Holiday Cookbook & Entertaining Guide 2019

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The only sugar cookie recipe you’ll need

By Southern Kitchen

These thin, crisp, slightly sweet sugar cookies are perfect for a holiday cookie platter, and for baking with kids.

If you prefer a more traditional pale brown cookie, bake for 10 minutes. Eleven minutes of baking will yield light golden brown; 12 minutes will give you the recommended dark brown color.

These cookies will also take well to icing and other decorations.

If you’d like to decorate the cookies, skip the extra sprinkle of sugar before baking.

Foolproof Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies Serves: Makes 5 to 6 dozen, depending on size • 2 large eggs • 1 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling • 1 teaspoon vanilla • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling the dough • 2 teaspoons baking powder • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth.

Whisk in the sugar and vanilla until smooth.

While whisking, slowly pour in the butter, continuing to whisk until smooth.

Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt until

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fully incorporated. The dough should feel like soft Play-Doh. Divide the dough into four portions. Wrap three of the dough portions in plastic wrap.

On a well-floured counter, roll out the unwrapped portion of dough until it measures about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into shapes using cookie cutters and transfer to the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart.

Re-roll the dough scraps and cut out additional shapes, placing them onto the baking sheet. Save any additional scraps.

Sprinkle the cut shapes with a little sugar and bake until as browned as desired, 10 to 12 minutes (see note). Let cool on the baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough, re-rolling scraps as many times as desired. Let the baking sheets cool to room temperature before reusing.

Serve the cookies once cooled, or store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Twist on tradition Recipes for Hanukkah

By Southern Kitchen

Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish holiday, is a time of light, prayer and, of course, food. These recipes mix in just the right amount of fresh, new flavors to excite your guests without straying too far from tradition.

Coca-Cola Braised Beef Brisket Serves: 8 to 10 • 1 (3 1/2-pound) beef brisket flat, trimmed of excess fat • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper • 1 large sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced • 1 (20-ounce) bottle Coca-Cola • 2 cups beef broth • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard • Chopped fresh chives, for serving Heat the oven to 250 degrees.

Sweet Potato Cakes

Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Line a plate with paper towels.

Using a food processor, shred the sweet potatoes and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the flour,

scallions, egg, salt and pepper and mix well.

Divide the potato mixture into 16 pancakes and place on the prepared baking sheet. Freeze until solid, about 2 hours.

In a high-sided cast iron skillet, heat a half-inch of oil to 375 degrees over medium-high heat. In batches, fry the frozen pancakes until they are well-browned and lightly crisped, flipping once. Drain on the prepared plate and serve immediately.

PHOTOS: SOUTHERN KITCHEN/RAMONA KING

Serves: 8 • 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour • 4 scallions, chopped • 1 large egg • 1 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper • Vegetable oil, for frying

Season brisket on all sides with salt and pepper and place in a large Dutch oven.

Add the onion, Coca-Cola, broth, vinegar, Worcestershire and Dijon, and stir to combine. Cover with the lid and place in the oven.

Cook until a knife can be inserted with no resistance, about 8 hours. Remove pot from the oven and let brisket sit in the cooking liquid until ready to serve.

When brisket is cool enough to handle, slice thinly and serve with braising liquid, sprinkled with chives.

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Pepper Jelly Rugelach with Whipped Cream Cheese Makes 32 • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced • 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt • 1/2 cup hot pepper jelly, at room temperature • 1/2 cup heavy cream In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, butter, half of the cream cheese and the salt. Pulse until the dough comes together into a ball. Transfer dough to clean counter and press into a flattened disk. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the chilled dough into four equal pieces. Lightly flour the counter and roll one portion of dough into an 8-inch circle. Cut each circle into eight equal wedges then spread entire surface of the dough with pepper jelly. Beginning at the wide end, roll up each wedge and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Repeat the process with the remaining dough.

Brush the rugelach with heavy cream and bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

Pimento Cheese Noodle Kugel Serves: 8 to 10 • 1 (12-ounce) package wide egg noodles • 4 large eggs • 2 cups half and half • 2 cups pimento cheese, either store-bought or homemade • 1 (5-ounce) jar diced pimentos, drained • 1/2 cup sour cream • 2 teaspoons kosher salt • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese • Chopped fresh chives, for garnish Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with nonstick oil spray.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the egg noodles according to the package directions. Once noodles are just tender, drain and shake off any excess water. Let noodles cool slightly and transfer to the prepared baking dish.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add the half and half, pimento cheese, diced pimientos, sour cream, salt and pepper and whisk until smooth. Pour over the noodles in the baking dish and top with the cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake until the custard is set, 35 to 40 minutes.

Remove the foil and continue baking until the cheese is lightly browned and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes.

Let cool for 5 minutes, top with the chives and serve.

While the rugelach are baking, place the remaining cream cheese and heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until light and fluffy. (Alternatively, use a hand mixer and a medium bowl.)

Transfer the cooked rugelach to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with the whipped cream cheese.

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The secret to a perfect

Christmas roast

By Kate Williams Southern Kitchen

T

here are plenty of how-tos and hack-filled recipes out there to make a foolproof standing rib roast each holiday season, but we’ve cut those long, explanation-filled stories and must-have equipment lists down to one simple secret.

It’s really all about your oven temperature.

To get that perfect medium-rare temperature from edge to edge, you’ll first need to bring your standing rib roast up to room temperature. Three hours on the counter will do it, and in this time, you can get your sides prepped and your drinks poured. Season the heck out of that Christmas roast and then crank the oven up almost as high as it goes: 450 degrees. Get your timer ready.

Pop that baby in the oven on its roasting pan and let it cook for just five minutes per pound. Be exact here; if your roast is 4 1/4 pounds,

cook it for 21 minutes and 15 seconds. As soon as that timer beeps, immdiately turn off the oven and leave the roast in (don’t open the door!) for exactly two more hours. Again, the exact timing is important here, so make sure to set a timer and pay attention.

While this two hours passes, mash your potatoes and saute your green beans. You will, by the way, need to make your sides on the stove top — and yes, this is the one disadvantage of this cooking method — because, remember, you must not disturb the roast.

After that second timer goes off, pull the roast out of the oven and let it rest — for just 10 minutes. Yep, you read that right.

Because the roast has finished cooking low and slow, its juices will have already re-distributed among the meat — it basically just rested in the oven. It’ll carve super easy, we promise, and you won’t end up with a cutting board covered in precious juice.

Pull out your favorite carving set, slice up the roast, and get ready to impress your family. You just won Christmas dinner.

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Standing Rib Roast with Horseradish Cream Serves: 8 to 10 For the Horseradish Cream: • 3/4 cup sour cream • 1/3 cup prepared horseradish • 1/4 cup mayonnaise • Juice of 1/2 lemon • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper For the rib roast: • 1 (6-pound) bone-in standing rib roast • 1/4 cup kosher salt • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper • 3 sprigs rosemary, stripped from stems and chopped To make the horseradish cream: In a medium bowl, whisk together sour cream, horseradish, mayonnaise, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper until combined. Refrigerate horseradish cream until ready to serve.

To make the roast: Three hours before cooking, take the roast out of the refrigerator, pat dry with paper towels and let sit until it comes to room temperature, about 3 hours.

When ready to roast, heat the oven to 450 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk together salt, pepper and rosemary. Season the entire roast with the mixture.

Place roast fat side up in the rack of a roasting pan and bake for 5 minutes per pound (see note). Once the timer chimes, turn off the oven but don’t open the door. Let the roast continue to cook in the cooling oven for 2 hours.

Transfer the roast to a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving with the horseradish cream.

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A decadent holiday feast on a budget

By Jeffrey Gardner and Kate Williams PHOTOS BY SOUTHERNKITCHEN.COM

Southern Kitchen

’Tis the season for feasting, gifting, partying and, all too often, spending far more money than you expect.

But going all out on holiday meals doesn’t mean ignoring a budget. Holiday feasts are, after all, about more than just elaborate centerpiece roasts; they’re about spending time with family, of whatever shape and size, and taking a break from our everyday lives. And it is totally possible to go all out on flavor without going all out on cost.

Here is how to pull off a festive, elegant dinner menu for six, for $66 and change.

Herb-Stuffed Pork Loin ($25)

The main dish can often be the highest-ticket item on your menu. Crown roasts of pork, standing rib roasts and whole geese can be very expensive. Instead, opt for a cheaper roast, such as a boneless pork loin, and gussy it up by adding a vibrant green swirl of herb stuffing. You’ll need a good, sharp knife to trim the loin, but once you have the technique down, the rest of the dish is quite simple.

Serves: 8 • 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed • 1 bunch Italian flat-leaf parsley, leaves stripped • 3/4 ounce fresh rosemary, leaves stripped • 2 cloves garlic, peeled • 1 cup panko bread crumbs • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese • 1 (3-pound) boneless pork loin roast • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the olive oil, parsley, rosemary and garlic.

Process until the herbs have broken down and the mixture resembles a loose paste.

Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the bread crumbs and cheese. Add more oil, if needed, to create the texture of wet sand.

On a cutting board, make a 1-inch slice into the tapered side of the loin, about 1 inch from the bottom of the board. Use several long, shallow knife cuts to unfurl the pork loin into one long, uniform piece about 1 inch thick. Season with salt and pepper.

With the pork cut-side-up, spread the stuffing in an even layer and roll pork back into a firm log — not too tight, lest the filling ooze out when cooking. Use several foot-long pieces of butcher’s twine to hold the pork loin together in a cylindrical shape.

Transfer to a baking sheet and roast until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees, 45 to 60 minutes. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing into 1-inch rounds. Serve.

Instant Pot Braised Kale with Onion and Jalpeños ($12) Braised greens are not only good luck for the New Year, they’re an easy and cost-effective side dish.

Using an Instant Pot means the dish can be ready in less than 20 minutes, but you can certainly use the same ingredients and simmer the ingredients on the stove.

Serves: 6 to 8 • 2 cups vegetable broth • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar • 1/2 cup cane syrup • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil • 1 pound chopped kale • 1 sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced • 1 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced • 2 cloves garlic, minced • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper In an Instant Pot, combine the broth, vinegar, syrup, olive oil, kale, onion, jalapeño and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

Seal the lid and cook on the manual setting for 15 minutes. When the timer sounds, use the quick release to release the pressure. Stir well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.

Ricotta Gnocchi with Winter Root Vegetables ($8)

Here’s where we really got fancy. Making homemade gnocchi is easier than you think — especially when you make them from ricotta cheese instead of potatoes — and they’ll surely impress your guests without adding much cost to your meal.

Serves: 4 For the gnocchi: • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil • 8 ounces whole-milk ricotta cheese • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese • 1 large egg, beaten • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt • 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour For the vegetables: • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter • 2 cups diced and cooked root vegetables, such as sweet potato, turnips and rutabaga • 2 tablespoons water • Zest of 1 lemon • 10 leaves fresh sage, torn • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper To make the gnocchi: Bring a large pot of salted water to a simmer. Drizzle a baking sheet with olive oil.

In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the egg, salt and nutmeg until smooth. Stir in flour until just incorporated. Be mindful not to overwork the dough.

Transfer the dough to a large, sealable plastic bag and cut a 1-inch piece from one of the bottom corners. Pipe dough into the simmering water, using a sharp knife to cut 1-inch dumplings as the dough exits the bag. Let the gnocchi cook until they float to the surface of the water, and then let cook for 2 more minutes. The gnocchi should be soft and fluffy.

Using a mesh strainer, transfer the gnocchi to the prepared baking sheet. Let cool to room temperature.

To make the vegetables: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter but do not allow it to brown. Add the vegetables and cook until completely heated through, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the water, bring to a simmer, and swirl the pan to form a light, emulsified sauce. Add the gnocchi to the pan and cook until hot, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest, fresh sage and remaining Parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Eggnog Panna Cotta with Bourbon Cherry Sauce ($15) Finally, dessert.

Serves: 6 to 8 For the Panna Cotta: • 3 1/2 cups whole milk • 3/4 cup granulated sugar • 5 large egg yolks • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt • 1 cup heavy cream • 1 tablespoon powdered gelatin • 2 tablespoons dark rum • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg For the Cherry Sauce: • 1 cup dried cherries • 1/2 cup granulated sugar • 1/4 cup bourbon • 2 tablespoons water To make the panna cotta: Fill a large bowl with ice water.

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Pommes Anna ($6) These thinly sliced and shingled potatoes get cooked gently in plenty of clarified butter before being turned out onto a cutting board as a show-stopping, sliceable cake. Clarified butter is made by simmering to separate the butterfat from the milk solids, then discarding the solids, leaving behind a translucent, gold-colored portion of butterfat. It’s easiest to clarify one pound of butter, then reserve any excess to store in the refrigerator.

Serves: 6 to 8 • 2 pounds russet potatoes • 1 cup clarified butter (see note) or ghee • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper • Chopped chives, for serving Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Using a mandoline, slice the potatoes 1/8 inch thick, leaving the skin on. While you’re slicing potatoes, heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Add 2 tablespoons of the clarified

butter or ghee to the bottom of the skillet and swirl to coat. Arrange a single layer of potatoes to completely cover the bottom of the skillet, working in a circular pattern. Drizzle with another 2 tablespoons of clarified butter and add another layer of potatoes. Lightly season the potatoes with salt and pepper, and repeat the process with the remaining potatoes, seasoning with salt and pepper every two layers.

Without moving the potatoes, let them cook over medium heat until a golden crust forms on the bottom. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and continue to cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

Place an inverted plate over the skillet and flip potatoes onto the plate, browned side up. Carefully slide the potatoes, still browned side up, into the skillet, transfer to the oven, and bake until the potatoes are crisp, about 15 minutes. Carefully slide out onto a cutting board and let cool slightly before slicing into wedges. Serve with chopped chives.

In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of the milk to a boil over mediumhigh heat. While the milk is heating, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and salt in a separate large bowl until combined. While whisking constantly, slowly pour the hot milk over the egg mixture. Continue to whisk until warm and well-combined.

Return the mixture to the saucepan and place over medium-low heat.

While stirring constantly with a rubber spatula and scraping along the entire

bottom of the saucepan to prevent the eggs from scrambling, cook until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spatula. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining milk and the heavy cream.

Place the saucepan inside the ice bath and stir until completely chilled.

Transfer 1/2 cup cold custard to a small bowl and stir in the gelatin. Set aside. Return the remaining custard to medium-low heat and, while stirring constantly, cook until it just begins to steam.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the gelatin mixture, rum and nutmeg.

Pour through a fine mesh strainer set over a large bowl to remove any solid particles. Divide the custard among 6 to 8 ramekins or tea cups and refrigerate for 8 hours.

To make the cherry sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the cherries, sugar, bourbon and water. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and then continue to cook until the sugar has formed a light syrup, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool and then refrigerate until the panna cottas are firm.

Drizzle the cherry sauce over the firm panna cottas. Serve chilled.

3

4 fish dishes

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fish dishes For a Christmas Eve feast or anytime

Southern Kitchen

In Southern Italy, many families celebrate Christmas Eve with a lavish seafood spread commonly referred to as the “Feast of the Seven Fishes.” Meat is off-limits, and most families spend the entire day preparing these seven separate seafood dishes, often consisting of salt cod, smelts, calamari and clams.

Here are some recipes to jumpstart your own tradition.

SOUTHERNKITCHEN.COM

For a Christmas Eve feast or anytime

By Jeffrey Gardner

Smoked Trout Salad with Green Goddess Dressing Serves: 2 For the Pickled Red Onion: • 1 red onion, sliced into half moons • 1 1/4 cups sugar • 1 cup water • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar • 2 tablespoons kosher salt • 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns • 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds For the Green Goddess dressing: • 3/4 cup mayonnaise • 1/2 cup sour cream • 1/4 cup buttermilk • 1/2 English cucumber, seeded and peeled • 5 scallions, green part only, cut into large pieces • 1/2 cup Italian parsley leaves, whole • Juice of 1/2 lemon • 1 garlic clove, sliced • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper • 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper For the Smoked Trout Salad: • 8 new potatoes, scrubbed • 1 head Bibb lettuce, roots removed • 2 filets smoked trout, torn into large pieces • 6 radishes, thinly sliced • 1 (0.75-ounce) package dill, picked from stems To make the pickled onion: Place the sliced onions in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, combine remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, just enough to dissolve the salt and sugar. Pour the liquid over the onions through a mesh strainer to remove any peppercorns and mustard seeds. Keep the onions submerged in the pickling liquid and cool for 2 hours.

To make the dressing: Place all ingredients into a blender and pureé until smooth and creamy, and the entire mixture has turned pale green. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To make the salad: In a small saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water and bring to a simmer. Cook the potatoes until fork tender, then run under cold water until completely cooled. Cut each potato into quarters. In a large bowl, combine cooked potatoes, lettuce, smoked trout, radishes and dill. Add 1/2 cup of the dressing and gently toss until the lettuce and potato are lightly coated, adding more if desired. Divide the salad onto two places and top each with slices of pickled red onion. Serve immediately.

Serves: 4 For the Whole Grain Mustard Sauce: • 1/4 cup whole grain mustard • 1/4 cup mayonnaise • 1 tablespoon dry white wine • Salt and freshly ground black pepper For the crab cakes: • 1/4 cup mayonnaise • 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs • 1 teaspoon thinly sliced green onions • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper • 1/2 teaspoon paprika • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper • 1 pound fresh lump crab meat • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil To make mustard sauce: In a bowl, combine mustard, mayonnaise and wine.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

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To make crab cakes: In a mixing bowl, mix mayonnaise, panko bread crumbs, green onions, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Gently fold in crab meat, being careful not to break up meat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Form into cakes.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Saute crab cakes until golden brown on both sides, carefully flipping to keep intact. Serve with whole grain mustard sauce.

Recipe courtesy of Bold American Food Co. in Atlanta

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Crab Cakes With Whole Grain Mustard Sauce

Whole Roasted Snapper with Caper Butter Sauce Serves: 2 to 4 For the fish: • 1 (2- to 3-pound) red snapper, scaled, guts and gills removed • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to brush the fish • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper • 1 lemon, thinly sliced • 1 shallot, thinly sliced • 3 sprigs fresh dill For the Caper Butter Sauce: • 1 shallot, minced • 3/4 cup white wine • 2 tablespoons capers • 2/3 cup chicken broth • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill To make the fish: Heat the oven to 450 degrees.

Pat the fish dry with paper towels and lightly brush the skin with olive oil.

Season the skin and inside the cavity with salt and black pepper, then stuff the cavity with lemon slices, shallots and dill.

Heat a large stainless-steel roasting pan on high heat until almost smoking. Add the olive oil and gently place the fish in the center of the pan. Sear on high until the bottom layer of skin is crisp and releases from the pan, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until the fish starts to flake when gently touched, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the fish to a serving platter.

To make the sauce: Place the hot roasting pan on a burner over medium heat.

Add the shallot and cook until softened and lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine and capers, and cook until the wine has reduced by half, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Whisk in the butter, two tablespoons at a time, until the sauce is creamy and emulsified, then stir in the chopped dill. Pour the sauce over the cooked fish and serve immediately.

Cheesy nibbles for New Year’s Eve

By Virginia Willis Southern Kitchen

G

ougères are a classic Burgundian treat commonly served with apéritifs at parties, bistros and wine bars. Most often known here in the U.S. as cheese puffs, they are made from a dough called pâte à choux, or choux paste. This dough is a kitchen workhorse. It’s used in sweet dishes like rich, creamy chocolatedrenched profiteroles, light-as-air

éclairs and towering croquembouche, as well as savory dishes like gnocchi Parisienne, a French hybrid dumpling/ noodle, and this delectable cheese puff.

Before you assume pâte à choux is hard simply because it’s French, know that this dough is one of the easiest things to make in the French pastry kitchen.

It’s simply a matter of bringing water and butter to a boil, adding flour to make a dough, letting it cool for a just a moment, then beating in a few eggs.

For gougères, grated cheese is added

Classic Gougères

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Makes: 2 cups of dough for 32 small or 16 large gougères • 5 large eggs, at room temperature • 3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt • 3/4 cup water • 1/3 cup unsalted butter • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour • 3/4 cup grated Gruyère cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces)

With a wooden spoon, beat the remaining 4 eggs into the dough, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.

(It will come together, I promise.) Continue to beat until the dough is shiny and slides from the spoon.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

If you’re using parchment paper to line the baking sheet, “glue” down the paper at this point with a few dabs of the dough at the corners. Using a spoon, scoop 16 two-tablespoon or 32 one-tablespoon mounds of dough onto the baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Brush the puffs with the reserved egg wash.

In a small bowl, whisk 1 of the eggs in a small bowl with 1/4 teaspoon salt until well-combined.

In a medium saucepan, bring the water, butter and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to a boil over high heat.

Immediately remove the pan from the heat, add the flour all at once, and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the pan to form a ball, 30 to 60 seconds. (This mixture is called the panade.)

Return the pot to low heat and continue to beat for an additional 30 to 60 seconds to dry the mixture. Remove from the heat.

Stir in the grated cheese until well-combined.

Bake until puffed and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. To test for doneness, remove one puff from the baking sheet and let it cool for 45 to 60 seconds. If it remains crisp and doesn’t deflate, it is done. If not, return it to the oven and continue baking 5 to 10 minutes more.

Remove to a rack to cool. Let the puffs cool slightly on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

to the mixture — traditionally Gruyère, Comté or Emmentaler, but other semi-hard cheeses, such as cheddar or gouda, can be used as well. (Softer, wet cheeses can be used if you’d like, but the gougères won’t puff quite as much.)

These can be made ahead and freeze beautifully. Once baked, remove them to a rack to cool completely and then freeze in an airtight container. To reheat, pop them in a 350 degree oven until warm and crisp, which takes about 5 to 7 minutes.

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