1¾cups(140 grams) cheese(gouda, swiss, mozzarella or provolone)
1cup(125 grams) diced ham
2eggs
1cupbreadcrumbs ( to coat)
light olive oil or grape seed oil for shallow frying
Instructions
Dough
Bring the milk, water, butter and salt to the boil. Once it boils take it off the heat and add the flour all at once. Stir well until the dough comes away from the sides of the saucepan and forms a lumpy dough. This is like a choux pastry without the eggs.
Once the dough is cool enough to handle knead gently until smooth. It's a beautiful dough that handles well. Now wrap in plastic and allow to cool to room temperature.
Besciamella
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir until the butter and flour mixture is bubbling. Change to a whisk and carefully add the milk whisking all the time. Bring to boil stirring or whisking the whole time to avoid lumps. Add the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Once it boils allow to bubble for a minute to cook out the flour. Remove from the heat. Set aside until needed.
To assemble and fry
Roll out the dough fairly thinly, about ⅛in/ 3mm. Cut 4in/10cm rounds.
In the middle of the round place a rounded teaspoonful each of besciamella, cheese and ham. Pick up like a taco, fold over and press to close. The dough adheres easily and rerolls beautifully.
Break eggs in a shallow bowl then beat with a fork. Dip the sofficini first in the egg then in the breadcrumbs. Fry in hot oil. Sofficini can be frozen at the breadcrumb stage and then fried from the frozen.