Blurb: Pao de Queijo (or Brazilian Cheese Bread) reminds me of home. It’s a dish we always had as children. My mother, who is originally from Impanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, would make me this dish, along with various Brazilian babysitters, Tias (Aunties), and older sisters. Now, we make this dish around the holidays because it’s when most of us can gather, traveling from Philadelphia, New York, Massachusetts, and even as far as Switzerland. I make this dish for my friends, it’s highly requested. It’s an easy-to-bake comfort food in my home. I share the handwritten recipe as an heirloom with those I love. EB

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups tapioca flour “also called tapioca starch”
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup veg oil
  • 1 cup Parmesan/Romano cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons salt (makes 12 “muffins”)

Recipe:

  1. Blend egg, milk, veg oil.
  2. Add cups of tapioca flour, cheese, and salt.
  3. Blend.
  4. Add more cheese.
  5. Pour batter into muffin tin.
  6. Bake at 380 degrees for 30-35 minutes.