Barefoot in Paris: Cheese Puffs

These were good. Very good. Easy to make. And easy to add to.

I served them "as is" but I suggest splitting them open and adding a seafood salad or chicken salad for a brunch or filling with soft goat cheese to make a delectable appetizer.

From the Barefoot Contessa's Barefoot in Paris:

1 cup milk- I used 1% and it was fine!
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt- I used regular because I forgot to buy kosher.
Pinch of nutmeg
1 cup all purpose flour
4 extra large eggs- I used large
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese, plus extra for sprinkling
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water for egg wash- I forgot this step and they came out perfectly ok!!

Preheat the over to 425 degrees.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. I used my silicone baking mats- had to be cleaned whereas parchment just gets tossed!

In a saucepan heat milk, butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg over medium heat until scaled- or just before boiling point. Add the flour all at once and immediately stir vigorously with a WOODEN spoon. Everything will begin to come together and look like a dough. Continue to stir constantly until the dough/flour mixture begins to coat the bottom of the pan. It looks like a thin film almost. It takes about 2 minutes.

Dump the hot mixture into your food processor and immediately add the eggs and the two grated cheeses. Pulse until the eggs are incorporated and the dough is smooth and thick.

You now have two options, you can put the mixture into a piping bag with a simple round tip and pipe out mounds onto your prepared sheet pans or you can use spoons to plop rounds on to the pans. I chose my cookie scoop and it created puffs that were large enough to split open and fill but not too large to eat simply.

Once on the pan brush with egg wash and sprinkle with extra cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes or until outsides are golden brown and insides are still soft. I started mine on the bottom shelf and left them for about 8 minutes and then switched them to top shelf to finish.

Serve hot.

If you plan on filling them, they should cool for a bit first. You can always reheat by placing on a warm stove or back in the oven for a few minutes!

Freezing is super simple, as well. Once puffs have cooled simply place in a plastic bag and stick in freezer until ready to use!!

ENJOY!

Rejuvenation

So, I went to see "Julie and Julia" last week and I really enjoyed it. I'm not a huge fan of French cooking but I think that has more to do with the fact that I haven't really had much of it more than anything else.

I watched as food was transformed into a life changing mechanism and I just so enjoyed every bit of it. I left the theater feeling upbeat and hungry!

I knew I could never go through Julia Child's cookbook because there are just some things I will NOT eat. Plus, I'd like to not weight 500 pounds 6 months from now. And I just don't have the time.

But I have plenty of cookbooks that I have allowed to collect dust. Spines unbroken and pages immaculately clean. Wasted.

I decided to change that.

I purchased a small bookcase that now sits in my kitchen. It is the home to all of my cooking magazines and cookbooks. They are in the open now just begging to be used.

And they will be.

I have committed myself to taking at least one night per week and making at least one recipe from one of my cookbooks.

It's different. It's exciting. It's making me hungry.

I started last week with the Barefoot Contessa from Paris and the food was delicious!

The recipes are to follow.

So, rejuvenation has come to this blog. New life. New foods. New opportunities to share.

Hope you're still around to enjoy!!

Update

Rejuvenation and recipes on their way.

Soon.

I promise.