¡Hola!

A big hello to my 3 followers! How are you all doin'? As for me, it's been great but busy several weeks. I've finally moved! I can't believe, that I've been in my new place for 3 weeks. Without furniture! Except my bed, my pink table and a pair of chairs. It's minimalist to the extreme, but I'm completely in love with it... even empty. Best impulsive purchase I ever made. Apart from Figaro.



Figgy too is very happy with the place although he was a little scared at first, the first night when I got home, I couldn't find him... turned out he was hiding under my bed and only got out when he saw me... his tail tucked in, the poor thing. He followed me everywhere, his meows were timid meows and even after a week, when the P's came to visit... he hid upstairs. Well now, he acts as if he owns the place.

I must say, compared to my old little kitchenette in Lilyfield, my kitchen now is fantastico. But I somehow miss the mini oven... one of the last few things I bake in it were these little gougères.


(Quite yummy little things they are)

I have more than one recipes, and honestly I can't recall which one I tried, it's that many weeks ago! I think it might have been the one from a book I received as a present last Christmas, Pastry by Michel Roux.

Gougères
1 quantity freshly made choux paste, still warm
120 gr Emmenthal or Comté, grated
tiny pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
eggwash (1 egg yoik mixed with 1 tbsp milk)

Choux paste
makes 40-50 little choux buns
125 ml milk
125 ml water
100 gr butter, diced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp caster sugar
150 gr plain flour
4 eggs

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Combine the milk, water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan and set over a low heat. Bring to the boil and immediately take the pan off the heat. Shower in the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until completely smooth.

Return the pan to a medium heat and stir continuously for about 1 minute to dry out the paste, then tip it into a bowl.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating with the wooden spoon. Once the eggs are all incorporated, the paste should be smooth and shiny with a thick ribbon consistency.

Add the 3/4 of the grated cheese, the cayenne and the nutmeg to the warm choux paste and mix to combine, without over working.

Place the gougère mixture in a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle and pipe small mounds in staggered rows onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush with eggwash and lightly mark the tops with the back of a fork, then sprinkle over the rest of the cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes until dry and crisp on the outside and base, but still soft inside.

Note:
1. I missed the Daring Bakers challenge again... I think it's the third consecutive month so I think I might be getting shown the exit door. Ouch.