This recipe for gougeres – those warm puffy savory pastries perfect with chamapagne or any wine  – comes originally from the LA Times. I love it because it actually works! Follow the steps and you’ll be rewarded with loads of perfect puffs just like the ones in the picture.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
• 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 pound Gruyere cheese
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup cold milk plus
• 2 tablespoons cold milk
• 1/2 cup butter plus more for greasing pan
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 egg mixed with 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Trim rind from Gruyere and cut cheese into cubes.
Place chives, thyme and cheese in processor bowl. Process until cheese is coarsely chopped; set aside on foil. Do not wash bowl.

Bring water, 1/3 cup milk, butter, salt, nutmeg and pepper to boil in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove pan from heat. Use wooden spoon to vigorously stir in flour until mixture is well combined and leaves side of pan, about 1 minute. Return to heat and cook, stirring often, 2 minutes.

Transfer dough to processor bowl. Turn on processor and add 4 eggs through feed tube, stopping once to scrape down sides, until mixture is thick and smooth, about 20 seconds. Add remaining milk; process 5 seconds. Add reserved cheese mixture; process 5 seconds more.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 2 baking sheets and sprinkle lightly with water (steam will release puffs from pan after they are baked).
Put dough into pastry bag fitted with 3/4-inch-wide tube; pipe into 1 1/4-inch rounds on pans with 1-inch spacing. Alternately, use tablespoon to place rounds onto pan, pushing dough off with your finger. Use your finger to dab egg wash onto puffs, smoothing any rough edges.

 Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Use spatula to transfer to wire racks to rest 10 minutes. Serve warm. (Can be baked several hours ahead and kept at room temperature; reheat in 300 degree oven 8 minutes and serve warm. Or, arrange puffs in single layer on baking sheets and freeze.

Frozen puffs can then be packed in airtight bags and frozen up to 1 month.
Reheat unthawed puffs, uncovered, in single layer on baking sheet in 300 degree oven 10 to 12 minutes. Serve warm.)This recipe yields 40 (1 1/2-inch) puffs or 20 cocktail servings.

The Italian breadsticks called grissini are the star of these elegant nibbles that look like gifts tied up with an edible bow. They take a bit of effort, but your guests will be delighted when they see your handiwork. Be sure to use good quality salmon and prosciutto that aren’t super salty. Makes 16 grissini

• 4 ounces seasoned goat cheese or Boursin, chilled
• 8 pieces prosciutto di San Daniele, cut in strips 2 1/2 inches long by 1 inch deep
• 16 grissini Italian breadsticks
• 16 chives
• 8 pieces thinly sliced smoked salmon, cut in strips 2 1/2 inches long by 1 inch deep

Place a ball of cheese the size of a large pea onto one end of a strip of prosciutto. Flatten it slightly with one end of a breadstick. Starting from the end of the prosciutto with the cheese, tightly roll the prosciutto around the middle of the breadstick. Secure the roll by tying it closed with a chive; trim the end of the chives for neatness. Repeat the process with the rest of the prosciutto.

To roll the salmon, bring it to room temperature first. Then repeat the process, replacing the prosciutto with the salmon. Serve immediately.

By Maria C. Hunt, author of The Bubbly Bar: Champagne and Sparkling Wine Cocktails for Every Occasion Published August 2009 by Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House

Ingredients

• 2 large baking potatoes, peeled
• 3 shallots, peeled
• 1 egg
• Coarse/kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
• Clarified butter or olive oil for sautéing
• several pieces smoked salmon, thinly sliced
• creme fraiche or sour cream
• snipped chives

Directions

1. Combine potatoes, shallots, and egg in a food processor and grate.
2. Spoon grated-potato mixture into a bowl and add salt and pepper.
3. Heat clarified butter or olive oil in a large sauté pan, preferably with a nonstick surface.
4. Spoon 2 or more tablespoons of potato mixture into pan for each pancake. The thickness and diameter of the pancakes will depend on how they are to be used.
5. Cook pancakes until golden brown, turning frequently.

When you have the desired amount of pancakes, lay them out on a serving plate. Top each one with a thin slice of smoked salmon, a dab of creme fraiche or sour cream and a pinch of snipped chives. 

Eat right away while they’re still warm.

Make about 2 dozen pancakes

Adapted from Chef David Burke