Gluten-free Baked Cheese Puffs

I never got around to posting a recipe for Super Bowl, but I thought gluten-free cheese puffs would make a nice appetizer or snack for todays game!  This particular gluten-free cheese puffs recipe is not like the crispy snack cheese puffs, but more of a cream puff pastry.  They are very light.  If you wish them to be heavier, just use all butter instead of shortening and butter.  I hope you enjoy them, as well as Super Bowl Sunday!
Gluten-free Baked Cheese Puffs Recipe

Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients

• 1/2 stick or 4 Tablespoons butter
• 4 Tablespoons shortening
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup rice flour
• 1/3 cup potato starch
• 1/3 cup tapioca starch
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon guar gum
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• pinch of fresh ground pepper or white pepper to hide the pepper flecks or your favorite seasoning
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated, lightly packed
• meat such as bacon bits, ham bits, etc. (optional)

Instructions

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Boil butter, shortening, and water in a medium sized saucepan on high.
3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flours, gums and pepper.
4. Reduce the water and butter mixture to medium heat and add the entire mix of dry ingredients; quickly stir with a wooden spoon, and I cannot stress “quickly” enough, until a ball of dough forms.
5. Add the dough to the mixing bowl of your mixer. Allow the dough to cool, but not completely. If you don’t allow it to cool enough when you add the eggs they will turn out scrambled.
6. Preheat oven to 400°F.
7. Add the eggs one at the time and mix a dough hook or flat paddle tool on medium or number 4 of a KitchenAid, until creamy.
8. Add the cheese and fold in using the same tool as above.
9. Make balls from the dough, about a heaping tablespoon each; and add to baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.
10. Bake for 10 minutes at 400°F; lower heat to 350°F and continue to bake for about 22-25 minutes or until puffy and no more than lightly golden brown.

Tips

• You may use all xanthan gum, but guar gum will make it a little better texture.
• Alternative seasonings may be chili powder, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, etc.