My grandma called these cheese puffs, but if you prefer the French name, Bon Appétit calls them Gougères.
These delicate cheese puffs always impress. The dough takes a couple of times to get “just right,” but this is now one of my favorites to make for a crowd.
- 1 Cup water
- 6 TBLS (¾ stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1¼ Cups all-purpose flour (I cut the carbs by using Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour)
- 4 Large eggs (at room temperature)
- 6 Ounces (1½ cups) grated Comté or Gruyère cheese
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Large egg yolk
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°. Bring butter, salt, nutmeg, and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until butter is melted. Remove from heat, add flour, and stir to combine.
Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon, until mixture pulls away from sides of pan and forms a ball, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring vigorously, until a dry film forms on bottom and sides of pan and dough is no longer sticky, about 2 minutes longer. Remove pan from heat and let dough cool slightly, about 2 minutes. Mix in whole eggs one at a time (I use my hands), incorporating fully between additions. Mix in cheese and pepper.
Scrape dough into a piping bag fitted with a ½” round tip (alternatively, use a plastic bag with a ½” opening cut diagonally from 1 corner). Pipe 1” rounds about 2” apart onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Whisk egg yolk and 1 tsp. water in a small bowl; brush rounds with egg wash.
Bake gougères until puffed and golden and dry in the center (they should sound hollow when tapped), 20–25 minutes.
Tips** These go FAST! I’d advise you make a double batch. You can add a bit of spice to these by adding dried red pepper flakes or finely chopped jalapeño when you add in the cheese and pepper.
Dough can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Gougères can be baked 2 hours ahead; reheat before serving.
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I made these too & they look exactly like yours! That’s the sign of a good recipe, right? Love your tip to double the batch. 🙂
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