Looking for a fun, gourmet hors d’oeuvres recipe for your upcoming happy hour or dinner party? One of our favorite caterers, Chef Cristina Topham, recommends these delightful Smoked Gouda Gougeres paired with our Wild Yeast Chardonnay. These can also be prepped and frozen ahead of time.
Smoked Gouda Gougeres
By Chef Cristina Topham
Yield: 16 Gougeres (approximately)
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes
¼ cup whole milk, plus extra for brushing
¼ cup water
½ teaspoons salt
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 ounces (about 2/3 cup) smoked Gouda cheese, grated
Pinch of cayenne
Flaky sea salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Bring butter, milk, water and salt to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. While milk mixture is coming to the boil, whisk together flour, smoked paprika, and baking powder in a small bowl. When butter mixture is fully melted and boiling, immediately remove from heat and dump in flour mixture. Working quickly, stir until a thick paste forms and pulls away from sides of pan. Return saucepan to low heat and stir constantly using heatproof spatula or wooden spoon until paste is slightly shiny, about 3 minutes.
Immediately transfer paste to a food processor and process with feed tube open until slightly cooled (alternately, place mixture in a bowl and stir with wooden spoon until cool), about 10 seconds. With food processor running, gradually add eggs in a steady stream. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl and add the cheese and cayenne. Process until dough is thick and shiny, about 30 seconds.
Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray and line with parchment paper. Transfer dough to a large pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch plain tip and pipe onto baking sheet into 2-inch mounds. Using the back of a spoon dipped in water, smooth the tops of the mound so they don’t burn when baked. At this point, the gougeres can be frozen and then stored in a plastic bag. They do not need to be thawed before baking, but add 2-3 minutes to baking time.
Before baking, brush with milk and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake for 12-15 minutes. When puffs are golden brown, reduce heat to 375 and bake 10-12 minutes longer, until puffs are fairly firm. Gougeres can be held at room temperature for 24-hours. To reheat, crisp gougeres in 300-degree oven for 5-7 minutes. Best served warm.
Enjoy!
Chef Cristina Topham is a freelance chef, cooking instructor and preserver based in Sonoma. Visit her website for more info: http://www.cristinatopham.com