Cheddar Gougéres

Cheddar Gougéres (or as I like to call them, Cheddar Googies)
makes about 12 googies

Ingredients
1/2 cup water

1 1/2 tablespoons butter, diced

3/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, chilled
1/2 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese (you can also use the traditional gruyere)

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a large cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper
2. Simmer the water, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk until the butter has melted
3. Add the flour and stir quickly with a wooden spoon until all the liquid is absorbed and the dough forms a ball, pulling away from the sides of the pan.  Keep stirring until a film forms on the bottom of the pan and the dough is no longer sticky
4. Remove the pan from heat and let the dough cool for 1-2 minutes
5. Beat in the eggs one at a time.  Make sure the first egg is incorporated before adding the second one; the dough will come back together after mixing in each egg
6. Fold in the grated cheese and black pepper 
7. Drop heaping tablespoons of batter onto the prepared baking sheet.  Space puffs about 3 inches apart
8. Using damp fingers, press down any peaks on the batter (this step isn't really necessary, it just makes a prettier puff)
9. Bake puffs for 30 minutes, rotating the pan once after 15 minutes
10. Eat puffs warm or let cool completely on a rack before storing in an airtight container at room temp

Caramelized Banana Brownies

Caramelized Banana Brownies

Ingredients 
4 large bananas
1 stick unsalted butter 
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 oz semisweet chocolate
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons honey
Cinnamon for dusting

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9x13 inch pan with tin foil
2. Melt the butter and both kinds of chocolate over low heat stirring frequently until smooth
3. While heating the button and chocolate, mash 2 bananas in a medium bowl
4. Pour the melted chocolate over the banana mash. Add the sugar and vanilla and whisk until combined
5. Whisk in the eggs and salt.  Stir in the flour
6. Spread the batter into the prepared pan
7. Slice the remaining two bananas thinly (about 1/8 inch thick slices).  Arrange the banana slices on top of the batter
8. Warm the honey in the microwave until runny (about 15-20 seconds)
9. Spoon honey over banana slices.  Sprinkle with cinnamon 
10. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached
11. Cool in pan.  Chill in the fridge overnight
12. Using the foil as aid, remove the brownies from the pan and slice into bars