Ah, nastalgia! My mother used to make these fun little puffs every once in awhile when I was a kid, and although I don't know that they've touched my lips in 20 years, I've never quite forgotten them...the sharp cheddar cheese, the crunchy bacon, the rice crispies, all rolled up into buttery balls... They were like cheese straws, only better. In my 10-year-old brain, they we.re nothing short of legendary.
This is why, when Super Bowl time came around and the challenge of creating a crowd-pleasing appetizer came up, all I could think of was these cheese thingies. It is also why, when a nasty cold crept up right before the Big Game and side-lined my party attendance, I had to make these snacks anyway Even if I was the only one to enjoy them.
Thankfully, my mother still had the recipe on an old 3x5 index card, and thankfully, save for the bizarre name ("Cheese Pastry Snacks," which sounds like something from a Chinese bakery), they were EXACTLY as I remember them.
The process is simple. You just dump a bunch of delicious ingredients into a bowl... Mix them up.... Roll them into little balls, sprinkled with paprika... Nuke 'em... AND PLAY!
What can I say? These little puffs bring out the kid in me :-)
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup coarse crushed rice crispies
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
- 1/3 cup butter, softenend
- 6 strips crisp cooked bacon, crumbled
- 2 tblsp. cold water
Drop 7 level tblsp fulls in a circle onto each of 3 lightly buttered plates. (Butter plates only around deges, where dough will be placed.)
Sprinkle with paprika, Microwave 1 plate at a time.
Microwave at High 2 3/4 to 3 1/4 minutes, rotating dish after 1 1/2 min. Dough will be slightly puffed when done and will crisp on drying. Remove immediately from plate. Serve hot or cold.
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