Light, airy choux pastry fritters studded with gruyere cheese, deep-fried until golden and puffed, a classic French savory snack.
These cheese beignets are built on choux pastry, the same base used for eclairs and profiteroles, but made savory here with a generous amount of grated gruyere folded through the dough before frying. The choux base is cooked briefly on the stove before eggs are beaten in one at a time, a technique that creates steam pockets inside each fritter as it fries, puffing it up into a light, hollow, almost souffle-like texture. Fried in hot oil until deeply golden, these fritters are best served warm, when the exterior is properly crisp and the cheesy interior is still soft and slightly molten — a popular apero-hour snack across French bistros.
Serves 4
Bring water, butter and salt to a boil, then remove from heat and stir in the flour all at once until a smooth dough forms.
Return to low heat and stir the dough for 1-2 minutes until it pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a film on the bottom.
Transfer the dough to a bowl and let cool for 5 minutes.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition until the dough is smooth and glossy.
The dough should fall slowly off a spoon in a thick ribbon — if it's too stiff, beat in a bit more egg.
Fold in the grated gruyere, pepper and nutmeg.
Drop spoonfuls of the dough into hot oil (350F/175C) and fry 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally, until deeply golden and puffed.
Drain on paper towels and serve warm.
Cook the flour-butter paste briefly over heat before adding eggs — this step drives off excess moisture and helps the fritters puff properly when fried.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly between additions, so the dough emulsifies smoothly rather than looking curdled.
Fry at a steady, moderate-high temperature; too hot and the outside burns before the center cooks through, too cool and the fritters turn greasy.
A version with grated parmesan or comte instead of gruyere works equally well.
Adding finely diced ham to the dough turns these into a heartier snack.
Baking spoonfuls of the dough instead of frying gives a lighter, though less crisp, alternative.
Best eaten fresh and warm; leftovers keep a day at room temperature and can be reheated briefly in a hot oven, though the texture softens once cooled.
Cheese beignets descend from French choux pastry technique, developed in French royal kitchens centuries ago and adapted into countless sweet and savory forms, with the cheese version becoming a popular savory apero snack in French bistros and homes.
Yes, pipe or spoon the dough onto a baking sheet and bake at 200C/400F for about 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden, though the texture will be drier than fried.
Keep beating vigorously — it usually comes back together into a smooth, glossy dough with continued mixing.
They were likely underfried — fry a bit longer until the exterior is fully set and deeply golden, which helps them hold their puffed shape.
Per serving (90g / 3.2 oz) · 4 servings total
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