Ultimate Cook Book_ 900 New Recipes, Thousands of Ideas - Bruce Weinstein [41]
Unwrap the log and slice off as many ¼-inch rounds as desired. Place on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake until golden and slightly firm to the touch, about 20 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To store: The wrapped log can be refrigerated for up to 1 month; the baked biscuits, once cooled, can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Variations: Substitute Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano for the Asiago.
Increase the black pepper to as much as 1 tablespoon.
Add caraway seeds, celery seeds, or fennel seeds with the flour.
Add up to 1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce with the cream.
Gougères
These balls of crunchy, puffed dough are best hot from the oven; plan on baking them off as your guests arrive. Our only sure tip: make these on a dry, clear day. Makes 36 gougères
1 cup water
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
8 ounces Gruyère or Emmentaler, grated with a microplane or the smallest holes of a box grater
Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper; set aside.
Place the water and butter in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, melting the butter and stirring occasionally.
Reduce the heat to medium-low; stir in the flour and salt with a wooden spoon. Keep stirring over the heat until the dough coheres, dries out, and coats the sides of the pan with a milky film, forming a thin crust across its bottom, about 3 minutes or maybe up to 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
Using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat in the eggs, one at a time. (You can also transfer the dough to a stand mixer and beat in the eggs with the paddle attachment.) Once the eggs have been thoroughly incorporated, beat in the cheese.
Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing the mounds 2 inches apart. Alternatively, place the dough in a pastry bag fitted with a #9 plain tip or in a ziplock plastic bag from which you’ve snipped off one corner; pipe onto the baking sheet in 1-inch mounds.
Set the baking sheet aside to let the mounds dry out for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F.
Bake until puffed and golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on the sheet for 2 minutes before removing and serving. To make additional batches, cool the baking sheet for 10 minutes before making extra mounds and letting them dry out (change the parchment paper if it’s browned, spotty, or frizzled) or use a second prepared baking sheet on which you’ve put a second set of mounds as the first set bakes.
Variations: Add 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper with the cheese.
Add 2 teaspoons chopped stemmed thyme or chopped fresh dill with the cheese.
Substitute Parmigiano-Reggiano or hard, aged, white Cheddar for the Gruyère or Emmentaler.
Brie and Mango Quesadillas
Quesadillas often suffer from a certain dullness, so we jazz them up with bolder flavors. Serve with a fiery salsa on the side. Makes 4 servings
2 fresh poblano chiles, Italian frying peppers, or New Mexican green or red chiles
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
4 ounces Brie, rind removed, cut into long strips
Four 12-inch flour tortillas
To char the peppers, preheat the broiler. Place the chiles on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil set 4 inches from the heat source. Roast until charred on all sides, turning often with tongs, about 6 minutes. Alternatively, hold the chiles with metal tongs over an open gas flame to char them on all sides.
Place the chiles in a bowl and seal with plastic wrap or place them in a paper bag and seal. Set aside for 10 minutes, then peel off the blackened skins before stemming and seeding the chiles. Cut the chiles into long strips.
Again, preheat the broiler. Divide the chile strips, mango slices, and Brie slices between 2 tortillas.