PicoBlog

Party Week arrived just in time for Thanksgiving! If you need any pie-making tips, head over to my Instagram. Today, I’m sharing a go-to party recipe: cheddar and chive cheese puffs, also known as gougères. These easy, make-ahead bites would make a wonderful Thanksgiving appetizer or snack. The recipe is below my Baking Show recap, and I implore you make them. You can never eat just one.

I took this show on the road! Listen to me on WBEZ (Chicago’s NPR news station) talk about holiday baking and the Great British Baking Show.

Spoiler alert: If you haven't watched this week’s Great British Baking Show, stop reading now!

What a fantastic theme! I think of so many "party foods" that my mom would make for special occasions, and they always felt like a special treat...which they were! Plus, every holiday gathering or special occasion party has its own particular bakes or flavors.  

• Sausage rolls make a great signature challenge. An absolute British classic! I immediately thought of what I would bake. Probably an Italian theme like a meatball-type sausage mix with a marinara dipping sauce, or I would have done what Dan did and do something totally different. I might use some Thai or Vietnamese flavors: lemongrass, ginger, garlic, chili, green onion, etc.

• I love a "make a bunch of different little things" challenge like this showstopper. AKA a buffet.

• Matty seems to be enjoying his time in the tent so much, and that's great to watch. Even when things go poorly, he's all smiles. What a lad!

• Sarah and I watched this episode together and it made us so hungry. (We devoured some cheese puffs and thanksgiving stuffing-flavored potato chips.)

• I miss Saku and Nicky.

• I would have eaten all of the sausage rolls: they sounded great. Matty's were pretty perfect, and Dan's sounded so yummy.

• Josh's showstopper looked absolutely immaculate. No notes! Would eat! (But I would not wear that t-shirt.)

• The Caterpillar Cake was charming! It's the kind of fiddly bake I don’t want to make, but what a fun technical challenge. For those non-Brits: This is an iconic British grocery-store cake that was originally made at M&S (Marks & Spencer) in the UK.

• Sarah laughed riotously hard at Dan's dinosaur-themed showstopper.

• Give the bakers a bit more time. Aside from Matty, it looked like everyone's sausage roll was a underbaked. Even an extra fifteen minutes could have vastly improved the bakes. Making rough puff pastry in 2 hours is really tough. (Shortcrust in 1:45 is nearly impossible. I know!)

• Paul seemed to want the standard, classic sausage roll. He didn’t like Dan’s flavors, because they were “unexpected” to taste in a sausage roll. What are you talking about?! You said any flavors! It’s a chance for the bakers to show you something new! If Paul wanted the classic, he should’ve just gone to Gregg’s.

• Bakers (AKA Dan): don't over-complicate things. You want to impress the judges, but making six different bakes in the showstopper, when you only had to do three?! Sheesh.

• Tasha's sausage roll was a real chonker.

Cristy! You gained a lot of confidence this week. Bravo! We’ll miss you and your gorgeous bakes.

On to the recipe: It’s a crowd-pleaser!

During one of our days off while filming the Baking Show, I made a batch of cheese puffs by simply dumping some shredded cheddar into some practice choux pastry dough I had made. After so many sweets, I yearned for a savory snack. Made with stunning British cheddar, these tasted fantastic. While they were still warm, I shared them with my fellow bakers. This memory gives these cheese puffs a special place in my baking repertoire.  

I just made a double batch for a party at Sarah's, and as soon as I took them out of the oven, they dissappeared. The best way to tell a great bake is by how quickly people eat it.

I treasure this recipe because you can make the dough, pipe it out, and then freeze it. That way, you can bake them fresh at a party without having to cloister away in the kitchen. Simply pop the frozen dough dollops onto a lined baking sheet and bake. You get to enjoy the party and also have hot, crisp, homemade cheesy morsels.

These little savory snacks are made with choux pastry. Most people know choux pastry from eclairs, cream puffs, and profiteroles. But cheese puffs are a great first-time adventure into choux pastry. Make the pastry dough, stir in some cheese, bake them, and eat. No faffing about with fillings and frostings.

160 g water

80 g unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon sugar

95 g bread flour (all purpose flour is just fine if you don’t have bread flour)

3 large (150 g) eggs

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1 teaspoon dried mustard powder

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

100 g shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and heat the oven to 375F with a rack in the middle of the oven.

Combine the water, butter, salt, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Have your flour measured out and nearby. When the butter melts and the water reaches a gentle boil, turn off the heat. Add the flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Turn the heat to medium-low and stir for 3 to 4 minutes, until the dough comes together in a ball and you see a film of batter and little tiny oil droplets on the bottom of the pan. You should be able to stick the wooden spoon into the dough so it stays standing up. Turn off the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the eggs in a measuring cup and beat them with a fork. After the dough has cooled for 5 minutes, add the egg 1 Tablespoon at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition. You're looking for a smooth and shiny batter that hangs in a V-shape when you lift the spoon. You can also drag your finger through the dough to see that it keeps its shape and doesn’t flow or fill in (if it does that, you've gone too far, and you need to start again). You'll know you've added enough egg when the dough changes from matte to shiny. There's a chance you don't quite need all the egg.

After you've added the eggs, add the mustard powder, black pepper, chives, cheese, and stir until they're evenly combined.

If using a piping bag to shape the pastry, fit it with a 1/2-inch or 3/4-inch round nozzle. You can also leave the dough in the pan and dollop the dough out with a spoon. If you've lined the pan with parchment paper, place a dab of babaking tter on the underside of each corner and one in the middle of the parchment to glue it down and prevent it from moving when piping or scooping the choux pastry. (A silicone mat is heavy enough to stay put on its own.) If using a piping bag, hold the bag vertically to pipe round "kisses" 1 1/2 inches in diameter and at least 1 inch apart. If using a spoon, spoon out 1 1/2-inch round blobs at least 1 inch apart. After piping or scooping, wet your finger with water and smooth press down any pointy bits on the blobs.

Now, you have two options: Bake these right away or freeze the dough. This dough freezes beautifully, and then you can casually bake up some fresh, hot gougères at your next party...or when you need an easy cheesy stack. To freeze them, simply pop the pan with the little mounds of dough into the freezer. Once they are frozen solid, you can peel them off of the parchment or silicone mat and pop them into an airtight container. They last in the freezer for up to three months. You can bake them right from the freezer.

To bake: When your oven is heated to 375, bake the buns. (If your gougères are frozen, put them on a lined baking sheet, spaced about 1 inch apart.) Spritz or sprinkle the baking sheet with about 1 Tablespoon of water. Put the buns into the oven and bake for 32-38 minutes (about 32 for non-frozen ones and about 36-38 if baking from frozen). Do NOT open the oven before the 30 minute mark. If you open the oven early, the buns could deflate immediately. They're best when they look deep golden brown. I always err on the side of over-baking these. They'll still be moist and cheesy. You can test if they're done by taking one out, letting it cool for a minute, then break it in half to let some steam out. Take a bite. The outside should be nice and crisp, but the inside will still be a bit moist from the melty cheese. If they're not crispy, keep baking them another 2-3 minutes and check again.

Once these come out of the oven, put them on a serving platter and serve! These taste best when they're still warm, and the cheese in the middle is still a bit melty.

These will disappear fast, and are best within the first half hour of being made. If they go cold or a bit soft, reheat them in an oven at 375F for about 5-8 minutes. Good as new.

Happy Baking,
Martin

PS. I am hosting family for Thankgiving next week (Yay!), so there (probably) won’t be time for a newsletter. I’ll be thinking of you as I make pie after pie and eat myself silly.

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