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Gougères II

Source of Recipe

From "Wine Bites" by Barbara Scott-Goodman


Recipe Introduction

"Gougères, the classic elegant cheese puffs from France, are little bites of cheesy choux pastry — crisp on the outside, airy on the inside — perfect for serving with wine, especially red. Traditionally, gougères are made exclusively with Gruyère cheese, but they're quite wonderful with a combination of cheeses like the Swiss, Cheddar, and Parmesan in this recipe. The puffs really taste best when served warm from the oven, but they may be made ahead of time and reheated, if necessary. These bite-size beauties go well with French Pinot Noir or Côtes du Rhône."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
â—¦ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
â—¦ 3 large eggs
â—¦ ½ cup freshly shredded Swiss-style cheese (such as Gruyère, Comté, or Emmenthal)
â—¦ ½ cup freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
â—¦ ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
â—¦ Freshly ground black pepper


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 425° F. Lightly grease two baking sheets.

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, salt, and 1 cup water. Slowly bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until the butter melts. Add the flour all at once and cook, stirring constantly, until the dough holds together in a ball, about 5 minutes. The dough will get stiffer as you stir; continue stirring until the dough is smooth. Transfer to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.

Using an electric mixer set on high speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stop beating when the mixture is glossy. Stir in the cheeses and season with pepper. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets and bake until lightly browned and puffed, about 12 minutes. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Makes about 3 dozen;
Serves 6 to 8