Cheese Puffs with Natural Bacon

These delicious, crunchy cheese puffs are everyone's favorites (we suspect it's the natural bacon that makes them so irresistible). The dough can be made a day ahead, refrigerated, and baked while the dough is still cold.

Makes about 30 | Total Time: Less Than 60 Mins

Ingredients

1 cup milk
¼ lb. (1 stick) butter
Pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
½ cup grated Gruyere cheese
6 slices Applegate Naturals^® Sunday Bacon^® Brand, cooked until crisp then crumbled

Instructions

Heat the milk, butter, salt and pepper together in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat until the butter has melted, about 5 minutes.
Add all the flour at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough forms a mass, and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
Remove the pan from heat and add the eggs one at a time, beating vigorously, until each egg is absorbed into the dough before adding the next one. (The dough should be smooth, shiny, and thick.)
Add the cheese and the crumbled bacon. (At this point the dough can be refrigerated, up to a day, until you are ready to bake them.)
Preheat the oven to 400°.
Drop the dough by small spoonfuls onto a non-stick baking sheet.
Bake until puffed and brown, about 20 minutes.

Allow for the chef and the chef's helpers (if any) taking his, her or their fair amount of cheese puffs off the top when calculating just how many you will need for your guests.