I can’t imagine a more festive party starter! Truffles are tubers that grow underground near the roots of certain trees. So far, no one has managed to cultivate them on a large scale, and since finding them in the wild is hard work, they can be extremely expensive. Truffle butter, however, is an affordable luxury that has become more widely available. Look for it in gourmet markets or online.
Makes about 65 puffs
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces black truffle butter
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1½ cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease two large baking sheets.
- Put the water and salt in a medium heavy saucepan and bring to a boil, then stir in the butter until melted.
- Add the flour all at once and cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan.
- Continue to cook and stir for 1 minute more to remove excess moisture from the dough. Remove from the heat.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon or handheld electric mixer on high speed after each addition until incorporated.
- Add the cheese and beat until blended.
- Scoop up a tablespoon of the mixture and use a second spoon to push it onto one of the baking sheets.
- Continue making small mounds of dough, placing them about 1 inch apart so that they have room to expand.
- Then dip your finger into cold water and pat each one to smooth the tops. (You can make these up to 1 day ahead of time. Cover them loosely with foil and refrigerate until ready to bake.)
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
- Serve warm, or transfer the puffs to a wire rack and let cool completely.
- The puffs can be stored in tightly sealed plastic bags in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
- Reheat them in a 350°F oven, without thawing beforehand if frozen, for about 10 minutes.
