Gougères

Gougeres are classic French cheese puffs made with Gruyere cheese that are light and airy and delicious. They’re a great appetizer!

Gougeres

A gougère in French cuisine is a baked savory choux pastry made of choux dough mixed with cheese. The cheese used is commonly grated Gruyère, Comté, or Emmentaler.

Gougères are said to come from Burgundy. They are generally served cold and often used as a munchie when tasting wine in cellars, but they are also served warm as an appetizer.

🛒 Ingredients Needed:

• unsalted butter
• water
• milk
• sea salt
• ground nutmeg
• all purpose flour
• eggs and egg yolk
• shredded Gruyere cheese

✏️ How to make Gougeres:

The full, printable recipe is at the end of this post.

1. Preheat the oven to 400℉. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or a buttered sheet of parchment paper.
2. In a large stainless-steel saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the butter, water, milk, salt and nutmeg. Bring to a rapid boil, stirring to combine as the butter melts. Reduce the heat to medium and, using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour all at once. Cook, stirring constantly, until the dough dries out slightly, about 1 minute. This is important- excess moisture will cause your puffs to collapse. Remove the pan from the heat and let the dough cool for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated before adding the next. You can mix in the eggs with a mixer, food processor or a wooden spoon. Beat in all but 2 tablespoons of the Gruyere.
4. Place the dough in a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch plain tip and pipe golf ball-size puffs onto the prepared baking sheet.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and water. Brush the tops of the puffs lightly with the egg wash, sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Gruyere, and bake for 20 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350℉ and continue baking until golden brown and dry, about 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Eat warm or serve later. They will keep at room temperature for a few hours. Reheat in a 375℉ oven for 5 minutes before serving.

➡️ Tips and Substitutions:

• Feel free to experiment with using different cheeses. Comté, Emmentaler, cheddar or Parmesan are recommended.
• When making the choux, cook the dough until it pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a smooth, cohesive ball. This ensures the dough will rise properly in the oven.
• Don’t open the oven door during the first 15 minutes of baking, as this can cause them to deflate.
• Add fresh herbs like chives or thyme, or spices such as paprika, garlic powder, or black pepper to the dough for extra flavor.

More French food recipes:

• Easy Apple Tarte Tatin
• Ratatouille
• Cassoulet
• Coq au Vin
• Salad Nicoise