Tags
apero, appetizer, Cheese, chou pastry, gougeres, gruyere, hors d'œuvres
The best way to describe gougères is to call them cheese puffs. Their dough, pâte à choux, is the same one you’d use for sweet cream puffs or profiteroles, but when the pâte à choux is destined to become gougères, you fold in a good amount of grated cheese. I use Gruyère, Comté, Emmenthal or sharp cheddar. These delicate bites originated in Burgundy and are traditionally served with a kir or a glass of champagne. Who am I to not follow tradition, so either a kir royale (cassis with bubbly) or plain champagne is my drink of choice with these cheesy puffs.
note:
Cook the paste until its dry. It’s important to cook the dough for a few minutes before adding the eggs; this dries it out and makes it more able to absorb the eggs.
Use the right number of eggs for your dough. Depending on your flour and the humidity of the day you are making the gougères, you might not need all the eggs. Add the eggs in three additions, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl before the next batch, and checking for doneness. If you scoop up a little bit with your spatula and let it slide back into the bowl, it should leave behind a little “V” of dough on the spatula.
Makes about 18
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 tablespoons (60g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup flour
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup coarsely grated cheese, such as Gruyère or cheddar
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 210 C / 425 F
- Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper
- Bring the milk, water, butter and salt to a rapid boil in a heavy bottomed sauce pan
- Add the flour all at once, lower the heat to medium-low and immediately start stirring energetically
- Keep stirring for a minute or two to dry the dough. It should now be very smooth
- Turn the dough into the bowl
- Let the dough sit for a minute then add the eggs one by one while beating energetically. The dough should become thick and shiny
- Beat in the grated cheese
- Using about 1 tablespoon for each gougère, drop the dough from a spoon onto the lined baking sheet
- Leave about 5cm / 2 inches between each
- Slide the sheets into the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 185 C / 375 F
- Bake for about 25 minutes until they are firm, golden and puffed
- Enjoy!
Osyth said:
I can’t think of anything nicer than a gougère and a glass of bubbly.
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Nadia said:
The ideal apero for me!
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Mad Dog said:
I could eat a lot of these!
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Nadia said:
Believe me, I always eat way too many.
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chef mimi said:
Gougeres are so wonderful. I used to make them a lot, and was always sad that I couldn’t really make them for company, since they’re just best out of the oven. I have made a gougeres tart quite a few times, though. It loses its puffiness, but is more forgiving.
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Nadia said:
I make them all the time for guests. They can be made ahead of time and warmed up the oven for a few minutes or prepare all and make as you serve drinks.
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chef mimi said:
But they’re just not the same.
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Nadia said:
Almost.
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chefkreso said:
Yummy, this is a lovely recipe, worth trying out, I have to put it on my must-try list!
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Nadia said:
I hope you do, very easy and so light and tasty.
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camparigirl said:
Love them! One of my go to items for cocktail parties.
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Nadia said:
Me too😃
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Eha said:
Don’t like cocktails or mixed wine drinks as a rule . . . .kir royale is different . . . . don’t use many baked goods . . . . gougeres are delightful! Thank you for making me ‘wishing’ on a busy Friday morning . . .
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Nadia said:
I am not a cocktail lover either. I stick to wine and champagne and the occasional kir royale.
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