Gourmandise with Pine Nuts

Gourmandise is a creamy, cherry-flavored processed cheese from France, and it pairs beautifully with the warm, buttery crunch of toasted pine nuts.

This is a three-ingredient appetizer that relies entirely on technique. The pine nuts need to be sauteed in butter over medium-high heat and watched carefully. They go from golden to burnt in seconds, so stay close and keep them moving in the skillet.

Arrange the cheese wedges on individual plates before you start cooking, so the pine nuts go straight from the hot pan to the cheese while they’re still warm and fragrant. That little bit of residual butter pools around the cheese and adds to the richness.

Chef Tips

• Shake the skillet constantly rather than stirring. Pine nuts toast more evenly when they roll rather than get pushed around.
• Pull the pan off the heat just before the nuts look done. Carryover heat finishes the job.
• Serve with sliced baguette or plain crackers to keep the focus on the cheese and nuts.

Variations

• Swap pine nuts for sliced almonds or chopped walnuts if pine nuts aren’t available.
• Add a drizzle of honey over the finished plate for a sweet-savory contrast.