Palmabella's Passions

I've been cooking and baking for this year's Slow Bowl weekend. Friday night's smackdown has a "Retro" theme, so my appetizers are "Cheese Puffs", a big hit from the 50's and 60's. I decided on these as a good "make ahead" recipe. I have over 200 frozen in zip-lock bags, so they are portable in an ice chest, and all I'll have to do is pop them in the oven for 12 minutes! Here's the recipe:

Cut a 1 lb loaf of bakery white bread (unsliced) into 1" cubes. (An electric knife is the easiest way to do this quickly without smashing the bread.)

In the top of a double boiler, combine 1 stick butter, one stick margarine, 6 oz. cubed cream cheese and 2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese.

Melt over boiling water, stirring constantly until you have a nice smooth cheese sauce.

Beat 4 egg whites until stiff, and fold into warm cheese sauce a little at a time.

Coat bread cubes with mixture, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Flash freeze cubes for about 30 minutes, and store in freezer in zip-lock bags.
Recipe makes about 110 cheese puffs. I made two batches for Slow Bowl.

When ready to bake, bake frozen at 400 for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

I'll try to remember to take a photo of the finished product at Slow Bowl. These remind me of "cheddar marshmallows". They are a great party snack...even 50 or 60 years later!