Spinach cheese puffs - country living

44 2-inch puf

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1½ cup Water
½ cup (1 stick) butter
1¼ cup Unsifted all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon Salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1 small Onion, chopped
2 tablespoons Pine nuts
1 pack (10-oz)k fresh spinach, torn into pieces
½ cup Unsifted all-purpose flour
1 cup Milk
¼ teaspoon To 1/2 t ground red pepper
6 larges Eggs
1 cup Shredded Cheddar cheese
¾ cup Water
¾ cup Dried tomatoes, blanched and chopped
1¼ cup Shredded provolone cheese
½ teaspoon Ground black pepper
½ teaspoon Salt

Directions

PUFFS

VEGETABLE-CHEESE FILLING

1. Prepare Puffs: In 4-quart saucepan, heat water and butter to boiling over high heat. Add flour, salt, and red pepper, stirring vigorously until a thick batter forms. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring oc- casionally, 5 minutes. (Batter should pull away from side of pan.)

2. Transfer batter to food processor fitted with chopping blade. Add eggs and Cheddar cheese; process until well blended. Set aside 10 minutes to cool slightly.

3. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350'F; lightly grease 2 baking sheets. Drop batter by the tablespoonful, ½ inch apart, on greased sheets. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cool puffs on baking sheets on wire racks.

4. Meanwhile, prepare Vegetable-Cheese Filling: In large skillet, melt 1 T butter over medium heat. Add onion and pine nuts; saute 5 minutes. Add spinach, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted-about 2 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to small bowl and set aside.

5. In same skillet, melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in milk and water; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is very thick. Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes, 1 C provolone cheese, the pepper, salt, and onion mixture.

6. Just before serving, heat oven to 350'F. Cut each puff in half horizontally. Divide filling mixture among bottoms; replace tops of puffs. Sprinkle remaining ¼ C provolone cheese on top of puffs and bake 12 minutes. Serve hot.

Country Living/November/1994 Scanned & edited by Di Pahl & <gg>

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