This is due in part to the cheese used in the dough very thin, but it also helped along by tapioca flour (same thing as tapioca starch). I'm afraid there isn't any substitution for this material but the good news is that because tapioca flour is widely used in gluten-free cooking and baking, I've seen it in most grocery stores these days (we have come so far!).
INGREDIENTS :
- 1/4 cup canola or vegetable or olive oil
- 2/3 cup milk
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups tapioca flour (fluff the flour before measuring), about 6.25 ounces/180 grams
- 1/2 cup packed shredded cheese, like Parmesan or Asiago (see note), about 2 ounces/57 grams
DIRECTIONS :
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees f. Lightly grease mini muffin tin (made of 16-24 a bit of bread so if you don't have a muffin TIN is big enough, you can only create a separate batch after the first out).
- In a blender, combine eggs, oil, milk, flour and salt. Process until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender once or twice. Add cheese and process for just a little bit short, 5-10 seconds or a few short pulses, until the cheese in small pieces all over the dough.
- Give the dough stir well to get any solids from the bottom and pour the mixture into the prepared muffin tins filling the Cup almost to the top.
- Pao de queijo roast until deeply golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Don't let them get too Brown on bottom or they'll be too crusty and not chewy.
- Remove from the oven and let them cool for just a minute or two. They are best eaten warm! Don't worry if the cute little Puff fell slightly in the Middle--it's totally normal.