cheese will be delicious. If you use a Mexican cheese, why not also use chorizo instead of pepperoni? I would cook it first, cool it a bit, then add it to the dough. It's a different flavor profile, but it sounds delicious to me!