New Years Eve Canape – Ensymada Cheese Puff

Healthy Filipino | Recipes | Snacks
by Rezel Kealoha - December 28th, 2019

Ring in the New Year with this super easy, yet classy Ensymada Cheese Puff.  I’ve taken the sweet cheesy bread roll and turned it into a cheese puff.  It’s also easier and faster to make!

New Years Eve Traditions and Ensymada

Superstitions abound when we celebrate the New Year. We have to do the following in no particular order:

  • Wear polka dots. The bigger and shinier the better. It equals more coin in the new year. My dots get bigger and bigger as I age.
  • Make lots of noise!!! When we were living in the Philippines NYE is insane. The noise is constant all through out the night until after midnight. It’s to ward away the bad vibes that have been lingering and then right when the new year starts you start it with a literal bang. My grandpa used to make these crazy spinning fireworks, that so would not be legal anywhere else.
  • As a kid we had to jump as high as we could off the last step once the New Year came. This is so we could grow long and tall.
  • One of the more important things is to eat round food. It goes back to point 1. Bringing in more coin!! We had to have 12 oranges and multiple sizes and colors of grapes and queso de bolla (really just gouda cheese).

So I have created for you these Ensymada Cheese Puffs! They are nice and round and puffy. The puff is laced with cheese and then smothered in some sweet cheesy butter cream. Oh and topped with more cheese.

How to Make Ensymada Cheese Puffs

So let’s make it!  This is the equipment that you need:

  • Small Sauce Pan
  • Whisk
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Piping Bag (You can use a 1 gallon zip lock back if you don’t want to buy)
  • Use #1A piping tip with the 1/2 inch tube (not needed if you are using the zip lock bag)
  • Baking Tray
  • Parchment Paper or Silpat (or grease your baking tray pan with butter)

For the dough these are the ingredients:

  • Water
  • Butter
  • Salt
  • Sugar
  • Flour
  • Eggs
  • Cheese

I cheated with the frosting and used Simple Mills Vanilla Frosting and just mixed some cheese in.

Step by Step

Last year I made puffs as well, but with a different flavour.  In that post I did take photos of how to make the dough step by step.  Go on over to get a refresh.

Every step is the same, except for the topping.  My only modification this time is if you don’t want to buy piping bags and tip you can transfer the dough to a 1 gallon zip lock bag.

To do that push the dough to one corner that is fully sealed and then wring the top of the bag so that it pushes the dough when you apply pressure.  Cut the corner where the opening is about 1cm.  Now you have a makeshift, but very workable piping bag!

The Piping

Pipe the dough into one inch rounds.  Remembering that these do puff up quite a bit when baked.  So give each pipe of dough at least 2 inches of room around all sides.

If you have any peaks on your piped mounds wet your finger with water and just lightly press down.

Once you have it all piped out, add more cheese!

The Sweet Cheesy Topping

After baking at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, the puffs will look like this:

Leave them all to cool fully before putting the cream on or else it was just all melt away.  As I said, I used a short cut and just mixed some pre-made (healthy-ish) frosting and mixed in some cheese.  It works like a charm!

After spreading on the cheesy cream top with more cheese!

Now this is when the magic happens and you sprinkle as a finishing touch some sugar.

To serve

What I like to do is have some fully made up, but then also have some plain cheese ones out with the cream, extra cheese and sugar on the side.  You can make it DIY as some want more cheese and less sugar or more sugar and less cheese.

I also like it with a nice crisp champagne.

Enjoy the New Year Festivities and I can’t wait to see you back in a few days with even more healthy Filipino inspired recipes!

Here are some New Years if you are still looking for ideas:

How to Host an Open House New Years Party

Champagne Gulaman (Jelly) with Mango and Mint

How to Put Together The Ultimate Champagne Bar

Festive AF Pavlova Slab with Cranberry Chia Champagne Jam

Luxurious Champagne Tart

Chocolate Chestnut Cake with Golden Poached Pears

For more  Filipino inspired goodness in your life follow along on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest.  Or subscribe to get these recipes in your inbox.  And if you make this Ensymada Cheese Puff I would love to see it.  Tag your Instagram snaps with @rezelkealoha and #rezelkealohaeats.
Ensymada Cheese Puff

Ensymada Cheese Puffs

Ring in the New Year with this super easy, yet classy Ensymada Cheese Puff. I’ve taken the sweet cheesy bread roll and turned it into a cheese puff. It’s also easier and faster to make!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: Filipino, French
Servings: 24 Puffs
Author: Rezel Kealoha

Ingredients

For the Puff

  • 1/2 Cup Flour
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
  • 2 oz Butter
  • 1/2 Cup Water
  • 2 Eggs beaten together
  • 1/4 Cup Grated Cheese + 2 Tablespoons Extra Gouda or Cheddar will do

For The Sweet Cheese Cream

  • 1/2 Cup Room Temperature Simple Mills Vanilla Frosting
  • 2 Tablespoons Grated Cheese
  • 2 Tablespoons Fine Cane Sugar

Equipment

  • Small Sauce Pan
  • Whisk
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Piping Bag (You can use a 1 gallon zip lock back if you don’t want to buy)
  • Piping Tip 1/2 inch (not needed if you are using the zip lock bag)
  • Baking Tray
  • Parchment Paper or Silpat (or grease your baking tray pan with butter)

Instructions

  • Pre-Heat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.
  • Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set next to the stove.
  • Cut the butter into cubes and place in a sauce pan with the water. Melt the butter on low heat and then bring up to a quick boil. Dump the flour into the water butter mixture and then turn off the heat.
  • Beat the mixture thoroughly until it leaves the sides of the sauce pan. Allow it to cool in the pan until the hand can be held comfortably against the side of the pot.
  • Add in the eggs into the cooled mixture and mix until smooth. Add in the cheese and mix until incorporated. Transfer the dough into a piping bag with a 1/2 inch piping tip.
  • Pipe 20 equal mounds of dough on your lined baking sheet making sure each mound is 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with extra cheese.
  • Bake at 400F for 20 minutes.
  • Transfer to cool on a wire rack

For the Sweet Cheese Cream

  • Mix together the vanilla icing and the cheese. 

To Serve

  • Spread the sweet cheese cream on top of each of the cheese puffs and then sprinkle the cane sugar on top.

Notes

If you don’t want to buy piping bags and tip you can transfer the dough to a 1 gallon zip lock bag.
To do that push the dough to one corner that is fully sealed and then wring the top of the bag so that it pushes the dough when you apply pressure. Cut the corner where the opening is about 1cm. Now you have a makeshift, but very workable piping bag!
For a shopping list of equipment go to this post and scroll down to the end.
Did you enjoy making it? I would love to see it! Tag me on Instagram @rezelkealoha with the #rezelkealoha!
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