In the early 1950’s canned mushrooms began to be imported to the United States from Asia. The 50’s housewife embraced this new availability and put mushrooms in nearly all their savory recipes. My husband is not a huge fan of mushrooms – fresh or canned, so I must say he is about fed up with all the mushrooms. They are in everything! I’ve made seven recipes this week and they have ALL called for mushrooms.
Needless to say, he was less than enthused for this appetizer.
I used a regular pumpernickel loaf and used a glass to cut it into rounds. Then brush one side with a tiny bit of butter and grilled them on my electric grill.
Everything else whipped together quickly and easily. There are a lot of brown ingredients though, so from the start they were not looking all that appetizing.
Unfortunately, there was no puffing involved. I had a vision of what they would look like nicely puffed and cheesy. Yeah, they fell very flat.
I was attending a barbecue at my brother’s house and, while not thrilled with how they looked, I took them anyway. My brother said they looked like a screwed up chocolate chip cookie. They tasted like an open faced grilled cheese with the earthy mushrooms.
Only three rounds were eaten at the barbecue, so I think that tells you all you need to know about the flavor. They also did not age well – once they cooled they became brown congealed lumps.
So, I don’t recommend. As my fourteen year old says, “They were kind of cringe.”
CHEESE AND MUSHROOM PUFFS
½ Pound Mushrooms, Chopped
2 Tablespoons Chopped Scallions
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Eggs, Separated
½ Pound Grated Sharp Cheddar
Salt and Black Pepper to Taste
1 Loaf Party Pumpernickel Bread
Sauté mushrooms and scallions in butter. Combine egg yolks, cheese, and seasonings; add mushrooms and scallions. Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold in yolk mixture. Toast one side of bread slices. Spoon 1 Tablespoon cheese mixture onto the soft side of bread, place on baking sheet. Repeat. Bake at 375 degrees until firm and well puffed.
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