Cheese Mantecaos
These are the Platonic ideal of our packaged cheese puffs, with the texture of macaroons and the flavors of fresh cheese and fragrant spices. Serve as a snack or stand-up food. You can prepare the dough ahead of time and refrigerate it until you are ready to bake or make the biscuits themselves ahead of time and store them in an airtight container for up to a day.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put the butter, cheese, flour, egg, salt, cayenne, and cumin into the bowl of a food processor and pulse, just until the mixture resembles coarse meal; do not over process. (You can also use a pastry cutter or a fork to cut the mixture to the same consistency.)
Step 2
Form the mixture into 1-inch balls. Line the balls on a nonstick or lightly greased baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between them. Slightly flatten each ball with your fingers.
Step 3
Bake until the pastries puff and become golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack, then garnish with paprika if you like and serve within a few hours.
Spicy Cheese Straws
Step 4
Omit the cumin and paprika; increase the cayenne to 1 teaspoon, or to taste.
