The term Carnival is derived from the term “carnelavare,” which loosely translates to “remove meat.” The festivity is a time of indulgence before the austerity of lent. The celebration, held the 46th day before Easter, varies by country but is marked by dancing, singing and parades.
Because my past few recipes have been carb heavy, I debated including this even though I learned it is a Carnival staple. In the end, I could not resist. I used to eat these rolls in New York, where a Portuguese bakery was on my pedestrian commute. They are crispy on the outside but chewy inside. Even better, they are easy to make, gluten free and a fave of my kids!
Ingredients:
1 cup milk (I use 2%)
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups tapioca flour*
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese (Mexican cotija cheese also works great)
2 eggs
Mini muffin pan (for 24 mini muffins)
* Tapioca Flour can be found at specialty and Asian markets. It is also called tapioca starch.
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Bring the the first three ingredients to a boil in a saucepan, stirring constantly.
3. Once it comes to a boil, and butter is fully melted, remove from heat.
4. Slowly add one cup tapioca flour, stirring constantly until thoroughly mixed. Add the cheese and eggs to mixture (once it has cooled down some), then the remaining flour. Mix until smooth.
7. Fill each (non-greased) mini muffin cup to the top. You will have enough for 20 rolls.
8. Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes.
Eat while hot. Rolls can be stored covered in the fridge and rewarmed on a low setting in the oven.
As a note, the rolls don’t taste good cold!
[…] Brazilian Pão de Queijo (cheese […]