Thanks to our customers who supported our day off Sunday, to celebrate another year under our belt, and enjoy each other’s’ company off the clock. The weeks leading up to our team outings are always filled with a lot of chatter about what we’re making to eat and drink for the occasion. Everyone gets their creative juices flowing, and we end up with a spread worthy of a spot on the Food Network. The best part is that we’re all so excited and supportive of each other’s attempt of a new recipe, a riff on a classic, or a traditional family favorite. This year, I was drawn to the Filipino cuisine and ended up with Chicken Adobo with Garlic Rice. While on my culinary journey through Filipino recipes, I came across these little buns, Ensaymadas.  Sweet, buttery brioche buns, dipped in sugar, topped with grated cheese, served with hot chocolate. Um, yes please! I made a serious short cut and bought a package of crescent rolls, which was just fine for this fun experiment. Our beloved L’Amuse Signature Gouda was a perfect match for this recipe, with its candy-like qualities and notes of warm butterscotch, caramel and a fudgy texture. I can’t think of a better way to begin one of these crisp fall days than with an Ensaymada close by. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Ensaymadas with Gouda

• 11 package crescent rolls

• 2 tablespoons Les Prés Salés Butter, melted*

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/4 pound L’Amuse Signature Gouda*

Hot Chocolate

• 1 cup milk

• 1 cup half and half

• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

• 1 bar Kaoka Dark Chocolate*, broken into small pieces

*Items with an asterisk can be found at The Cheese Shop of Salem.

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Brush a muffin tin with butter and set aside.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon and 1/4 cup of the sugar.

4. Unroll the dough and separate into eight triangles. Brush each triangle with butter, then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Roll into a small bun and place into the buttered muffin tin.

5. Bake 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

6. While the buns are baking, pour the milk and half and half into a small saucepan.  Heat the mixture on medium-low for about 2 minutes.  Gently whisk in the cocoa powder and begin adding in the chocolate pieces, a little at a time.  Continue to whisk until all of the chocolate has been added and is melted and fully incorporated. Keep warm on low until the buns are out of the oven.

7. When the buns are baked, remove from the oven and cool slightly. Dip each bun in a bowl of granulated sugar and grate gouda over the buns, using a microplane. Serve with hot chocolate for dipping and drinking. 

Serves 4