Friday Drinks: Goat’s Cheese Profiteroles with Honey and Thyme

You can’t very well have drinks without nibbles now can you?! Of course not!! I totally agree! So as part of my Friday Drinks series I will also feature some oh so delectable scrum-didili-uptious nibbles, hors d’oeurves and canapes. Yum! What perfect timing with the silly season just around the corner. I couldn’t agree more!

Does anyone else have a little nemesis called choux pastry? Or is it just me? Yes, Mr. Choux is not always kind to me. Interestingly somedays he’s my friend, best friend in fact, and is the most delectable, crispy, light-as-air treat, and other days he really just doesn’t like me and is either a giant big rock or is just a big soft floppy mess. Grrrr! So does anyone else know him? In saying this, I have been pretty fortunate of late, or maybe I have just finally mastered Mr. Choux (unlikely), but my choux pastry as been working just perfectly (better touch some wood while saying that!). Now rather than avoiding any choux pastry treats, I have been embracing them and found these absolutely delicious canapés – Goat’s Cheese Profiteroles with Honey and Thyme. My friend’s sisters made the original version of them (I have adapted them slightly) and not only was the choux pastry absolutely perfect (virtual high five friend’s sisters!) the canapés were just delicious. I have always loved honey with cheese, something sweet like honey, quince paste, muscatels or even a simple sliced pear just take any cheese board to another level. So needless to say, the addition of honey on these profiteroles is just genius (I can say that because it wasn’t my idea!).

Don’t be off put by the choux pastry in this recipe, don’t stress, you can always buy pre made profiteroles – great when you’re in a hurry too! I don’t really know much about wine pairings, but I must say these do go perfectly with a bottle of bubbles!

Happy Friday everyone (thank goodness!), have a great weekend and see you all next week.

xo Kate

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Goat's Cheese Profiteroles with Honey and Thyme

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 36

Author Adapted from a recipe by Josh Emett in Cuisine Magazine

Ingredients

For the profiteroles:

• 100 g 3.5oz salted butter, small cubes
• 1 cup water
• 125 g 4.4oz strong flour
• 60 g 2oz gruyere cheese, grated
• 100 g 3.5oz butter, cubed
• 3 large eggs at room temperature

For the filling:

• 150 g 5oz goat’s cheese, at room temperature
• 3 Tbsp cream

For assembly:

• 2 Tbsp honey warmed
• 1 Tbsp thyme leaves and flowers if in season
• flaky sea salt to serve

Instructions

For the profiteroles"

1. Preheat oven to 180C (355F). Line two baking trays with baking paper (parchment paper). Remove the paper and run under cold water for a couple of seconds. Shake to remove excess water and place back on trays. This will provide more steam to assist in the profiteroles rising.
2. Sift flour onto a piece of baking paper.
3. Combine the butter and water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil. As soon as it reaches the boil, remove from heat and quickly, and all at once, add the flour. Whilst adding the flour ensure you are vigorously beating the mixture with a wooden spoon and continue to do so until the mixture thickens and starts to come away from the sides of the pan.
4. Add the gruyere cheese and continue to beat until it melts.
5. Either transfer to a standing mixer, or continue to beat with a wooden spoon and add the eggs, one at time, until the mixture becomes a thick, glossy paste.
6. Using two teaspoons (or a piping bag) dollop teaspoon-sized balls of the mixture onto the prepared baking trays.
7. Bake one tray at a time on the top shelf of the oven for approximately 15 minutes or until the profiteroles are puffed up and pale golden.
8. Remove from oven, piece with a skewer to remove some steam, and allow to cool.
9. Repeat with second baking tray.

For the filling:

1. With a wooden spoon, beat the goat's cheese to soften then add the cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Transfer mixture a piping bag.
3. Find a natural crease/opening near the bottom of each profiterole, insert piping bag and pipe in a small amount of the goat's cheese mixture.

For the assembly:

1. Drizzle the profiteroles with warm honey and sprinkle with thyme leaves (and flowers) and sea salt.