Tag Archives: gougeres

New Year’s Eve Sips and Nibbles

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2010 has been a, well, challenging year for many, so it’s little surprise that people are ready to kiss it goodbye and welcome 2011 with open arms. We’ve got a lineup of elegant and nourishing cocktails and hors d’oeuvres to ring in the new year in style.

To sip:

As cocktail expert, Maria Hunt notes, if you’re hosting the festivities, guests are sure to arrive with sparkling wine, which is celebratory on its own and even better in cocktails. Check out Maria’s tips to create an interactive cocktail bar, plus her recipes for the Lava Lamp and Green Grapefruit.

To nibble:

Pair those bubbly sippers with a selection of savory and sweet items–all of which can be made well in advance. If you’re the host, you can prep these today or tomorrow. If you’re a guest, they’re also easy to tote to the party.

Coppa-Wrapped Dates with Blue Cheese: Assemble these before the party, then bake them just before you’re ready to serve. I took a batch of these to a Christmas dinner, and they disappeared in no time. They’re also so easy to make that I’ve made them for us to enjoy just before supper during the week.

Manchego and Nutmeg Gougeres: Lia likes to serve these lovely little cheese puffs with a glass of Spanish Cava.

Spanish Leaning Spinach and Chickpea Dip: The spinach in this tasty dip offers a serving of good-luck greens for the New Year and a dash of color to the table. Serve this with crudite.

Chicken Pate with Brandy: This is an uptown riff on my grandma’s chopped liver. Serve it with crackers or baguette and mustard and cornichons, and you’ll have a pretty little platter.

Endive Spears with Roquefort Mousse and Walnuts: This is classic party food. Make the mousse ahead, pop it into a pastry bag and refrigerate. Pipe it onto the endive leaves and top with toasted walnuts just before serving.

Rosemary-Parmesan Breadsticks: Another ideal finger food, these are so simple the kids can help you knead and shape the dough.

Boozy Orange-Pecan Truffles: You’ll want a little something sweet to round out the buffet. These petite chocolate truffles pack tons of flavor.

All of us at NOURISH Evolution wish you a happy, healthy, nourishing New Year! Cheers!

Manchego and Nutmeg Gougeres

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Gougeres (“goo-zhehr”)–little mini cheese-puffs about as light as air–are the classic nibble with Champagne. (Here, we give them a Spanish spin with manchego cheese . . . try them with a glass of cava.)

manchego-nutmeg-gougeres-recipe4 ounces (1 stick) butter, cut into small cubes
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated manchego cheese, divided
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine butter, salt, pepper and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and remove from heat immediately.

Pour in flour and stir with a mixing spoon (mixture will be stiff) for 3-5 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and pulls away from the sides of the pan.  Stir in eggs one by one, mixing well after each addition, then stir in 1 cup cheese and nutmeg.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Transfer dough to a pastry bag and pipe 2-inch mounds 2 inches apart onto both sheets. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top and bake for 25 minutes, switching pans half way through.

Serve warm or at room temperature, or cool completely and freeze in a freezer-safe zip-top storage bag. (Reheat frozen gougeres in a 375 F oven for 5 minutes.)

Serves 18