DORIE SWEETENS UP MAUI

Mary+ by | Jan 23, 2022 | Uncategorized

Before Tom Sawyer, before Huckleberry Finn, when Mark Twain was an underpaid wanna-be newspaper reporter, he found himself in Hawaii. In 1866 at just 31 years of age, The Sacramento Daily Union sent him on assignment to the Sandwich Islands, present-day Hawaii. He spent four months in the islands, sent back 25 letters and was paid $20 a dispatch. 

It wasn’t until 1947 that a collection of those letters was turned into a book, Letters from Hawaii. One present-day East Coast reviewer called it ‘a foretaste of genius and the best travel writing about Hawaii I have ever read.’ The book is still available today. Although Twain never returned to Hawaii, late in life he wrote, “What I have always longed for was the privilege of living forever away up on one of those mountains in the Sandwich Islands overlooking the sea.”

In the Eighties and Nineties Michael and I vacationed in Hawaii often. We visited every island, toured the war memorials in Honolulu and enjoyed all that was available to a tourist. Now, almost twenty years since our last trip, unlike Twain who never was able to return, I wanted one last trip to those old haunts. 

But once again Covid ran interference to all my plans. Having arrived in Maui to face the increasing Omicron surge, island hopping, Pearl Harbor,  revisiting special restaurants and mixing it up with the tourists on Kaanapali Beach and Lahaina’s historic Front Street were off the table. Surprisingly, my time here has taken on an amazing personality of its own without the possible discomfort a walk down memory lane might have pulled up. I have pictures…

“Ooooommgawd is this amazing!!!

I’ve got a little baking adventure for you. No electric mixer needed. A cinch to throw together. No outlandish ingredients required. And if you’re over holiday sugar and sweetness, how about plain and simple. This Poppy-Seed Tea Cake’s texture is ‘a delightful cross between the close grain of a poundcake with a spongecake’s bit of bounce.’

Thanks to Omicron, I am still my personal chef this winter. Not complaining, I have a dream kitchen here in Maui. In Dorie Greenspan’s January “EAT” column in New York Times Magazine, she wrote about her grandmother, childhood memories and poppy seeds. In ten years of cooking through this woman’s cookbooks, I’m entitled to gush over Dorie and her recipes. This is a three-gusher.  

 Having already baked several of these loaves, I prefer plain. The glaze glams it up, adding a tad of sweetness. I’m baking half-glazed, half-plain today for my neighbor. Friends here played taste testers. Leslie’s response is the caption above. The cake apparently also passed muster with her husband with the “WOW” factor. Let’s just leave it there.

DORIE’S POPPY-SEED TEA CAKE  by Dorie Greenspan, EAT, New York Times Magazine

Ten Servings

INGREDIENTS

For The Cake:

Butter and flour for the pan

1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/4 Cups of Sugar

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon or tangerine

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 tablespoons of lemon or tangerine juice

11/2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature

51/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/3 cup poppy seeds

For the Glaze (optional) :

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds, for sprinkling

Instructions:

1. To make the cake, center a rack in the oven and pre-heat to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 81/2-inch loaf pan. Place the pan on two stacked baking sheets OR an insulated baking sheet.

2.  Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl. Put the sugar in a large bowl, add the lemon or tangerine zest. Rub together with your finger until the sugar is moist and aromatic. Add the eggs, one by one, whisking in one vigorously before adding the next.  Whisk in the juice and vanilla and then the heavy cream until smooth.

3.  Add the flour mixture in three additions, using the whisk to gently stir the dry ingredients into the batter. When the flour is incorporated, add the butter in two additions, again stirring gently with the whisk. You should have a thick, smooth, shiny batter. Switch to a flexible spatula and stir in the poppy seeds. Scrape the batter into the pan.

4.  Bake until it has risen and cracked along the center and, most importantly, a tester inserted deep into the cake comes out clean, about 60 to 70 minutes. Take a look at it after about 45 minutes and tent it loosely with foil if it’s getting too dark too fast.

5.  Transfer the pan to a rack, cool for 5 minutes and then run a table knife between the cake and the sides of the pan. Unmold the cake and then turn it right-side up onto the rack. Cool to room temperature. 

6.  Stir together the confectioners’ sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice until smooth. If needed add more juice, a drop at a time, until you have an icing that falls slowly from the tip of a spoon.  Spread it over the cooled cake to coat evenly, sprinkle with poppy seeds and let stand until set. 

7.  Wrapped well, the cake will keep at room temperature for about 4 days. Unglazed it can be stored up to a month. 

maui&italy MEET-UP: PASTA PERFECT

Mary+ by | Jan 6, 2022 | Uncategorized

Did anyone besides me need a nudge into 2022? If only we’d had a Trailer like the movies with some teasers as to what’s ahead. I’ve always trusted that I can bloom where I’m planted, make the best of any situation. Right now the situation is 2022, we’re in it, let’s sparkle.

I’m still in Maui and recently found a 20-year old timeworn book of recipes, The Hali’imaile General Store Cookbook. The General Store, 19 miles from me, is still in business. When first glancing through the recipes, it fell open to a dog-eared page with directions to Italasia Shrimp and Scallop Pasta. While more Italian than Hawaiian, Chef Beverly Gannon claimed the dish was an instant hit with customers.

With Omicron at our doorsteps, most of us will be pulling together more meals at home. Following the holidays, we meal-makers need easy and tasty. Why argue with a dog-eared recipe? Who doesn’t deserve a macadamia nut or two in their future? Need more kick than basil pesto? Use cilantro, the chef’s suggestion.This is simply-made comfort food. With a green salad and country bread, it’s a 5-star home-cooked meal.

THE VALLEY ISLE

The County of Maui includes four islands: Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, and Kahoʻolawe. Launiupoko, where I live, is a spacious unincorporated community in West Maui with about 700 residents. When the holiday crowds departed I had planned whaling excursions, birding trips and the like but that’s delayed another week or so.  Despite the Covid resurgence, I still walk/hike on local beaches, the Honokohau Ditch Trail  and up into the hills and mountains behind my house and hit the beach to watch the sunset.

MERWIN CONSERVANCY

I was invited to join eight others for an extraordinary hike through the privately-managed Merwin Conservancy. Never heard of it? This small arts and ecology organization is the conservator of a lush and rare 19-acre palm forest that two-time Pulitzer prize winning poet W.S. Merwin, over a thirty year-period, planted and tended on land designated as agricultural wasteland.’  

This magical experience included a hike into the Peʻahi Stream valley, historical and botanical conversations and poetry readings by program director Sara Tekula. With over 2,740 individual palm trees, featuring more than 400 taxonomic species and 125 unique genera with nearly 900 different horticultural varieties, the late Merwin’s garden is recognized as a living work of art and one of the largest, most extensive palm collections known to exist on earth.

UKU ( Gray Snapper )

Before Omicron became more than a pest, I enjoyed dinner on Christmas Eve with 10 other vaccinated, tested and, fortunately as of today, Covid free. Although the crowd-pleasing Opakapaka, was on the menu, recent storms made it difficult to find. Make that, none at all in fish markets. Some chefs believe uku is the most overlooked/under-appreciated of the Hawaii bottom fish.

RECIPE

ITALASIA SHRIMP and SCALLOP PASTA adapted from The Hali’imaile General Store Cookbook by Beverly Gannon

Serves: 4

Cilantro Pesto

1/4 cup whole macadamia nuts, toasted
2 cloves garlic
1/1/2 cups of chopped fresh cilantro (basil is a tasty substitute)
1/3 grated Parmesan Cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Shrimp and Scallop Pasta

1/2 pound dried farfalle pasta
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
1 pound sea scallops

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. For the pesto combine the nuts, garlic and cilantro (or basil) and pulse until a paste forms. Add the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and pulse 3 or 4 times. With the motor running, add the oil through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thick and smooth. Measure out 1/2 cup for this recipe. Refrigerate or freeze the leftover pesto for other uses.
2. Bring a large pot filled with salted water to boil. Add the pasta, stir well and cook for 6-8 minutes until al dente. (If you live in high-altitude, al dente will take 8-11 minutes.) Don’t overcook. Drain, place in a warmed bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of pesto. Cover to keep warm.
3. Place the cream and the remaining 6 tablespoons pesto in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens.
4. While the sauce is reducing melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and scallops and sauté for 3-4 minutes until almost cooked. Pour the reduced sauce over the shrimp and scallops and heat for a few minutes longer until the seafood is cooked through.
5. Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss to cook. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, minced cilantro and chopped macadamia nuts and serve.

HAU’OLI MAKAHIKI HOU 2022, Readers. ( Happy New Year.)

HAPPY & HEALTHY IN MAUI

Mary+ by | Dec 17, 2021 | Uncategorized

Last week I flew to Hawaii, scooting out of Aspen just before snow, snow and more snow. Maui will be my sunny slice of paradise until mid-February. For seven years I’ve traveled solo every winter, sharing those journeys, hits and misses, with you. 

Having had my wings clipped the past 2 years and still dealing with Covid regulations, I’m not as breezy about this year’s travel. But pent-up wanderlust won out over Anxious, Reticent and Careful. I’m still carrying around the Careful baggage but taking it on the road.

UNITED ON UNITED

Can we all agree that with any airline it’s a tough ride these days. That’s why I’m sharing this sad but gracious story of a crew and its passengers united in grace. 

Just as my plane was taking off from DIA (Denver) for Maui, the pilot did a quick turnaround, landing back at the airport. An elderly man, diabetic, needed medical attention. The only doctor on board, sitting next to me, hurried to help the crew. Shortly after the jet bridge was put in place, the Paramedics boarded our plane. A seizure. A stroke. The gentleman died.

We sat at the Gate for 3 hours. United, DIA and the city of Denver needed to deal with this tragedy by the book. The atmosphere in the cabins was subdued, respectful and throughout the process I heard no grumbling nor one complaint.

Three hours later, the bridge was removed. We departed with the  crew putting on smiles, returning to work. Although they appeared to shake it off, this was a young crew, a first-time event for everyone. My seat mate, the only passenger who shared their experience, got busy and spent the flight quietly reassuring each of them they had done everything possible, providing the couple dignity and grace throughout the process.

This is America’s humanity as I know it.

ALOHA, MAUI

Wherever I travel it takes me a week to find my footing but with a little friendly help, I’d call every day since my arrival an adventure.   

If you want to see more Maui photos, check out my hirschfrench Instagram #mauilife daily photo. Beginning with Ceviche (first photo above), I’ll get back to making and posting recipes in my next blog. My friend, Leslie, is making Opakapaka for Christmas Eve dinner so maybe she’ll let me share some pictures with you.

Wherever you live, please be joyful and stay healthy over the holidays.

GRAB YOUR LADLE, IT’S SOUP TIME

Mary+ by | Dec 3, 2021 | Uncategorized

How was your Thanksgiving? If happiness is homemade, I hope your plate was loaded with memorable, familiar food and gratitude for it. While my family was celebrating in four different places last Thursday, we all went to bed well-fed, warm, safely in our homes/dorms and healthy. That means everything.

MOVING ON … IT’S TIME TO TRAVEL

Before I introduce the amazing Red Lentil & Butternut Squash Soup that will be your lifeline to survive December, here’s some news. (I’ll be brief.) 

During The Great Plague of 1665-66, Sir Isaac Newton, a 22-year old student at Trinity College, stayed at home to avoid the sickness. While there he invented Calculus and discovered  the Laws of Gravity and Optics. While I’ve not risen to Newton’s level, during the past 19 months of pretty constant isolation I’ve finally accepted the reality this virus is the world’s newest resident. 

Most of my friends came to this reality long before me, resuming a near-normal albeit safe Lifestyle. I’ve envied them. I wasn’t brave enough nor ready. Now I’ve decided, if not now, when? 

LIST:

Two Vaccination Shots; Check. 

Booster; Check. 

Flu Shot; Check. 

Annual Physical; Passed. 

KN95 Masks; Ample Supply. 

Antigen Quick Tests; 5.

For a dry run, last Monday I drove to Denver to see the Whistler to Cassat, American Painters in France Exhibit at the newly, spectacularly renovated Denver Art Museum. It was a beautifully mounted, thoughtful show and will be up until March 13. Such a joy to see. 

Since that three-day trip went well, next week I am leaving to spend 8 weeks in Hawaii. Michael and I went to those gorgeous islands many times. I want to re-visit the memories one more time. In mid-February I’ll repack my bags and fly to Paris for 6 weeks. This has not been an easy winter schedule to organize but I did my best…..and will share it all with you.

Red Lentil & Butternut Squash Soup (possibly a Martha Stewart recipe)

“Really good soup!  The lentils cut the sweetness of the butternut squash…just right.”  Donna Chase

I made two versions of this delicious soup using chicken broth and then vegetarian broth. Quite honestly I thought the vegetarian which I made for my friend, Donna, was more flavorful than the chicken. In a hurry? Buy cut-up frozen squash in a bag. Although I prefer my soup a bit chunky (I call it rough), you can purée this to a smooth texture.  

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 6 cups (2 pounds) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into one-inch pieces
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 11/4 teaspoons table salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 large shallot, sliced thin
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• 1 cup dried red lentils, picked over and rinsed 
• 5 cups chicken broth (or, vegetable broth)
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• Chopped pecans or walnuts, a dab of Greek yogurt and dash of smoked paprika for topping.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.Toss squash, 1 tablespoon oil, smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper together on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until squash is well-browned and tender, about 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile heat 2 Tsp. olive oil in a Dutch Oven over medium heat until  shimmering. Once the oil is hot add  the shallot and garlic and sauté just until soft, about 3 minutes. Add shallot and garlic and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add remaining tsp smoked paprika and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the red lentils, broth remaining salt and pepper bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about15 minutes until the lentils are completely broken down.
3. Stir squash into lentil mixture, blend with an immersion blender until smooth (add up to 1 Tbs water as needed to thin soup). Season with salt and pepper to taste Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
4. Combine Greek yogurt 1 Tbs water, remaining 1 Tbs oil, and remaining 1/4 tsp salt in small bowl. Serve the soup dolloped with yogurt mixture, sprinkled with smoked paprika and drizzled with extra oil.

NO TRICKS, JUST A TREAT

Mary+ by | Oct 29, 2021 | Uncategorized

MAPLE-BROWN BUTTER-PUMPKIN LOAF with CINNAMON BUTTER

In today’s post we’re going to skip the tricks, not even begin a conversation and just concentrate on the treat. With apologies to other pumpkin bread recipes, it’s time they step aside. Why is this pumpkin loaf so special? What starts with brown butter and ends with slathering softened maple-cinnamon butter on top packs a (pumpkin) punch!

Happy Halloween, Loyal Readers. 

MAPLE-BROWN BUTTER-PUMPKIN LOAF with CINNAMON BUTTER adapted from Kayla, The Original Dish

YIELD: 1 10x5x3”Loaf Pan

INGREDIENTS

MAPLE-BROWN BUTTER-PUMPKIN LOAF

1 stick (¼ lbs) unsalted butter

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour*

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1 ½ tsp kosher salt

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin puree

½ cup sour cream

½ cup maple syrup

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

CINNAMON BUTTER

1 sticks (½ lb) unsalted butter, softened

1/2-1 tbsp maple syrup with warm maple syrup, for drizzling (optional)

2 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Generously grease a 91/2-10x5x3” loaf pan with butter. 
2. Melt the butter stick to a 2 qt saucepan over medium heat. Turn the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the butter is browned, swirling often, about 6 minutes. Once deeply golden brown with dark brown speckles running throughout, turn off the heat to let the butter cool for about 5 minutes.

3. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. 

4. Put sugar in a separate bowl. Whisk in the cooled brown butter until smooth. Crack the eggs into the bowl and beat with a mixer or hand mixer well.

5. Add in the pumpkin puree, sour cream, maple syrup, and vanilla extract one at a time, mixing until smooth between each addition. Working in batches, sprinkle in the dry ingredients, mixing gently until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

6. Bake in the oven on the middle rack for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a small knife inserted comes out just barely dry (there should be no runny batter left, but there should still be moisture). Cover the bread with a piece of foil and let sit for 10 minutes.

7. Remove the foil and allow the pumpkin bread to fully cool in the pan. When fully cooled, run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan and carefully remove. Cut into slices and serve with a swoosh of cinnamon butter (recipe below) on top and an extra drizzle of warm maple syrup, if desired.

CINNAMON BUTTER

1. Combine the softened butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor or mixing bowl.

This loaf tastes (and, cuts) even better the following day. Make the cinnamon butter at your convenience.

Blend until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

To Serve: You can serve this bread at room temperature or heated for about 10-15 seconds in the microwave.

To Store: Wrap the cooled bread tightly with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for approximately 3-4 days. Store the cinnamon butter in an airtight container in the fridge. Allow the butter to soften at room temperature before serving.

To Soften Butter: Allow the butter to sit out at room temperature until soft to the touch, usually a couple of hours, depending on the temperature of the room.*

*Note:  If baking at high-altitude, I recommend using King Arthur or Hungarian High Altitude Flour. 

CELEBRATING DORIE & ME

Mary+ by | Oct 8, 2021 | Uncategorized

Saturday morning I received a FaceTime Call from Emma, my college junior. “Hi Gramma, I just called to see how you’re Celebrating You today?”

Believing I was Celebrating Me by opting out of applying make-up, forgetting to comb my hair and on my 3rd cup of very dark roast, “Uh, Emma,” I asked, “why should I be Celebrating Me?”

Remembering she was live on FaceTime, forbidden to Eyeball Roll her grandmother, she went with the exasperated sigh. “Grandma, it’s your b-i-r-t-h-d-a-y month. You must Celebrate You every single day,” she replied seriously.

Racking my memory, quite sure I’d never celebrated me for 31 straight days, I decided this was something new she’d learned in college. “Enlighten me,” I suggested.

She proceeded to explain. Ending our call, I called up Mr. Google. Self Celebration is not new. Now, however, it’s been enthusiastically embraced by the 72 million Gen Z’ers born between 1997-2019. I even found a link to 100 Ways to Celebrate You. Says Oprah, “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”

Realizing I am about 6 decades late to the party, if Emma wants to celebrate her grandmother, I won’t argue. Surprisingly this exercise has already made my days richer, more meaningful.

DAY 8, Friday : CELEBRATING DORIE

Although I’ve provided Days 1-7 examples below to encourage you to Celebrate You, birthday or not, let’s begin with Day 8.

There’s a stack of reasons to celebrate Dorie Greenspan. First, it’s her birthday month also. Her 14th cookbook, Baking with Dorie: Sweet, Salty & Simple, will hit my mailbox on October 19th. In 2010, my joining French Fridays with Dorie, a virtual cooking group cooking through Dorie’s Around My French Table, provided the footing, support and friendship needed to begin rebuilding a life.

Today I baked gougères, cream puff look-alikes but not sweet. The dough is the same, pâte à choux, but these are cheesy. Gougères are the first thing I baked after joining FFWD in 2010. Today I’m baking them again only using Dorie’s newer recipe, My Newest Gougères, from Everyday Dorie. It’s a simpler recipe (below) but just as tasty.

Dorie has often written about gougères in her books, articles and The NYT Magazine. The past 20 years when she and her husband, Michael, entertain, she serves this little dreamy puffball as an appetizer. I know that’s true. Recently I’ve been spending my winters in Paris. Once, when Dorie knew my Aspen friends were in Paris, she invited us to dinner. “However many are visiting,” she said, “bring them all.”

The short version. We cleaned our plates! We left their apartment at 12:30 am after jumping up from the table on the hour to watch the tour Eiffel’s light show. (Dorie and Michael, charming hosts, were amused.) Their balcony view started from the Arc de Triomphe to the tour Eiffel to the The Dôme des Invalides. Awestruck. An amazing evening.

CELEBRATING ME, Days 1-7 (my version )

Here’s an example of my first 7 days. Predictable, quirky and courageous (#7). Your turn.

Day 1, Saturday, October 1st: Looking a bit weary but glad to be here. We’ve all been Celebrating Women 50-some years. Longtime friends gathered to support the young organizers of the Women’s March.

Day 2, Sunday: Finding Joy today with my monthly Zoom Call with 6 childhood friends. Since Covid began, we’ve pulled up 70 years of memories, offered support and mourned the loss of one of us. RIP Carol.

Day 3, Monday: Dazzled by the High Country’s glorious Fall splendor. Patrolled in Ashcroft with my partner, Deb, who hadn’t yet packed her uniform away!!! And, haven’t missed many chances to walk through the Northstar Preserve

Day 4: Celebrating my Mother’s birthday by baking a mini-Apple Crisp, something I can’t replicate.

Day 5: Let’s go quirky…..I wrote down 5 of my Life’s major mistakes, those I regret the most, failures I have dwelled on forever. Did any Good result from them, that lemonade/lemon-thing? Yes, I realize. Forgiving. transformational.

Day 6: Coupling with Day 5. From this day forward, determined to cut myself some slack, eliminate all expectations of perfection and just enjoy the journey. (I’m talking to you, French Language Proficiency.)

Day 7: I always promised when my bum knee diminishes my lifestyle, stops me from activities I love, I’d take care of it. This summer my knee said, “I’m done.” Yesterday I Celebrated Me by scheduling a Knee Replacement. Steroid and Gel shots will get me through the winter in Hawaii and Paris with my operation already scheduled for April. My surgeon promises to have me ready for the 2022’s Forest Conservancy’s opening day.

COOK THE BOOK FRIDAYS

My Newest Gougères, Dorie Greenspan, EVERYDAY DORIE,

Yield: about 55 (small), 35 (large)

 Ingredients:                                                                
1/2 cup whole milk                                                   
1/2 cup water
1 stick unsalted butter (8 TBS), cut into four pieces
1 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup all purpose flour
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg white, at room temperature
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (preferably French)
2 cups coarsely grated cheese such as Compté, Gruyère cheese or sharp cheddar
2/3 cup walnuts or pecans lightly toasted and chopped

Directions:

1. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat it to 425 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. Bring the milk, water, butter and salt to a boil over high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the flour all at once, lower the heat and immediately start stirring energetically with a heavy spoon or whisk. The dough will form a ball and there’ll be a light film on the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring for another 2 minutes or so to dry the dough. Dry dough will make puffy puffs.
3. Turn the dough into the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or work by hand with a wooden spoon and elbow grease). Let the dough sit for a minute, then add the eggs one by one, followed by the white, beating until each egg is incorporated before adding the next. The dough may look as though it’s separating or falling apart but just keep working; by the time the white goes in, the dough will be beautiful.
4. Beat in the mustard, followed by the cheese and the walnuts. Give the dough a last mix-through by hand.
5. Scoop or spoon out the dough, using a small cookie scoop (11/2 teaspoons). If you’d like larger puffs, shape them with a tablespoon or medium-size cookie scoop. Drop the dough onto the lined baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each mound. (The dough can be scooped and frozen on baking sheets at this point.)
6. Slide the baking sheets into the oven and immediately turn the oven temperature down to 375 degrees F. Bake for 12 minutes, then rotate the pans from front to back and top to bottom.
7. Continue baking until the gougeres are puffed, golden and firm enough to pick up, another 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately—these are best directly from the oven.

MAKING AHEAD: These puffs can be made ahead. Keep the scooped puffs in the freezer, ready-to-bake. Scoop the puffs and freeze them on a parchment-lined baking sheet or cutting board until firm, then pack them airtight. Bake them straight from the freezer, giving them a few more minutes of heat.

S T O R I N G : The puffs are best soon after they come out of the oven and nice (if flatter) at room temperature that same day. If you want to keep baked puffs, freeze them and then reheat them in a 350-degree-F oven for a few minutes.