from French Pastry 101
Gougères are little cheese puffs made from choux paste. They are usually served as pre-dinner snacks with wine or drinks. But their crispy exteriors and tender cheesy centers are so delicious, I would eat them any time of the day.
Ingredients
¼ cup (60 g) water
¼ cup (60 g) whole milk
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp (60 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (70 g) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 (125 g) large eggs, well whisked
1 cup (100 g) grated Gruyère cheese, plus more for garnish
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Egg wash: 1 egg yolk whisked with 1 tbsp/15g of water and a pinch salt)
Smoked paprika (optional)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium pot, bring the water, milk, sugar, salt and butter to a simmer over medium heat, about 3 minutes. Pour in the flour all at once, and vigorously stir with a wooden spoon to form a dough.
Keep it on medium heat and mix it to dry out the dough, about 4 minutes. The texture should look like dry mashed potatoes.
Take the pot off the heat and cool it for 5 minutes. This step is important because you are adding eggs next, and you don’t want them to scramble. Add the eggs in three additions, stirring thoroughly after each addition. The choux paste should be
shiny after incorporating the eggs. Stir in the cheese and black pepper.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a 1-centimeter round piping tip with the paste. Pipe 1-inch (2.5-cm) rounds. Gently brush the tops with the egg was and sprinkle with more cheese and the smoked paprika, if using.
Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes, then lower the heat to 350°F (180°C). Continue baking for 20to 22 more minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until they are golden brown.
Gougères are best served warm and on the day they are baked.
Aged cheeses such as comté also work well in this recipe.
Baked gougères can be frozen in an airtight container for up to a week and reheated in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5 to 10 minutes prior to serving.
Prep Time: 30 minutes – Makes 36 bite-size puffs.
Nada’s Tips & Tricks: Change up the cheese or add a surprise insert of an olive or roasted garlic clove along with the cheese. A great morsel of yumminess for picnics or road trips!
Reprinted with permission from French Pastry 101 by Betty Hung. Page Street Publishing Co. 2018. Photo credit: Betty Hung. Home | Page Street