Don't Hush these puppies - they are that yummy!

This is one of the menu items I am making for a snack for tomorrow's Super Bowl Game..

Pepperoni Cheese Puffs

1 1/4 cups of water
1/3 cup of shortening
1-1/2 cups of flour (all-purpose)
4 eggs
3/4 cup of pepperoni (finely chopped)
3/4 cup of Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese (finely shredded)
2 Tablespoons of snipped parsley (fresh of course!)
1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon of pepper
garlic salt (to taste)

What to do:
First things first, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.

Then, grease 2 baking sheets (use large sheets). Then, in a large saucepan, combine the water and the shortening and bring it to a boil.

Next, add the flour all of it to the boiling water, stirring vigorously as you do so. You'll need to stir while you are cooking until the mixture starts to form a ball.

Remove your balled mixture from the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes. At this point, add the eggs, 1 at a time. Using a wooden spoon, beat each egg into the mixture very well. Then, stir in the pepperoni and cheese, the parsley, garlic powder, and the pepper.

Just like you would with cookie dough, drop your pepperoni dough by using a rounded teaspoon about 2 inches apart onto your prepared baking sheets.

All that's left to do is bake these puppies for 15 to 17 minutes or until they are a beautiful golden brown. Then, transfer them to a wire rack and serve warm.

This easy appetizer recipe makes 48 delicious Pepperoni Cheese Puffs. You may want to double the recipe!

Here are a couple of variations you can try:
- brush the top of the puffs with garlic butter - right before you take them out of the oven. Yummy!
- Serve with a side of ranch dressing
- Add sauteed onions and garlic to the dough before baking
- For a decidedly more Italian flavor, add Italian seasoning to taste and add some parmesan cheese to the dough. mamma mia!
- Dip in spaghetti sauce. I love this one...