Gruyere, Black Pepper and Thyme Gougères
Gruyere, Black Pepper and Thyme Gougères
Living in San Francisco means always having something amazing to eat. We’re fortunate enough to live a manageable, though calorie-burning walk from Tartine, which has to be one of the most amazing bakeries in the universe. There’s a ton of hype, the line always stretches out the door (and often down the block), it’s a little on the pricy side and after your first bite of anything you get, all those concerns melt away into pastry bliss.
It was a rare Friday morning: both Brian and I had late-starting days that we faced with an up-and-at-’em attitude that had us both ready to go with hours to spare. The stars aligned and we seized the moment. “Let’s get Tartine for breakfast!”
Before we knew it, we were back in the car, rushing home with warm pastries and a waiting coffee pot. Being of an adventurous mindset lately, we’ve been trying new things obsessively. One of the treats we arrived home with was a gougère, which is a fancy French way of saying, savory puffed pastry. Everything sounds better in French, so I’m sticking with gougère, We were instantly addicted.
Fast forward to Saturday morning as the coffee brewed. We needed more and I was feeling ambitious. I looked up the recipe online and voila! (Nearly) Instant gratification. Here is the recipe I found online:
•310g (1-1/4 cups) nonfat milk (or water, or half whole milk and half water)
•140g (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter
•1 teaspoon salt
•140g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
•5 large eggs
•115g (4oz or 3/4 cup grated) Gruyère cheese, grated
•1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
•Topping:
•1 large egg
•pinch of salt
•grated Gruyère cheese for sprinkling
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a sheet pan with parchment.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the milk, butter, and 1 teaspoon salt and place over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a rolling boil. Dump all the flour in and stir madly with a wooden spoon until it forms a smooth mass that pulls away from the sides of the pan, leaving a thin film of dried dough on the bottom, about 3 minutes.
Place the dough in a large mixing bowl and beat for about a minute, then add each of the 5 eggs, one at a time, beating at medium speed until smooth. Stir in the cheese, pepper, and thyme. Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip and pipe 3-inch rounds about 1 inch high onto the baking sheet about 2 inches apart (if making hors d'oeuvres, make 1-inch mounds 1-1/2 inches apart).
In a small bowl, whisk the egg and salt together and brush the tops of the mounds with the egg wash. Lightly sprinkle each with a little grated Gruyère. Bake them for 35 to 45 minutes (25 minutes for the small versions), or until golden brown. Puncture the bottom of each with a knife and cool in the turned-off oven until serving (I store them upside-down to allow the steam to escape). Serve warm or at room temperature.
Read more: http://manggy.blogspot.com/2009/10/tartines-gougeres.html#ixzz1XnPnjM4a
Saturday, September 3, 2011