Oregon Blue Cheese Gougeres

by Stephanie Pearl Kimmel

Makes about 24 3-inch puffs

These moist cheese puffs are the traditional harvest snack for the grape growers and winemakers of Burgundy. I created this version with the blue cheese from the Rogue River Valley Creamery to complement Oregon's wonderful Pinot Noir.

Ingredients:

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups unbleached flour, sifted
• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup Oregon blue cheese, crumbled (or substitute another blue-veined cheese)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine 1-1/2 cups of water, butter and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat immediately and add all of the flour at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon. When the flour is incorporated, return the pan to the heat for several minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture starts to dry out and pull away from the edge of the pan. Away from the heat, add the eggs one at a time, mixing each one until well blended. The dough should be soft and shiny. Add the blue cheese. Season with black pepper and more salt if needed.

Butter a baking sheet. Using either a soup spoon or a pastry bag with a large plain tip, make mounds about 2 inches in diameter. Using a pastry brush, paint tops with a glaze of the beaten egg. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.

The puffs are at their best when served warm from the oven, but are also delicious at room temperature. They can be made ahead and frozen, then popped in the oven to reheat just before serving.