Recipe By Chef John McConnell
Gougères with Clif Family Apple Butter
These savory, eggy and hollow pâte à choux pastries are mixed with flavorful hard cheeses and our Apple Butter making a perfect match with our beautiful Clif Family Cabernet.
Ingredients:
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
1 large egg
1 tsp water
2-3 Tbsp Vella Dry Jack *or Parmesan cheese, grated fine
Clif Family Apple Butter
Method:
Preheat oven to 425F 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 (or cut a 1/2 inch opening in the corner of a plastic bag). Combine milk, water, butter and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, to melt the butter. Once the water is boiling and the butter has melted, remove the pan from the burner and add all of the flour at once.
Stir with a wooden spoon vigorously until smooth. Return the saucepan to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat for 1 minute. Remove the saucepan with the milk-flour mixture from the heat 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 parchment lined sheet trays leaving about 2 inches of space between them. Gently brush the tops and sides of the dough mounds with the egg wash and sprinkle with Parmesan.
Bake the gougères for 5 minutes at 425F and then lower the heat to 325F and continue baking for another 10 minutes without opening the oven during the first 15 minutes of baking as doing so may cause them to fall. After 15 minutes rotate the pans and continuing baking for about 10 more minutes until puffed and deep golden brown. Remove from oven and set the baking sheet on a cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before transferring to cooling racks.
After these are cool to touch, they are best enjoyed served warm. Tear each piece open and liberally spread Clif Family Apple Butter between and enjoy with a chilled glass of our Clif Family Chardonnay.
