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Here is the real recipe, thanks to Joanne:

Pao de Queijo, in the form of small balls, is a to-die-for appetizer. It is
most popular in the state of Minas Gerais, where it is eaten like Americans
eat rolls.

The state of Minas Gerais is known throughout Brazil for its cuisine, and
there are places in other parts of Brazil where one can buy pa de queijo
and other "mineiro" specialties. Any "mineiro" cook can make pao de queijo,
and there are endless recipes and methods for it. Minas Gerais is also
known for its cheeses; the Wisconsin of Brazil, if you wish.


Pao de queijo is extremely simple to make. Instead of wheat flour, tapioca
starch is used. It's available from any oriental grocery store. One bag is
enough for two batches, cost about $0.69. a bag. Care must be taken not to
confuse this with the "fish eyes" tapioca (little white beads) available at
American stores.

Working with tapioca starch is a lot like working with glue. Dry, it has
the consistency of cornstarch. Wet, the tapioca starch is extremely gooey.
It comes from the manioc plant which is heavily used in tropical areas not
cool enough to grow wheat.

Many cheeses can be used for pao de queijo, as long as it is hard and can
be finely grated. You can used cheeses like parmigiano reggiano, various
Italian granas (like reggianito), Sardo (an Argentinian parmesan), domestic
parmesan including Kraft in the green can, and even Provolone. You may have
to vary the amount of cheese according to how salty it is. My motto: err on
the side of too much cheese!

After you make pao de queijo a few times, you'll develop certain
preferences. For instance, I like them lightly browned, hot from the oven,
when the skin is delicately crispy and the inside is gooey. On the other
hand, some prefer them darker so that the crust is thicker, or cooled so
that the inside is porous. You can also make them larger and use them like
a dinner roll. For a dinner-size roll, you'll either have to add a little
more tapioca starch to make the dough stiffer (easier to form the larger
balls and will hold its shape better when baking) or use muffin tins.

I can whip up a batch in 30 minutes, including baking (and skipping the
dough's rest period). People usually can't stop eating them until they're
gone. They are fun to make and fun to eat. They go especially well with
wine and with coffee.

Here's the recipe I use, makes about 2 dozen appetizer-sized balls.


Pao de Queijo

Preheat oven to 375 deg..

Boil the following until white foam appears (on stove or in microwave):

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup milk
(1 tsp salt optional)

Add this hot mixture to 2 cups tapioca starch. Mix well with wooden
spoon and let rest for about 15 minutes. You will get white ball. Mix in
2 eggs and about 6 ounces grated hard cheese (e.g., parmesan). You will
get a gooey, sticky mass.

To form balls, cover hands with grease, use a teaspoon and quickly roll
into ball shape as best you can (they will smooth out during baking).
Better yet, use a miniature ice-cream scoop.  Each ball should be about 1-
1/2 inch in diameter. Bake on lightly greased sheet or on parchment paper.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on size, until tops begin to brown.