Light, airy baked choux pastry puffs studded with gruyere cheese, a classic French apero-hour snack from Burgundy.
Gougeres come from Burgundy, small savory choux pastry puffs traditionally served alongside a glass of the region's wine before dinner, their light, hollow interior a perfect match for a crisp white Burgundy. The same choux pastry technique used for eclairs and profiteroles forms the base here, cooked briefly on the stove before eggs are beaten in, then generously studded with grated gruyere before baking until deeply golden and puffed. Unlike the fried cheese fritters found elsewhere in French cooking, gougeres are baked, giving them a lighter, crisper shell around a soft, cheesy, slightly eggy interior — best served warm, straight from the oven.
Serves 6
Bring water, butter and salt to a boil, then remove from heat and stir in flour all at once until a smooth dough forms.
Return to low heat and stir 1-2 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan.
Transfer to a bowl and let cool 5 minutes.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly, until the dough is smooth and glossy.
Fold in 1 cup of the grated gruyere along with pepper and nutmeg.
Pipe or spoon rounded tablespoons of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced well apart.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the tops, then bake at 200C/400F for 22-25 minutes until deeply golden and puffed.
Resist opening the oven door during the first 15 minutes of baking — a sudden temperature drop can cause the puffs to deflate.
Serve warm, ideally within an hour of baking.
Cook the flour-butter paste briefly before adding eggs — this evaporates excess moisture and is key to getting a proper puff in the oven.
Don't open the oven door during the early part of baking, since a temperature drop can cause the delicate choux to collapse before it sets.
Serve warm for the best texture — gougeres are at their lightest and cheesiest straight out of the oven.
Adding diced ham or bacon to the dough gives a heartier version.
Comte cheese can substitute for gruyere for a slightly nuttier flavor.
Mini gougeres can be piped smaller for a more elegant hors d'oeuvre presentation.
Best eaten warm the day they're baked; they can be frozen unbaked and baked directly from frozen, adding a few extra minutes, or reheated briefly in a hot oven if already baked.
Gougeres originated in Burgundy, traditionally served at wine tastings and cellar visits throughout the region as an accompaniment to sampling local wines, a tradition that continues today at Burgundy's wineries and in French homes during the apero hour.
You can pipe the unbaked dough onto a tray and freeze it, then bake directly from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Comte, emmental or a good sharp cheddar can substitute, though the flavor will differ somewhat from the classic version.
They were likely underbaked, or the oven door was opened too early — bake until deeply golden throughout and avoid checking on them during the first 15 minutes.
Per serving (60g / 2.1 oz) · 6 servings total
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