Pao de queijo in Vancouver 101

Lili
Aug 14, 2017
2 min read

If you are Brazilian or if you know a Brazilian, you definitely know what I’m talking about: The fantastic little cheese balls, crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and that every Brazilian misses when living abroad.

Here in Vancouver, luckily, we have some options available. The Maple Leaf Delicatessen sells the imported frozen original version. In some grocery stores, we find frozen local versions such as Otimo and Gramma Dee's.

But if you are a kitchen enthusiast like me, here are two recipes for the cheese puff monster in you. Enjoy!

Recipe 1

Hands on time: 10 minutes

Makes 8 to 12 cheese puffs

Ingredients

1 cup of sweet tapioca starch (polvilho doce) – Available at the Maple Leaf Delicatessen

1 small can of thick cream – Available the Persia Foods

½ cup (100g) of grated parmesan cheese (or 1 cup/200g of grated white cheddar, Monterey Jack, Gouda, Harvati, etc.)

½ tsp of table salt

How to do it

Mix all ingredients in a big bowl, with a spoon, till it’s homogeneous. Using two spoons make balls with the dough. Line a baking tray with tin foil, cover it with spray butter (or olive oil), place the cheese puffs at least 1 cm from each other, and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350F or until they are golden to your taste.

Recipe 2

Hands on time: 20 minutes

Makes 8 to 12 cheese puffs

Ingredients

1 cup of sour tapioca starch (polvilho azedo) - Available at the Maple Leaf Delicatessen

1/3 cup of vegetable oil

1/3 cup of milk

2 medium eggs

½ cup (100g) of grated parmesan cheese (or 1 cup/200g of grated white cheddar, Monterey Jack, Gouda, Harvati, etc.)

½ tsp of table salt

How to do it

Put the flour in a big bowl. Put milk and oil in a pan and bring to a boil. Pour the boiling mix on the flour and mix it well. Wait until it cools down (20-30 minutes). Add eggs to the mixture and start using your hands to mix it. Add the salt and the cheese. Keep mixing! I tell you when to stop… Is it looking good? Yes? Ok, stop! Now, using two spoons make balls with the dough. Line a baking tray with tin foil, cover it with spray butter (or olive oil), place the cheese puffs at least 1 cm from each other, and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350F or until they are golden to your taste.

As you see, both recipes are very easy and the ingredients are not hard to find. But if you don’t want to cook or bake the frozen version at home, fear no more! Go to Boteco Brasil or find the next spot where the Brazilian Roots food truck will be heading to, and enjoy!

Cheers!

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