Gougeres
Gougeres
A gougere is a savory French cheese puff made from choux pastry (pâte à choux) that's been mixed with cheddar, Gruyère or Parmesan cheese. Almost anything stuffed into a gougere makes a pleasing appetizer—a pistachio, chunk of brie or wisp of salami.This recipe is by Leah Eskin, author of "Slices of Life: A Food Writer Cooks Through Many a Conundrum" (Running Press Adult, 2014), and was originally published in the Chicago Tribune.
Prep Time
15
minutes
Cook Time
20
minutes
Servings
24
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut up
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 cup flour
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup grated gruyère (other hard cheeses, including sharp white cheddar, are also nice)
Directions
- Step 1: In a large pan, heat 1 cup water, 1 pinch kosher salt and 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (cut up). Bring to a boil.
- Step 2: Dump in 1 cup flour, all at once. Stir with a wooden spoon to a big soft lump that looks something like mashed potatoes. Stir another minute to cook the flour.
- Step 3: Scrape dough into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium, slowly pouring in 4 lightly beaten eggs. Sprinkle in 3/4 cup grated Gruyère (other hard cheese). Dough will look like thick vanilla pudding.
- Step 4: Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Step 5: Scrape dough into a pastry bag fitted with a plain 1/2-inch tip. Pipe about 48 (1-inch) diameter mounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Two spoons or a tiny ice-cream scoop also work. Gougeres are made from a dough called "choux," which means cabbage; not aiming for pretty here. Sprinkle the little lumps with remaining cheese.
- Step 6: Slide pans into oven; bake until gougeres are golden and puffed, about 20 minutes. Pull one out, break open and check: the inside should be steamy and creamy, but not wet. If need be, bake another minute.
- Step 7: Gougeres are delightful plain, or use a paring knife to slit the bottom and stuff with any savory morsel—even a pistachio, chunk of brie or wisp of salami.