Brazilian Cheese Rolls: Pao de Queijo

Bread + cheese = what's not to love, right? I've wanted to try these ever since a friend from Facebook mentioned she made them. This was a little new for me, so I followed the original recipe exactly from Our Best Bites These were quick & easy and very tasty!

I'll share the recipe here as well:

Quick Brazilian Cheese Rolls {Pao de Queijo} – Gluten Free!
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup tapioca flour (sometimes labeled tapioca starch) no substitutions
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 C grated cheddar cheese* (preferably medium or sharp)
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place egg, milk, oil, tapioca flour, and salt in blender and blend until smooth.  Add cheeses and pulse 2 times.  Immediately pour batter into a mini muffin tin (if your muffin tin isn’t non-stick, spray lightly with non-stick spray first*), filling each well about 3/4 full, or just slightly less.  If desired (and I recommend), sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese on top and/or a tiny sprinkle of kosher salt.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden.  Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes before removing rolls from pan.  Serve warm. {Que Gostoso!}  These actually don’t re-heat well so I recommend making and eating fresh.

Yield: anywhere from 16-24 rolls, depending on how full you fill your muffin pan. I fill  mine pretty full (a good 3/4 full) and I generally get about 16-18. 

* My Notes: even if your tin is non-stick, spray it anyway, these little things don't want to come loose! I topped mine with parmesan cheese & a little garlic powder. They are absolutely delicious! The perfect blend of light, but also savory. They would be at home on the brunch or dinner table. Do NOT make ahead! They really need to be fresh or else they get chewy and while the flavor doesn't suffer, the texture certainly does.