Gougères - Cheese Puff

They have so much success when I have guests... and they are so easy to make !

Classic french appetizer, suits champagne perfectly

(I might try with some bacon in it)

Follow the recipe of the pâte à choux,

I precise in it the moment where your choux will become gougères

You have your bowl, full of warm dough, your eggs have been well mixed in it,

your dough is soft and light, 

Add 1tsp of nutmeg, another dash of salt, and a handful of shredded cheese 

- I add the shredded parmeggiano from Trader's Joe -

Mix it well !

Then you can go back to the pâte à choux recipe, you make nut-shaped puff with the dough, 

and before putting the tray in the oven, add some more cheese on the top of them so they will have a really nice aspect and color.

Cooking time is the same as in the pâte à choux recipe, remove them carefully from the wax paper and you can enjoy them while they are still warm.

I always have some in the freezer, put them in ziplocs, well closed and when you want to use them, 

take them out in a dish, for a half an hour, then 5 minutes in the oven at low temperature

 to warm them up, they will be ready to eat in no time.

Bon appetit :p 

Allumettes au fromage - cheese matches

One of the first recipe I've tried from the book ! Occasions to enjoy them aren't rare, appetizers, buffet, snacks... They go really well with all kind of beverages (especially alcoohol ones)

- Here is the recipe in my g.grand-mother Vovoï cookbook -

Crusty, extremely light (in hands ;)), for cheese lovers !

A half pâte feuilletée will make more than 20 allumettes, 0.4 inch wide

   You will need :   

1 pâte feuilletée at "4 tours", salted

thin-shredded cheese

- That's it! -

1 egg yolk delayed in 1sp. of water

Do the last two "tours" of your pâte feuilletée by

displaying shredded cheese on the flattened dough, before folding

- you will have to display cheese twice, once for each folding -

Once you've reached 6 "tours",

put it back 15 min. in the fridgein its plastic film.

Turn on the oven at 430°F

You can now flatten the dough on your floured-work space.

Do a long strip of dough, from 4 to 4.7 inch wide (10-12cm),

and 0,15 to 0.19 inch thick (4-5 mm )

With a fresh and smooth knife,

cut the dough in strips of 0.4 to 1.2 inch wide (1-3cm), as you like

- strips are 0.15 to 0.19 wide (1 à 3cm) and 4 to 4.7 inch (10 à 12cm) -

trick : cut the border of the dough so it will raise well

Put the strips on a a cooking tray, or in a dish with edges

Each one apart from the others of 1.2 inch

Use a brush to gold them with the yolk delayed in a bit of water

- you can add 1 tsp. of nutmeg in it -

display shredded cheese on it

Put it in the oven a dozen of minutes, they have to be really golden.