Friday, November 19, 2010

Jarlsberg bacon puffs

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Do you ever read a recipe and think "Now. Right now. I must make that RIGHT NOW"? That's what happened when I saw the gruyere cheese mini appetizers on Inside the Kaganoff Kitchen, my dear friend Rachel's ultra-fabulous blog. Perfect little puffs of cheese - that's exactly what I wanted at that exact moment.

Except I had no gruyere. And no chives. I had Jarlsberg and green onions. And I was also in the mood for bacon. So, as cooks often do, I made Rachel's cheese puffs my way. I know hers were delicious (everything she makes is delicious, and I say that as someone who has eaten at her table many times). Mine were too.

These are so light and cheesy that they almost taste like gougeres. They're far less trouble. I love the nuttiness of the Jarlsberg, but any similar cheese would work fine.


Jarlsberg bacon puffs (adapted from Inside the Kaganoff Kitchen)

  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup grated Jarlsberg cheese
  • 2 green onions, chopped (white and green parts)
  • 1/4 cup cooked, crumbled bacon
  • ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 24-cup mini-muffin tin with cooking spray.

Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a large bowl. In a mixing cup, blend the buttermilk and the egg, then add them to the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Add the grated Jarlsberg, green onions, bacon, and pepper to taste.  Rachel suggests letting the mixture rest 15 minutes, but I was way too impatient for that. Your call.

Divide the batter among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Note: I received a free sample of Jarlsberg cheese via my participation in the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program.

15 comments:

Lana said...

Cheese AND bacon? Has my name all over it:) Gougeres are easy to make and if these little babies are even easier, I'll have to try them (plus, my daughter is coming home for Thanksgiving, and she'll love them).

Monet said...

I'm going to a potluck on Sunday night, and these look like such perfect appetizers to bring. I'm sure they would be a hit! You have been posting so many great recipes this week. I love these (and the artichoke soup looks fabulous too!) Thank you for sharing...I hope you have a wonderful weekend full of good eating and fun!

Erika Kerekes said...

@Monet - if you're bringing them to a potluck, I would suggest scooping the batter into the muffin tins, transporting, and baking on-site if possible. They are really much much better straight out of the oven.

Unknown said...

Erika,
These sound delicious! There couldn't be a better combination than cheese and bacon could there?

I did make gougeres recently, not too hard and turned out great, substituting in some whole wheat flour.

http://eatlittleeatbig.blogspot.com/2010/10/gougeres-with-whole-wheat-flour.html

Cookin' Canuck said...

You're right...I want to make these RIGHT NOW! Jarlsberg is one of my favorite snacking cheeses and can imagine how good it tastes in these pretty puffs.

Lindsey @ Gingerbread Bagels said...

Oh my goodness Jarlsberg and bacon?! Now I could seriously eat a million of those right now. They look soooo good and what a perfect flavor combination. Love them! :)

Damaris @Kitchen Corners said...

I'm kind of getting that "Now" feeling after reading this post. Bacon makes my world go round.

Cristina - TeenieCakes said...

Luv these little bacon puff bites. How perfect for holiday entertaining!

Mar said...

I'm thinking if you don't have bacon, these would be really good with chorizo too. Gotta try it.

Erika Kerekes said...

@Mar - yes, I bet they would. If you make them with chorizo, come back and report, ok?

Christina | Christina's Cucina said...

They look and sound like my cup of tea!

Anonymous said...

A little change in this recipe for less mess is rather than flour mix...use pillsbury buttermilk biscuits. Mix bacon onion and cheese with a little mayo to bind. Can also add a little tomato Use about 3/4 of a biscuit. Flatten the biscuit into a circle. Put a dollop of mix on biscuit and fold biscuit around mixture. Place biscuits in mini cupcake pan and bake at 400 until golden. friends call them crack biscuits

Anonymous said...

OMG--just saw the suggestion about chorizo and we already use a veggie chorizo in our house (from Trader Joe's it's the best!)--

Also saw a mention of artichoke soup?! PLEASE can you share that recipe with us? thanks so much!!! ★ ★

http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article.asp?article_id=988

Anonymous said...

If one wanted a Southwestern "twist", one could add chopped red or green peppers. The canned diced green chilis would give a New Mexico taste without the "zing".

Erika Kerekes said...

@Anonymous #1 - using prepared biscuit dough, that's an interesting twist! I don't think it would be quite the same, as these have more of a muffin-like quality, but I'm sure it's delicious nonetheless.

@Anonymous #2 - the artichoke soup is already here on the blog. Here's the link: http://www.inerikaskitchen.com/2010/11/artichoke-potato-soup-recipe.html

@Anonymous #3 - yes, peppers would be a great addition.

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