Maple-Infused Pimiento Cheese Hush Puppies
Albert Wood
Maple-Infused Pimiento Cheese Hush Puppies
Al Wood
10 minutes
6 minutes

Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 1, 4 oz. jar diced pimentos drained
- 2 teaspoons Wood's Vermont Ghosted Maple Syrup
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup yellow cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons Wood's Vermont Maple Sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup buttermilk, shaken
- 1 large egg
Directions
- In a small bowl, stir together ½ cup Cheddar, the cream cheese, pimentos, and Wood’s Ghosted Maple Syrup. Scoop teaspoon-size balls of the cream cheese mixture onto a plate and freeze until firm, 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or other large pot over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 325° F.
- Whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk and egg. Whisk the liquid ingredients together, then stir in the surrounding dry mixture until just combined. Fold in the remaining ½ cup Cheddar.
- Preheat the oven to 200° F. Working in batches, drop the cream cheese balls into the batter and turn with two spoons until thinly coated all over. Gently drop into the hot oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown all over, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a rack set on a baking sheet and season with salt; keep warm in the oven while you batter and fry the rest. Serve warm.