Allumettes au Fromage

Allumettes au Fromage is a cheese pastry snack that is eaten during pre dinner drinks in France.  It is not hard to make and can really make everybody belly happy. 

INGREDIENTS  

• 1 roll of store bought pre made butter puff pastry 
• 20 grams butter 
• 20 grams flour 
• 200 ml whole milk 

• 40 grams grated cheese (hard cheese is best) plus sufficient additional cheese to make 1 or 2 thin slices for each allumette 
• 1 egg yolk 
• Seasoning:  pepper, nutmeg, cayenne pepper 

Egg Wash:  1 egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water (otherwise just use milk) 

Cooking Time:  Bake in the oven at 200C (392 F) for 25 minutes 

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Cut the pastry sheets into rectangles of say 6cm (2 ½ inches) x 12 cm (4 ½ inches) minimum and keep cold in the refrigerator whilst preparing the sauce as follows:- 
• Melt the butter in a saucepan and once melted whisk in all of the flour on a low heat and cook the mixture for 3 minutes 
• Turn the heat off and gradually whisk in the milk and when all is in, raise the heat to medium and keep whisking until the mixture thickens 
• Discard the whisk and using a wooden spoon gradually stir in the grated cheese.  This may be done on a medium to maximum heat 

• Turn off the heat and stir in the egg yolk 
• Taste the sauce and then add seasonings to taste (using cayenne pepper, grated nutmeg and pepper). 
• Reserve the sauce in a clean container to cool down, when it can be placed into a piping bag 
• Remove the pastry rectangles from the refrigerator and using your finger paint the 4 edges of half of the rectangles with water 
• Pipe the sauce into the dry part of each of those rectangles and place one or two of the strips of cheese on top. 

• Place one of the remaining pastry rectangles on top of each of the prepared rectangles so that it falls onto the wet part of the pastry underneath, and then return the rectangles to the refrigerator for 10 minutes. 
• Using a pastry scraper and cutter trim a thin offcut from the sides of each rectangle and create a vent in the top of each with a pointed knife. 
• Brush each top with an eggwash, or, if preferred, milk, and little shapes of cheese can then be placed on top if desired 
• Place into an oven preheated to 230C (446F), reducing the setting to 200C (392F) when you do so 
• Cook on the middle rack for 25 minutes 
• Serve with aperitifs 

Allumettes au Fromage video recipe:

Stephane