Gougères (Cheese Puffs)

Before you start

Gougères are savory choux puffs with grated cheese beaten into the paste and scattered over the top. They come from Burgundy, where they are often served with a glass of wine, and they are one of the easiest choux recipes to get right because nothing needs to be filled. They are best eaten warm, when the inside is still slightly soft and the cheese aroma is strongest.

Use a firm, aged cheese with real flavor, such as Gruyère, Comté or aged Emmental, and grate it finely so it melts into the walls instead of weighing the puffs down. Add the cheese after the eggs, once the paste has the right consistency. A little Dijon mustard and nutmeg sharpen the flavor without making it taste like mustard.

Ingredients

• 120 ml (½ cup) water
• 120 ml (½ cup) whole milk
• 100 g (7 tbsp) unsalted butter — diced
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 140 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) all-purpose flour
• 4 to 5 large (about 220 g) eggs — beaten
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 120 g (1¼ cups, finely grated) Gruyère cheese — plus 30 g for the tops

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Bring the water, milk, butter and salt to a boil once the butter has melted. Take the pan off the heat, tip in the flour and stir until it gathers into a ball.
3. Return the pan to medium-low heat and stir for about 2 minutes until the dough is smooth and a thin coating sticks to the bottom of the pan.
4. Transfer to a mixer and beat for a minute to cool slightly. Add the eggs gradually, beating well after each addition, until the paste is glossy and falls from the paddle in a thick ribbon with a V at the end.
5. Beat in the mustard, pepper, nutmeg and 120 g of the cheese on low until evenly mixed. The paste will look a little stiffer.
6. Pipe or scoop 3 cm (1¼ in) mounds, 4 cm apart. Sprinkle each with a pinch of the remaining cheese.
7. Bake 10 minutes, then reduce to 180°C (350°F) and bake 15 to 18 minutes more, switching the sheets halfway, until puffed, golden brown and crisp on the outside. A test puff pulled apart should be hollow with a slightly moist web inside.
8. Cool for 5 minutes on the sheets and serve warm.

Tips for success

• Grate the cheese on the fine side of a box grater. Coarse shreds create heavy pockets that can make the puffs lopsided.
• Pipe and freeze the mounds on a tray, then bag them. Bake from frozen at the same temperatures, adding 3 to 5 minutes.
• Taste the cheese first. A very salty cheese, such as aged Parmesan, means you should cut the salt to ½ teaspoon.

Substitutions

Gruyère

Comté, aged cheddar or a mix with Parmesan all work. Softer cheeses such as mozzarella add moisture and make the puffs heavy and flat.

Whole milk

Use all water for a crisper, lighter puff that browns a little less.

Dijon mustard

Swap for ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or a pinch of cayenne for warmth without tang.

Variations

Herb and black pepper gougères

Add 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives or thyme with the cheese and double the black pepper.

Filled gougères

Slice larger 4 cm puffs and fill with whipped goat cheese or smoked salmon mousse just before serving.

Troubleshooting

Puffs are flat and greasy

Too much cheese or a very oily cheese, or the paste was too loose. Keep to the weights above and stop adding egg as soon as the V forms.

Gougères collapse as they cool

They were taken out too soon. Bake until deep golden and firm to a light press, and pierce one to check the center.

Bottoms browned too fast

The sheet was too close to the heat or dark-colored. Use the middle racks, light-colored sheets and swap their positions halfway.

Storage

Gougères are best within an hour of baking. Cooled leftovers keep airtight at room temperature for 1 day; reheat at 180°C (350°F) for 5 minutes. Freeze baked puffs for up to 1 month and reheat from frozen for about 8 minutes.

Safety notes

Never taste the raw cheese paste, which contains raw egg and flour. Contains wheat, egg and milk.