Gougères
Light, airy French cheese puffs made with Gruyère - the perfect champagne companion
- 0.5 cupwater
- 0.5 cupwhole milk
- 8 tbspunsalted butter(cut into pieces)
- 1 tspkosher salt
- 0.25 tspblack pepper
- 1 cupall-purpose flour
- 4 largeeggs
- 1.5 cupsGruyère cheese(finely shredded, divided)
- 0.25 tspnutmeg(freshly grated)
Unbaked gougères can be frozen on sheet, then stored in bag up to 1 month. Bake from frozen, adding 5 minutes. Baked gougères are best fresh but can be recrisped at 350°F for 5 minutes.
- 1Preheat oven to 400°F and line baking sheets with parchment
- 2Combine water, milk, butter, salt, and pepper in saucepan over medium heat
- 3Bring to boil, ensuring butter is completely melted
- 4Remove from heat and add flour all at once, stirring vigorously
- 5Return to medium heat and stir until dough forms ball and pulls away from sides, about 2 minutes
- 6Transfer to mixer bowl and beat on medium 1 minute to cool slightly
- 7Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each until smooth
- 8Stir in 1 cup Gruyère and nutmeg
- 9Pipe or spoon 1-inch mounds onto prepared sheets, 2 inches apart
- 10Top each with pinch of remaining cheese
- 11Bake 20-25 minutes until puffed and deep golden - do not open oven door
- 12Serve warm
The dough should be smooth and pull away from the pan cleanly. Add eggs one at a time - the dough will look curdled at first but will come together. Don't open the oven during baking or they'll deflate. Gruyère is traditional; Comté or aged Cheddar also work well.
Gougères originated in Burgundy, France, where they've been served with wine tastings since the 17th century. The choux pastry puff flavored with Gruyère has become the quintessential champagne accompaniment at elegant gatherings worldwide.