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Garlic Thyme Cheese Puffs. close up shot on white serving plate.

Garlic Thyme Cheese Puffs

Choux pastry cheese puffs need not be intimidating. They're quite easy and this recipe has the most delicious filling too!
Course Appetizer, Hors D'Ouevres
Cuisine French Inspired
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4 dozen cheese puffs
Author Barry C. Parsons

Ingredients

For the choux pastry shells

  • cups water
  • ¾ cup salted butter
  • cups flour
  • 6 large fresh eggs

For the cheese filling

  • 8 ounces goat cheese 1 cup
  • 8 ounces cream cheese 1 cup
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • pinch salt and pepper
  • 2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
  • 8-10 cloves roasted garlic (about ½ a large bulb you'll need a pinch of salt and pepper and a little drizzle of olive oil for this as well)

Instructions

To prepare the choux pastry shells for the cheese puffs

  1. Add the butter and water to a medium sized saucepan and bring to a gentle boil.
  2. Reduce the heat to medium and quickly add the flour all at once, stirring quickly to form a soft dough.
  3. Cook this mixture stirring constantly for an additional 3 minutes.
  4. Allow this mixture to cool slightly for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, before adding the eggs, one at a time, stirring until smooth after each addition.
  5. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  6. Drop the batter by rounded teaspoonfuls (or pipe small mounds using a piping bag ) onto a parchment paper lined aluminum baking sheet.
  7. Dip your finger in cold water and tap down the points at the top of the mounds of batter, especially if piping the batter. This helps to keep the tops rounded when baking.
  8. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until the puffs are golden brown and do not collapse when removed from the oven. These should be uniformly golden all over with no pale sides and sound hollow when tapped.
  9. Cool completely on a wire rack.

To prepare the filling

  1. To roast it, cut a little off the top of the half bulb of garlic. Place it on a square of aluminum foil and drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
  2. Bring the four corners of the aluminum foil together and twist to seal the garlic in completely.
  3. Roast the garlic on a 350 degree oven for about ½ hour until fully softened and golden.
  4. Let it cool before removing the garlic from the skins and mashing it with a fork before using it in the filling.
  5. Using an electric mixer, bet together the goat cheese and cream cheese until smooth.
  6. Add the pinch of salt and pepper. mashed roasted garlic, chopped thyme and cream. Blend together until smooth.
  7. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or so before filling the choux pastry puffs.
  8. Use a piping bag with a large open round or star tip to fill the cheese puffs. I like to only about half fill the puffs with the cheese filling. Filling them completely is too much of the rich filling for my taste.
  9. Push the tip into the side of the cheese puff shell and squeeze about a rounded teaspoon of the filling inside.
  10. If you do not have a piping bag you can also split the cheese puff shells in half with a serrated knife and spoon the filling into the bottom half before putting them back together.
  11. Chill until ready to serve.

Recipe Notes

- You can use reduced fat versions of cream cheese and/or goat cheese if you prefer. - Low fat yogurt can be used as a substitute for the whipping cream as well. - If you do not like goat cheese, you can use all cream cheese in this recipe instead.