Originally from Burgundy, gougères are often served to accompany wine tastings in the region, but it’s no wonder that they’re such a beloved appetizer all over France too. They’re cheesy, crisp and airy. It’s simply impossible to stop at one. For me, making a batch of gougères is a must as a host.
When making them in France, I use Gruyère cheese, but in Canada I often reach for aged cheddar, as a more affordable option. Speaking of cheese, here’s my trick for successful gougères: instead of folding the grated cheese into the dough, I top each dough ball with it, right before baking. This keeps the dough lighter, creating big holes inside, with a cheesy crackly exterior.
You can serve them on their own—they pair wonderfully with any wine or beer—or split them to fill with rolled-up charcuterie, or even more cheese!
MAKES 24 CHEESE PUFFS
1 cup (250 ml) water
⅓ cup (80 g) unsalted butter, cut in small cubes
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp nutmeg (freshly grated)
¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
1¼ cups (155 g) all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
¾ cup (75 g) grated Gruyère cheese (or aged cheddar)
Preheat your oven to 390°F (200°C, or gas mark 6). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, salt, nutmeg and ground pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and immediately add in the flour. Stir in vigorously with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms. Return the saucepan to low heat, and keep stirring until the dough dries out and pulls away from the pan, about 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat again, and let cool for 1 minute. Beat the eggs thoroughly into the dough, one at a time. It is important each egg is fully incorporated into the batter before adding the next. If the dough separates, keep beating and it will come together again.
Using a cookie scoop or 2 tablespoons (about 15 g), drop tablespoon-sized balls of dough on the baking sheets, keeping them 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Sprinkle about ½ tablespoon (3 g) of grated Gruyère on top of each ball.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until puffed and golden.
NOTE: Make sure you have all the ingredients measured-out in front of you before you start: making the stove-top pâte à choux dough is fairly easy, but it’s all about precise timing.