Appetizer Recipes from Preppy Kitchen

Cheese Puffs

Savory puffs filled with creamy goats’ cheese flavored by parsley, lemon and garlic. You’ll love this take on classic gougeres! 

Ingredients:

For the Choux

1 cup all-purpose flour 120g
1 cup water 240mL
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
8 tbsp unsalted butter 113g
4 eggs Plus an extra for egg wash
3 tbsp pecorino romano

For the Filling

12 oz goats’ cheese room temperature
1/3 cup minced parsley
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup cream
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt to taste
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

For the Filling

1. In a medium bowl, beat together all of the ingredients until combined and smooth. You may adjust the amount of cream as some brands of goats’ cheese are smoother than others. The filling should be pipable but not runny. You may make the filling a day or two in advance and refrigerate.  Add more cream if needed to thin the mixture out if needed.

For the Pastry

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. 
2. In a medium saucepan bring the water, salt, sugar and butter to a rolling boil. 
3. When it boils, immediately take the pan off the heat. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add all the flour at once and stir hard until all the flour is incorporated, 30 to 60 seconds. Return to the heat and cook, stirring for about 30 seconds.
4. Scrape the mixture into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer). Mix at medium speed. With the mixer running, add 4 eggs, 1 egg at a time. Stop mixing after each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough should be thick, but should fall slowly and steadily from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl. 
5. Pipe 1 to 1.5 inch dollops onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Tap down the points with a wet finger. Brush lightly with an egg wash and then sprinkle with the Pecorino Romano.
6. Bake at 425F for 15 minutes. Or until golden brown. If your puffs need additional time, lower oven temp to 375F. Pierce the bottoms with a skewer and allow to cool upside down.
7. Once cooled, poke a hole into the bottom of each puff and then pipe in the filling. 

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

The most delicious Bacon Wrapped Shrimp served with a Honey Jalapeno glaze. 

Ingredients:

1 lb center cut bacon
1 lb large peeled and deveined fresh shrimp
1 tsp kosher salt 6g
½ tsp ground black pepper 3g
20 wooden picks soaked in water for 30 minutes
3 tbsp honey 44mL
2 tbsp minced fresh jalapeño 1 pepper
1 tsp apple cider vinegar 5mL
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro 4g

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Place a paper towel on a microwave-safe plate; top with 6 slices bacon, then top with another paper towel.
2. Microwave in high for 1 minute and 30 seconds to partially cook bacon. Set partially-cooked bacon aside; repeat with remaining bacon.
3. Once bacon has cooled enough to handle, half slices lengthwise.
4. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper. Wrap each shrimp with a halved bacon slice, securing bacon with a wooden pick.
5. Place wrapped shrimp on a rimmed sheet pan lined with aluminum foil.
6. In a small bowl, stir together honey, jalapeño, and vinegar. Brush honey mixture over shrimp.
7. Bake shrimp for 10 minutes; remove from oven.
8. Set oven to high broil; Return shrimp to oven; broil, watching carefully, until bacon is crisp, about 2 minutes.
9. Let cool slightly, then place on a serving platter. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Recipes Courtesy of John Kanell of Preppy Kitchen