Cheese and bacon puffs recipe

These delicious little cheese puffs are made from choux pastry and are filled with soft cheese and bacon. Choux pastry is easy to make and always looks impressive. Ideal for buffets, celebrations and parties, they make an easy and impressive dish. If you want to speed up the cooking process, buy ready-made choux pastry instead. Store your puffs in an airtight container and use within 2-3 days.

Ingredients

• 50g butter or margarine
• 150ml water
• 65g plain flour
• 2 eggs, medium, beaten
• 50g mature Cheddar cheese, finely grated
• Pinch salt
• ½tsp cayenne pepper
• 1tbsp Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 8 rashers streaky bacon, rinds removed
• 100g soft or cream cheese
• 1 - 2tbsp milk
• 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200⁰C/400⁰F/Fan 180⁰C/Gas Mark 6. Have ready 2 greased baking sheets.
2. Put the butter or margarine into a saucepan. Add the water and heat gently to melt the butter or margarine.
3. Bring to the boil then quickly add the flour stirring well. Cook over a low heat for about 2 minutes, stirring well.
4. Cool the mixture a little, then beat in the eggs gradually, beating well between each addition.
5. Add the cheese, salt and cayenne pepper. Stir well until combined.
6. Put heaped teaspoons of the mixture onto the baking sheets, leaving a little space between each and sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese.
7. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown, well risen and puffy.
8. Pierce each to allow the steam to escape and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
9. Fry or grill the bacon until crispy and then cut the rashers into pieces - you will need one piece per cheese puff. Leave the bacon to cool. Cut the puffs in half.
10. Beat the soft or cream cheese with the milk until creamy then stir in the chopped eggs. Spoon the filling onto each bottom half. Top each with a piece of bacon and add the tops.