Description
Gougères are classic French cheese puffs made from a savory choux pastry enriched with cheese. They bake up light and airy with a crisp exterior, making a perfect snack or canapé ideal for parties or casual indulgence. Traditionally made with Gruyère, Comté, or Emmental cheese, these cheese puffs have a delicate flavor and a delightful puffed texture created by cooking the dough before adding eggs.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese
- 4 oz Gruyère cheese or Comté/Emmental, divided (3 ½ oz coarsely grated, ½ oz finely grated)
Liquid & Fat
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup water
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 pinch nutmeg
Eggs
- 4 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Prepare a piping bag fitted with a wide tip.
- Grate the Cheese: Coarsely grate about 3 ½ oz (100g) of cheese for the dough mixture and finely grate the remaining ½ oz (15g) for topping the puffs.
- Heat Liquids and Butter: Combine milk, water, and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir regularly until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a gentle simmer, then remove from heat.
- Add Flour: Off the heat, add the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a spatula until smooth and lump-free, resembling mashed potatoes.
- Cook the Dough: Return the pan to medium heat and cook the dough for about 5 minutes, stirring continuously until it thickens, dries slightly, and forms a smooth clump with a slight film on the pan sides.
- Cool Slightly and Add Eggs: Remove the dough from heat and allow to cool just enough so it’s warm but not hot to avoid cooking the eggs. Add eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition until fully incorporated; the dough may separate initially but will become smooth.
- Add Cheese and Seasoning: Mix in the coarsely grated cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg evenly into the dough. Transfer this mixture to the piping bag.
- Pipe Mounds: Pipe roughly 1 to 1 ½ inch (3 to 4 cm) diameter mounds onto the baking sheet spaced about 2 inches (5 cm) apart to allow expansion. Add more dough as needed for size consistency.
- Shape and Top: Using a damp finger, gently smooth the edges of each mound to make them rounded, then sprinkle finely grated cheese on top of each.
- Bake the Gougères: Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and puffed up.
Notes
- Make sure the dough is not too hot when adding eggs to prevent scrambling.
- A piping bag helps create uniform, neat shapes for even baking.
- Leave sufficient space between puffs on the baking sheet to allow proper expansion.
- Additional toppings like sour cream, caviar, smoked salmon, or quince paste can be added after baking for variation.
- Use Gruyère, Comté, or Emmental for authentic flavors; strong cheddar is an acceptable substitute.
- Cooking the dough before adding eggs gelatinizes the flour, which helps retain moisture and create pockets of air for puffiness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Appetizer/Starter, Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Keywords: Gougères, French cheese puffs, choux pastry, savory snack, appetizer, cheese pastry, Gruyère cheese, party snacks
