Wednesday, October 6, 2010

French Fridays with Dorie, Week One

I am guilty of stalking many food blogs & could not resist joining in the fun with the launch of French Fridays with Dorie.   I finally have had a moment to dive into Dorie Greenspan's latest cookbook, Around My French Table, and it is exactly what I need to stretch my kitchen skills!  Dorie is setting us off on this adventure by selecting the recipes for the first four weeks & this week's selection is divine:  Gougères.  These little puffs of cheese are equally delicious straight from the oven or cooled to room temperature. 




For some odd reason & I am now quite ashamed to admit, I have steered clear of anything that starts with pâte à choux.  Sad mistake on my part!  Dorie has made this recipe so approachable & such goodness from the oven should no longer be avoided.   Basic ingredients: milk, butter, salt flour, eggs, & cheese!  


Traditionally, gougères are made with Gruyère, but extra sharp cheddar was what I had on hand.  After "taste testing" several, I could see how fun it could become to play around with the dough trying a variety of cheeses and seasonings.


I stashed a full cookie sheet worth of scoops of the dough in the freezer for another day.  36 gougères seemed a little too many for my waste line, although they could have easily disappeared!  Wait, there is that nutrition degree talking. 




The gougères will be perfect to pull out for a quick appetizer this fall & to savor with a favorite verre de vin.  At last...putting those years of French classes to use!

Dorie shared her recipe on NPR several years ago.  Check it out & bon appétit!

This is my kitchen helper.  Could not forget to snap a picture of him!

1 comment:

  1. Hi Lindsey Better late then never. Love the pooch
    You could have shared the other 15 with the dog. I"ll see ya in the weeks to come. Beth

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