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Cheddar Cheese Puffs (Gougéres)

3/14/2016

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This one is a real crowd pleaser. Start any festivity with these savory salt-topped cheese puffs and sparkling wine. They also make a great snack that you can't stop eating.
According to Wikipedia a  gougère, in French cuisine, is a baked savory choux pastry made of choux dough mixed with cheese. There are many variations. Gougères are said to come from Burgundy, particularly the town of Tonnerre in the Yonne department. In Burgundy, they are generally served cold when tasting wine in cellars, but are also served warm as an appetizer. Gougères can be made as small pastries, 3–4 cm in diameter; aperitif gougères; 10–12 cm, individual gougères, or in a ring. Sometimes they are filled with ingredients such as mushrooms, beef, or ham.

I never made either cream or savory puffs before. But my mom often made large cream puffs filled with sweet whipped cream for Sunday afternoons. She was very good at it and could make them in no time. She used the eggs from her chickens and fresh cream from her farm in Germany. Her cream puffs were large and filling. In Germany, people visit each other in the afternoon to have coffee and sweets. I don't know why I never made them myself and I only ate them when my mom made them. They are called Windbeutel in German, which means bags of wind. I like that name. 

When I found this recipe for savory little puffs, I was ready to try them. This is another old recipe from Sunset magazine that was tacked away in my appetizer folder. They were my third appetizer for my book club meeting and everybody liked them. What made these puffs so tasty and good was the strongly flavored, aged cheddar I used and my crunchy sea salt crystals. These little treats are best eaten on the day they are baked. Freeze the rest on a flat sheet and then put them in an airtight container. I put mine in a ziplock plastic bag. If you  keep them until the following day, zip them for a few seconds in the microwave. That is what I did with my leftovers. I have to say they are quite addictive. 
​

In the meantime we had our second book club meeting. The Shoppenhauer Cure got mixed reviews. Some people liked it and some did not. We are now reading My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante.
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These little treats are best eaten on the day they are baked. Freeze the rest on a cookie sheet and then put them in an airtight container. I put mine in a ziplock plastic bag. Thaw and reheat for 5 minutes  uncovered in the oven at 375 Fahrenheit. 
The cheese and salt will make or break this recipe. I used a good coarse, crunchy fleur de sel from France and an aged cheddar from Whole Foods.
Print Recipe
Ingredients
​

This recipe makes about 60 cheese puffs 

1 ½ cup of water
½ cup (¼ lb) 115g butter, cut into chunks
​1½ cups  ( 70gram) all-purpose flour 
6 large eggs, beaten, at room temperature 
1  1/4 cups  ( 60gram) sharp shredded cheddar cheese
1½ tsp. fresh-ground pepper
Coarse sea salt (fleur de sel)
Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Have all the ingredients ready
In a 3 to 4-quart pan over high heat, bring the water and the butter to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and add the flour all at ounce. With a whisk or wooden spoon, stir until the mixture is a smooth, thick paste with no lumps. Add a quarter of the beaten eggs at a time, beaten vigorously after each addition, until the dough is no longer slippery. Stir in the cheese and pepper. 
Spoon the dough in a large pastry bag fitted with a plain ½-inch round tip. Pipe in 50 to 60 equal rounds on two cooking parchment-lined baking sheets. If you don't want to use a pastry bag, you can drop the dough onto the baking sheet in rounded tablespoon-sized portions. Sprinkle each mound with some coarse sea salt. 
Bake in a regular or convection oven until dry and somewhat browned, between 18 to 30 minutes depending on your oven. Mine took about 18 minutes on a convection-bake cycle.  it will take about 30 minutes using regular heat. Serve warm, but they also taste great at room temperature.

Gutten Appetit
Recipe from Sunset Magazine
adapted by©Sunnycovechef.com
​
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WonTon Cups and Smoked Salmon

3/6/2016

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This finger food has it all—it is healthy and low in calories (160 calories for three). Sesame wonton cups filled with smoked salmon, ginger, green onions and avocados. A showpiece at any cocktail party or whenever you want to serve a delicious appetizers.
In my last post, I wrote about my roasted eggplant spread that I served for appetizers at our first book club meeting. I also wanted to add some yummy-tasting  appetizers with a wow factor to our meeting. It was like magic. I transformed good old won ton wrappers into the cutest little cups by simply brushing some melted butter over them and arranging them in a mini muffin pan to bake in the oven. How easy is that—and makes a great presentation. The only trick is that you have to own a mini muffin pan. If you don’t, maybe your neighbor or friend has one you can borrow. I deserve no credit for this idea, but my passion for collecting recipes does. This little jewel was hiding in my appetizer folder. It came from an old Sunset magazine.
Print Recipe
Ingredients
a mini muffin pan
24 square won ton wrappers
2 TBS melted butter
1 tsp. white sesame seeds 
4 ounces smoked salmon  
½ cup finely sliced green onions 
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro 
1 TBS lime juice
2 tsp. grated ginger
½ tsp. salt
​1 small avocado
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread out 12 won tons and brush both sides with butter. I used a plate for the brushing which kept the melted butter in place. Press the won tons into mini muffin pan, pleating each to form a small cup. Sprinkle them with some sesame seeds. Bake for 6-9 minutes until golden brown. Watch them carefully because they can burn easily. Remove the cups and put them on a cooling rack. Repeat the same process with the remaining 12 wontons. 
Remove the skin from the salmon and flake into little pieces. Slice the green onions including most of the tops. Mix the salmon, green onions, cilantro, ginger, salt, and lime juice in a bowl. You can make this ahead and keep it in the refrigerator until it's time to serve. Dice the avocado and add it to the salmon mixture. Put a generous spoonful in each cup and serve immediately. 
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​
Guten Appetit!
Recipe from Sunset Magazine 
adapted by ©Sunnycovechef
​
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    WELCOME TO SUNNY COVE CHEF

    Thank you for visiting my blog.  My two passions are cooking and traveling. Traveling exposes me to a wide variety of food and experiences. I walk around cities looking for markets, restaurants, bakeries, shops, you name it, and if it is related to food you will find me there, tasting, smelling, talking to vendors, and having a great time.

    ​
    If you  have tried any of my recipes, snap a photo and tag me @sunnycovechef I'd love to see your creations!​


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