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January 20, 2007
Cheese Puffs
While I was growing up, my parents would occasionally host large parties at our house in New Jersey. The parties filled the house with murmuring adults and filled the kitchen with activity, and I was usually tapped to do an awkward gymnastics demonstration in the guest room at some point.
I have one very clear memory of walking through a suit and dress-clad crowd in our living room while trays of hors d'oeuvres were being passed overhead. I must have been small, because my visual memory of the crowd consists mainly of dark pant legs; the adults' heads were towering above me.
A wonderful woman named Betty would always come to help in the kitchen, and she or my mother would always, always make cheese puffs. One clear food memory of mine involves stepping through the kitchen door and seeing her take a tray of them out of the oven. I remember being delighted to see and smell the little squares with mounds of white on top, since they only appeared on special occasions.
These cheese puffs fall squarely into the tradition of easy to make 50s style cocktail party food, along with roll-ups and onion dip. They're about an inch square, with a white mound of cheesy goodness on top. When they're fresh, biting into one is like biting into a cloud. The flavor isn't just of cheese -- it's more complex, and the texture is very light.
Last year, I remembered cheese puffs and felt I had to make them. I had no idea what the ingredients might be, but guessed that cream cheese might be involved. Mom consulted a well worn recipe box and pulled out a card, and I copied it down. The main ingredient turned out to be mayonnaise instead of cream cheese, which explains the complexity of the flavor. It's ridiculously simple, and makes use of regular household items as many 50s recipes do.
Ingredients
Several slices firm white bread (Pepperidge Farm or Arnold's), crusts removed
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (or cheddar)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
One recipe for cheese puffs in the box called for equal parts of each, and one called for more mayonnaise, so this is a flexible guide to quantities. Combine all three ingredients, top bread squares with the mixture, and pop into the broiler for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
I just made some this afternoon, since I am leisurely spending my Saturday in my parent's house and have access to their large kitchen. They weren't quite as heavenly as I remember (and my brother made a face upon trying one), but the flavor was familiar and the texture was pretty light (mayonnaise does interesting things when cooked). They also came out a bit charred and oniony due to my less-than-perfect understanding of the recipe. I ate a bunch straight out of the oven. This was not good for my waistline, but good for the cheese puffs, since they didn't taste half as good when they'd cooled down. Can't say I'll make this again unless I decide to host a retro 50s party--with 50s drinks, outfits, and hors d'oeuvres--for kicks.
I just did some research and found some similar recipes online. They seem to include parsley and salt and pepper. One is called Italian Cheese Puffs, and another is Onion Cheese Puffs.
Posted by csageday at January 20, 2007 04:26 PM