These savory, eggy, and hollow pâte à choux pastries are made with flavorful hard cheeses and paired with our Clif Family Organic Apple Butter, making them a delicious match with either a glass of Clif Family Napa Valley Chardonnay or our premium Napa Valley Cabernet’s.
Savory Gougères with Clif Family Organic Apple Butter
Recipe By Chef John McConnell
INGREDIENTS:
Dough
1 cup whole milk
1 cup water
8 oz. unsalted butter
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
8 large eggs
12 oz. Vella Dry Jack, or other firm cheese such as Fontina or Swiss, grated
4 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated
1 Tbsp. chives, fresh snipped
Egg Wash
1 large egg
1 tsp water
Finish
2-3 Tbsp. Vella Dry Jack *or Parmesan cheese, grated fine
Serving
1 jar Clif Family Organic Apple Butter
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425° F as a hot oven is key to a successful rise in the dough. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and prepare a large pastry bag with a plain 1/2-inch tip.
Chef Tip: If you don’t have a piping bag, cut a 1/2-inch opening in the corner of a plastic zip lock bag.
Combine milk, water, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally while the butter is melting. Once the water is boiling, remove the pan from the burner and add the flour. Using a wooden spoon, stir vigorously until smooth.
Return the saucepan to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from heat again and add the eggs one at a time, stirring immediately and vigorously after each addition. The dough should be thick and glossy and a bit stretchy. Mix in the cheeses, seasoning, and chives until combined.
Transfer the dough to the pastry bag and gently squeeze the dough out to form a small golf ball-sized gougères onto the parchment-lined sheet trays leaving about 2 inches of space between them.
In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the egg wash and lightly scramble to combine. Gently brush the tops and sides of the dough mounds with the egg wash and sprinkle with finishing Parmesan.
Bake the gougères for 5 minutes at 425° F and then lower the heat to 325° F and continue baking for another 10 minutes. Do not open the oven during the first 15 minutes of baking as doing so may cause the gougères to deflate. After 15 minutes, rotate the pans and continue baking for about 10 more minutes until puffed and deep golden brown.
Remove from oven and set the baking sheet on a cooling rack. Allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before transferring to cooling racks.
Serve warm. Tear each piece open and liberally spread with a dollop of Clif Family Organic Apple Butter and enjoy with a glass of Clif Family wine.
SUGGESTED WINE PAIRINGS: