We all have funny cooking mistake stories. I know I do, and plenty of them! In fact, you have to make mistakes in order to become a good cook. Whether they are embarrassing gaffes that happen while you have company, or while you are alone cooking dinner, the fact is that they do happen.
It doesn’t matter if you are a cooking novice or an expert chef, it is inevitable that missteps will occur. You find a recipe, buy all the ingredients, and start out with good intentions. It doesn’t always end up perfectly. Relax, you are in good company.
Just this past Mother’s Day, I was making Shelley’s noodle pudding. I must have made this recipe at least fifty times. I have even posted it on my blog. I measured out all the ingredients and began preparing it. As I was making the filling, I realized that I had neglected to put in the proper amount of cream cheese.
What was I to do? Well, I put on a pair of gloves, unwrapped another package of cream cheese and tore it apart into little pieces. I put each piece into the noodle mixture and mixed it in by hand, squishing each piece as I combined it. Guess what? Yup. It came out just as perfectly as it would have had I done it correctly the first time.
So, whether you over-salt the soup, overcook the meat, forget an ingredient, or pour out the chicken soup as you are straining it, I promise it will, make you a better cook. You will learn from your mistakes (I have made all of the above).
These cheese puffs below are the most delectable, delicious little bites. There are addicting! Really, you can’t eat just one. Just a note: when placing the batter into the pastry bag (if you are an inexperienced baker, like me), put in only up to a third of the bag at a time. You need to have room to twist the bag in order to get the batter out ( I learned this the messy and hard way!). If you do not have a pastry bag, you can use a ziplock bag and cut off one of the points at either end of the bag. This would be a great appetizer for any party and you can probably make them in advance and freeze them. Whatever you do, these are a “must try”. Ina never disappoints. \
This recipe is courtesy of Ina Garten and will make about 30-40 puffs that will leave your guests begging for more!
Ingredients for Cheese Puffs
1 cup milk
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tsp. kosher butter
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 extra-large eggs
1/2 cup Grated Gruyere, plus extra for sprinkling
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 egg beaten with 1 tsp. water, for egg wash
Preheat oven to 425.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a saucepan, heat the milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg over medium heat, until scalded. (I waited for it to simmer).
Add the flour all at once and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together. The flour will begin to coat the bottom of the pan (when this happens).
Dump the hot mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.
Immediately add the eggs, Gruyere, and Parmesan and pulse until the eggs are incorporated and the dough is smooth and thick.
Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. (note: Spoon small amounts of the mixture into the pastry bag at a time. You need the space to be able to twist the bag in order for the mixture to come out)
Pipe in mounds 1 1/4 inches wide and 3/4-inch high onto the baking sheets. (You can also also use 2 spoons to scoop out the mixture and shape the puffs with damp fingers).
With a wet finger, lightly press down the tips at the top of each puff.
Brush the top of each puff lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with a pinch of Gruyere.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown outside but still soft inside.
It’s that simple!
