Gougères
Saucepan
Sheet pans
Pasty bag with tip
Parchment paper
1.
Preheat oven to 425ºF.
In a saucepan, heat the butter, water, whole milk, salt, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg, and bring to a boil. Add the flour all at once, then reduce the heat to medium. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough pulls away from the sides and forms a ball. Continue stirring for another two minutes to cook off the raw flour flavor and evaporate some of the moisture. Remove from heat and let cool for three minutes.
2.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Once the eggs are combined, stir in the cheese.
3.
Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. Fit the pastry bag with the tip and fill it with the dough mixture. Pipe small mounds, just shy of a tablespoon each, onto the sheet pans, spacing them about an inch apart. Alternatively, you can spoon the mixture onto the pans.
4.
Bake at 425ºF for 10 minutes to create a crisp exterior. Rotate the pans, reduce the heat to 375ºF, and bake for another 10 minutes. Serve immediately, or keep them at room temperature until ready to use—just pop them back into a 350ºF oven for five minutes to refresh them.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 6 ounces fine grated Gruyère or Compté cheese
Cook's Notes
I make gougères often, maybe three times a week. They are the perfect bite to come out of the oven when your guests arrive and the gougères serve well with Chardonnay.
They are simple to make and pack an elegant, impressive punch.
I have made them to varying degrees of involvement, precision, and difficulty. I most often go for this easy version.