Gougéres

When I was in Paris this past Holiday season my sister whipped up these little choux pastries called gougéres and they were incredible! I just had to get her recipe & try them myself. They simply melt in your mouth with buttery goodness.



Here are the ingredients for this recipe:



Preheat your oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper & set aside.

In a saucepan heat 1/2 C milk, 1/2 C water, one stick of unsalted butter (cut into tablespoons) and a large pinch of coarse salt until boiling.



Add 1 C of all purpose flour and stir it in with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms; stir over low heat until it dries out and pulls away from the pan, about 2 minutes.



Move the dough into a mixing bowl; let cool for about one minute. Beat 4 eggs into the dough, one at a time, beating thoroughly between each one***. Add 1 C shredded Gruyére cheese and a pinch each of ground black pepper and ground nutmeg.

***It is important to add the eggs one at a time and wait for them to become incorporated into the dough separately. Don't worry if it looks a little curdled at first, the dough will eventually come together nicely.

Transfer the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2" tip and pipe tablespoon-size mounds onto the parchment paper about 2" apart.



Top with a bit of extra shredded cheese.



Bake for 22 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and puffy. Enjoy!





This recipe makes quite a bit of these little beauties. They can also be filled too. Gougéres freeze well, so once they have cooled completely they can be stored in an air-tight container in your freezer for a few months. To reheat them, place them on a baking sheet in a 350ºF oven for a few minutes until hot.

cheers!
diane

Chocolate Chipotle Butter Bites

I was looking for a simple & chocolaty treat to take to my friend Cristi's house yesterday for The Big Game and I came up with these. Chocolate Chipotle Butter Bites.
Similar to a brownie, these are rich, chocolaty & have just a hint of savory spice, they are just gooey-er than a brownie.



Here are the ingredients for this dish:



Start by pre-heating your oven to 325ºF. Combine 10 TBSP of butter, 1 1/4 C sugar, 3/4 C + 2 TBSP cocoa, 1/4 tsp salt & 3/4 tsp chipotle powder in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water.





Stir frequently until the butter has melted & the mixture becomes the consistency of wet sand. You want to heat it until its hot to the touch.



Remove from heat and cool slightly until it just feels warm. Stir in 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time stirring vigorously after each one.



Now the batter should look thick & shiny.



Add 1/2 C flour and mix gently until all of the flour is incorporated.



Place the batter into an 8" x 8" square pan that has been lined with parchment paper.



I cut the edges of the parchment down once the batter is in the pan so it doesn't burn.



Bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until a wooden pick is inserted into the center & comes out slightly moist. You want to make sure they are gooey. :)

Cool slightly then lift from pan. Place on a cutting board and cut into about 1 1/2" square pieces.




Dust lightly with powdered sugar & enjoy!




cheers!
xo diane