Come Home With Me

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RECIPES

 

Cheese Puffs (Gougères)

Miranda “stole” this recipe from the chef who dumped her—and fired her. She brings these the first time she comes to Luke’s family’s potluck dinner.

Ingredients

• 4 oz (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup grated cheese (Gruyère is good, or half mozzarella and half cheddar; experiment to suit your taste buds)
• freshly ground pepper
• nutmeg
• snipped rosemary, parsley, or any other herb you choose

Directions

Preheat oven to 400. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, milk, water, and salt and bring to a boil, stirring until the butter melts. Add the flour and stir to combine, using a wooden spoon, until a smooth dough forms. Turn down the heat and cook, stirring vigorously, until the dough dries a bit and pulls away from the edges of the pan (approx. 2 minutes).

Put the dough into a bowl and let it cool for a minute or two. Then beat the eggs into the dough one at a time, incorporating each one fully before adding the next. If the batter separates, looking curdled, keep beating and it will come together. Add grated cheese, pepper, nutmeg, and herbs and mix well.

Transfer the dough to a pastry/piping bag fitted with a 1/2" tip. Alternatively, use a plastic bag with a 1/2" opening cut diagonally across one corner. Pipe 1" balls about 2" apart on the parchment-lined baking sheets. (Or if you’d rather not fuss with piping, just form balls and drop them onto the parchment paper.)

Bake 20-25 minutes until puffed, golden, and dry in the centre. Serve warm. Or reheat before serving.

Note: You can make the dough 4 hours ahead of time, and cover and chill it.

Note: You can freeze baked cheese puffs. Put them on a cookie sheet, cover it with plastic wrap, and freeze them. Once they’re frozen, you can remove them from the cookie sheet and put them in a freezer bag.