🧾 What is Pão de Queijo?
Pão de Queijo is a traditional, lectin-free Brazilian cheese pastry with a crispy exterior and elastic-soft interior, classically made from arrowroot starch, eggs, oil, milk and cheese.
🛒 Ingredients (approx. 24 balls)
500 g arrowroot starch
300 ml sheep's milk
60 g beef fat / tallow / sheep butter
2 eggs
250 g grated cheese (e.g. young soft Pecorino, sheep's milk Gouda, etc.)
1 tsp salt
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Optional: ½ tsp garlic or onion powder (depending on tolerance)
👩🍳 Preparation
Preheat oven:
Preheat the oven to approximately 200 °C (top/bottom heat).Heat the liquid:
Gently heat milk, fat and salt in a pot until the mixture is hot (do not boil completely).Incorporate flour:
Immediately pour the hot milk-oil mixture over the arrowroot starch in a bowl and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until an elastic, hot dough is formed.Allow to cool:
Let the dough cool slightly so that the eggs don't curdle when added.Add to the dough:
Incorporate the eggs one at a time, stirring thoroughly. Finally, work in the grated cheese until a homogeneous, sticky dough forms.Forms:
Form small balls (approximately golf ball size) with lightly oiled hands and place them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.-
Bake:
Bake in a preheated oven for approximately 15–20 minutes , until the cheese balls have risen and are lightly golden brown. Serve warm.
🍽 Serving suggestions
These lectin-free cheese balls go wonderfully with light dips, grilled meat, or as a snack alongside a fresh salad.
