Gougères (French Cheese Puffs)

Name: Gougères (French Cheese Puffs)
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 42 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1/2 c. whole milk; 1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces; 1/2 tsp. kosher salt; Pinch cayenne pepper; 1 c. all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled; 5 large eggs, at room temperature; 6 oz. Gruyère, Parmigiano-Reggiano, or Gouda, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)

These light, crispy puffs are great with a hearty stew!

By Bill BormanPublished: Jul 14, 2023

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Becky Luigart-Stayner

Yields:

42 serving(s)

Prep Time:

25 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 5 mins

These small, savory pastries are a classic French food, served with wine as an appetizer (or warm, with dinner, like a bread roll or biscuit.)

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Ingredients

1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
5 large eggs, at room temperature
6 oz. Gruyère, Parmigiano-Reggiano, or Gouda, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)

Directions

1. Step 1Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine milk, butter, salt, cayenne, and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add flour all at once, and stir rapidly with a wooden spoon to combine. Cook, stirring rapidly, until the batter becomes smooth and leaves a crust on the bottom of the pan, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Step 2Transfer to a bowl and let cool, stirring occasionally, until you can hold your finger in the dough for a few seconds without burning, 5 to 10 minutes. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed, adding eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth between each addition. Beat for 1 minute. (When completed, the dough will be very smooth and velvety.) Stir in cheese.
3. Step 3Transfer to a piping bag or zip-top bag with a small hole cut in one corner. Pipe small balls of dough (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter) onto prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches in between each one. Bake, in batches, until golden brown, 17 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.