Dorie Greenspan's delightful goat cheese puffs from "Around My French Table" (and how I will use almost any excuse to justify another cookbook purchase)

One could probably devote an entire blog just to Dorie Greenspan's recipes.  During a recent Amazon order, I justified purchasing her book "Around My French Table" because I "had to" spend a few dollars more to get free shipping.  Never mind that by the time I purchase another item, it's much more than shipping would have been in the first place-- however, it was the perfect excuse I was waiting for to buy this gem of a book.  Although I'm trying to save money these days, I think books like this are an investment.  This is a book with pages that will fill my belly  and the bellies of those I love for years to come, pages that will weather with use over many meals, holidays, potlucks and celebrations.  Therefore, if I calculate the cost of the book measured by feasts over time, I'm practically stealing it from Amazon.  The book arrived on Friday and I didn't waste any time getting to work in the kitchen.  Some friends were gathering to catch up and have a "girl's night in" and the occasion seemed perfect for DG's goat-cheese mini puffs recipe.  

For this recipe, you start out by creating cream puff dough, also known as pâte à choux.  As Greenspan explains in her book, this dough is rather magical in its transformation.  First you cook the ingredient's of the dough on the stove, then you stir vigorously, then the dough is later baked into expanding "puffs" on a cookie sheet. 

Gratuitous ingredients close-up shot

                                                           Butter, water, milk, and salt 
                                             slowly turn to magic dough

It's almost time to add the flour...

Flour is added and the dough comes together...just remember to stir it like you mean it!

Now it's time to add the eggs to the dough...and of course I had to include a token shot of DG's beautiful book.  Don't worry, I didn't leave it on the table while mixing-- lest the pages get splashed with egg!  

   

And now for the filling: a mixture of herbed goat cheese, cream cheese, cream, salt & pepper.

  

The goat cheese mixture is spooned into a piping bag and into the "puffs" it goes-- into a hopefully inconspicuous hole in the puff's side!  DG says you can also cut the tops off of the puffs to fill them, but this piping bag part is perhaps the most fun of all-- it's like performing surgery on a baked good.

Et voila!  Goat cheese puffs!

This recipe is one that I'm planning to keep in my back pocket for many a-gathering.  My compliments to Dorie Greenspan for yet another lovely recipe.