Gougères Recipe
Gougères are one of my go-to appetizers whenever I have company. They look fancy and taste incredible, but they come together quickly and easily. If you're as much of a cheese lover as I am, you'll adore this simple Gougères Recipe.
Servings: 24 Gougères, approximately
Ingredients
- 113 grams (½ cup) water
- 113 grams (½ cup) whole milk
- 113 grams (1 stick) unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 130 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs about 55 grams in shell per egg
- 150 grams (1 ½ cups) shredded Gruyère cheese as aged as possible (look for 'intense' on the label)*
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For Topping:
- 50 grams (1/2 cup) shredded Gruyère cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F / 205°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, place the water, milk, butter, and salt. Stir to combine and melt the butter. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
- Add the flour all at once and stir to combine and form a smooth dough. Continue to stir over low heat until the dough dries out and pulls away from the side of the pan - about 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if you don't have a stand mixer). Allow to cool for slightly for about 2 minutes.
- Using the paddle attachment, beat the eggs one at a time into the dough, mixing thoroughly between each egg until completely combined. Don't worry if the batter separates and looks curdled as you add your eggs. Just keep beating and it will come together nicely.
- Add the cheese and black pepper and mix on low speed until just combined.
- Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe into tablespoon-size mounds onto the baking sheets, spaced a couple inches apart. If your piped Gougères come to a point, you can use a damp finger to gently press the pointy part down. Sprinkle each with more Gruyère.
- Bake for 20-24 minutes, or until puffed, crisp, and golden brown. Serve immediately.
- Once completely cooled, leftover Gougères can be placed inside an airtight container and frozen for up to 1 month. To serve, reheat in a 350°F / 175° oven until hot and crisp.
Notes
*I like to use Intense Gruyère (I find this at Wegmans) for the most flavorful Gougères possible. If your supermarket doesn't label their Gruyère with any indicators of ageing, that's okay - your Gougères will still be cheesy and delicious.
Shredding the Cheese: I highly recommend shredding your cheese yourself. Pre-shredded cheeses don't taste as intense and won't melt as nicely, so as annoying as it is, I promise it's worth the extra effort.
Alternative Cheeses: If you can't find Gruyère cheese, a sharp Emmental or Swiss cheese will work - just note that the more intensely flavorful the cheese, the better your Gougères will taste! Don't use a mild cheese - it just won't provide enough flavor.
Nutmeg?: It's traditional to include a little nutmeg in Gougères, but I personally don't like nutmeg. If you're a fan, or just want to do everything as traditionally as possible, feel free to include about 1/4 teaspoon with the cheese and black pepper.
Recipe based on Alain Ducasse's Gougères Recipe.