Cheese Puffs

Thanksgiving amuse-bouche appetizer idea, a tiny delight that family and friends could share in the tradition of gathering in gratitude around harvest abundance...



CHOUX PASTRY
Ingredients (8 serving) :
250g milk
250g water
200g salted butter
300g all-purpose flour
400g eggs
180g grated cheese (Emmental or Comté)
10g granulated sugar.

 Directions :
  • Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F). 
  • In a pot, add water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil. 
  • Once butter has completely melted, take off flame, and slowly pour in flour, stirring constantly. 
  • Put pot back on flame and continue to work it with a wooden spoon for less than a minute. Continue stirring and kneading with spoon until the dough dries out and stops sticking to the sides of the pot. Take off flame. 
  • Beat the eggs and add it little by little in stirring energetically. 
  • Add thinly grated cheese, and keep stirring.
  • Fit a pastry bag with a tip. Fill it with batter. Squeeze out "profiteroles" onto a greezed baking tray, well-spaced. 
  • Bake for 20 minutes. Cool on a rack. Serve warm.

These tiny exquisite puffs can also be filled with savory creams.I suggest to experience the chive cream cheese with smoked salmon !


CHEESE CREAM & SALMON FILLING
Ingredients (8 serving) : 
2 smoked salmon slices
250g Mascarpone
150ml liquid cream 35%
Juice of 1/2 lemon
A little pinch of salt
Ground pepper
Chopped chive

 Directions : 
  • Chill the bowl of your Kitchen Aid for a couple of hours.
  • Combine the mascarpone cheese and the cream and whisk with a little pinch of salt.
  • When your cheese mixture is stiff, add lemon juice, ground pepper and chopped chive. Whisk again for 2 more minutes.
  • Cut the smoked salmon in thin strips.
  • In using a sharp knive, cut each pastry lenghtwise (better to bake the choux a day before and leave it at room temperature covered with a cloth).
  • Fill each puff bottom with the cream mixture, add a salmon strip. and cover with the top puff.

BON APPÉTIT...