This is a combination of a recipe from the Seattle Times and one from French Women Don't Get Fat.*
yields about 40 puffs
4 strips of minced, raw bacon
4 Tblsp salted butter
1 c water
1 c flour
4 eggs
4 oz grated cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cook the bacon until crispy, set aside on a paper towel. Collect 2 Tblsp of bacon grease and put into a saucepan. Add the butter and water, bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to medium.
Remove from heat, add flour, stir til becomes a ball. Return to heat and stir for 10 seconds.
Transfer to a mixing bowl, cool 10 minutes.
Add eggs, cheese, and bacon. This will be a super gooey mess. Keep stirring and it will become a more homogenous bacon-flecked mess. Still pretty gooey.
Deposit in spoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. I used one of the ice cream style scoops, but I think two spoons would have been easier since it's so very gooey.
Bake 20 - 25 minutes.
I'm not sold on pre-mincing the bacon. I still chopped it a bunch after - it's hard to cut it up small when it's raw!
* I remember enjoying reading the book, but my main takeaways were her Gougeres recipe and a belief that champagne DOES go with everything. Including pizza.
