Last week we had a potluck at work. I needed something quick to share that I could also eat. We have a small deli/sandwich shop where I work and they are constantly making garlic bread and rolls. The aroma is killer and really makes me crave garlic bread!
I decided on Pao de Queijo, a Brazilian cheese bread. It's super easy to make, only uses one flour and a few simple ingredients. The problem was the cheese. I really don't need to eat cheese. Dairy just doesn't like me and as much as I miss it, I know better.
I wondered how these rolls would turn out using a cheese alternative like "Daiya", a soy free, dairy free
"cheese" product. In general I think it's best just to stay away from processed foods, but sometimes it's nice to still feel like I get to eat cheese! Daiya is the only "cheese" alternative I've found that doesn't contain soy and it melts and gets gooey, just like real cheese. It makes an awesome grilled "cheese" and it's what I put on my homemade pizzas at home.
Turns out it works like a charm in these rolls too! I altered my friend Jaime's recipe to make them casein free and they were a hit. Make these with cheese or with Daiya. Either way I think you'll love them! :-)
Pao de Queijo aka Gluten Free "Cheese" Rolls
adapted from Just a Gluten For Punishment , by Carrie Forbes at Gingerlemongirl.com
free of gluten, dairy/casein, soy, and grains
printer-friendly recipe
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups tapioca starch
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder (optional -- good, but not necessary)
2 cups shredded cheese -OR- Daiya "cheddar-style" or "mozarrella-style" shredded "cheese"
2 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter, ghee, or melted coconut oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat. In a large bowl whisk together tapioca starch, baking powder, and garlic powder (if using). Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add shredded Daiya "cheese", eggs, and melted butter or oil. Stir together with dry ingredients until you have a thick, wet batter. Using an ice-cream scoop or large spoon scoop 12 balls of dough and drop them onto the lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. (Alternatively you could scoop them into paper-lined muffin tins). Bake for 8-10 minutes or until they are crusty and golden brown. Serve hot.
Carrie's Notes:
- This is one of the few recipes using tapioca starch that I actually like. I think the shredded cheese & eggs, and oil remove the tapioca starch flavor. And tapioca starch is probably key in the crispiness of these rolls. If you try the rolls with another starch please let me know how they turn out!
- This dough would also make a REALLY good pizza crust patted out and baked. Granted you'd use a lot of cheese just in the crust, but if you wanted a super easy, low maintenance, crispy, yeast free pizza crust, this dough would be awesome! Just roll it or pat it out onto parchment paper and prebake it for about 10 minutes before adding your toppings!! Enjoy!
- I buy my Daiya cheese online from Cosmo's Vegan Shoppe out of Mariette Georgia. Cosmo's has wonderful customer service and fast shipping. They are super nice folks, tell 'em I sent ya!
