Cheese Puffs at Cowgirl Creamery

I finally checked out a place that has been on my to-go list for a while—the Cowgirl Creamery Sidekick in the Ferry Building. Cowgirl Creamery is a much-loved local cheesemaker that supplies cheese to great eateries all over the city. Last summer they also opened the Sidekick, which sells hot cheesy foods and cheese plates featuring Cowgirl Creamery cheeses. The grilled cheese sandwich I had was nothing exciting and a bit pricey; I easily could have made one just like it at home and it was a bit bland compared to sandwiches at Mission Cheese. The real star of the menu at Cowgirl Creamery Sidekick, however, is the cheese puff.

I'd never had anything like it before except, perhaps, in my dreams. The cheese puffs have the same type of choux pastry shell as a good cream puff or profiterole, but instead of being filled with custard or cream, they are filled with delicious creamy cheese. I'd bought one for a snack, just because the idea of a cheese puff sounded good even though I didn't know exactly what it was. After biting through the airy pastry, I discovered a very generous amount of herbed fromage blanc with a nice whipped texture that made the treat satisfying without being too heavy. The filling also holds together well while you bite into it (as opposed to custards that get all over the place) making Cowgirl Creamery cheese puffs a great portable snack for those who want to munch on something while walking along the piers. So good.

| Photo Credit: Me. |