Herbed Gougere Puffs Recipes

CHEESE PUFFS (GOUGERES)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Set aside.
• In a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup water with the milk, butter, sugar and salt and stir over low heat until the sugar, butter and salt have melted. Raise the heat to medium and bring to a healthy simmer.
• Take from the heat and immediately add the flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens, is smooth and no flour lumps remain. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, until a film forms on the bottom of the pan. Continue stirring, careful not to scrape up the film, for a minute or two more.
• Transfer the mixture (panade) to a food processor. Mix for a minute to dissipate the heat. Add the eggs one at a time with the processor running. Pay attention to the consistency of the paste. It should be smooth and shiny, so you may only need 3 of the eggs. Stir in the cheese.
• Using a small cookie scoop, scoop generous mounds onto the parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them an inch apart. Place in the oven, immediately reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese puffs are golden brown.

HERBED GOUGERES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
• For the egg wash, whisk together 1 egg with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl.
• In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup water with the butter, salt, and sugar over medium-high heat. Bring mixture to a boil, and immediately remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon, add flour, stirring vigorously, until flour is no longer visible. Return pan to medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a film on the bottom, about 4 minutes.
• Remove mixture from heat and transfer contents to a bowl. Add both cheeses, the herbs, and spices. Stir to combine with a wooden spoon and let cool slightly, about 3 minutes. Add remaining eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition, and waiting to add the next egg until the previous one is entirely incorporated.
• Transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip; pipe 1 1/2-inch puffs about 1 inch apart. Using a lightly moistened finger, smooth tops. Brush each puff with egg wash and sprinkle each one with remaining Gruyere.
• Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until puffs are golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. Serve immediately, as gougeres are best eaten warm from the oven.

GOUGèRES (FRENCH CHEESE PUFFS)

Steps:

• Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat it to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Bring the milk, butter, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the flour all at once, lower the heat to medium and, using a wooden spoon, immediately start stirring energetically. The dough will form into a ball and there will be a light film on the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring for another two minutes or so to dry the dough: Dry dough will make puffier puffs.
• Turn the dough out into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or work by hand in a large bowl with a wooden spoon and elbow grease). Let the dough sit for a minute to cool, then add the eggs one by one, followed by the white, beating on medium speed until each one is incorporated before adding the next. The dough may look as though it's separating or falling apart -- just keep going, and by the time the egg white goes in, the dough will be smooth. Beat in the mustard, followed by the cheese. Give the dough a last mix-through by hand.
• Scoop or spoon out heaping tablespoon-sized balls of dough (I use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop), and drop the dough on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between the mounds. (The scooped dough can be frozen on the baking sheets.)
• Slide the baking sheets into the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 375°F. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pans from front to back and top to bottom. Continue baking until the gougères are puffed, golden, and firm enough to pick up, another 15 to 17 minutes. Serve immediately -- these are best directly from the oven. Storing: Although the puffs are best served hot out of the oven, they are still nice (although flatter) at room temperature that same day. If you want to keep baked puffs longer, freeze them and then reheat in a 350°F-oven for a few minutes.
• Make-Ahead/Freezer Instructions: Scoop the dough and freeze on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then pack them in an airtight container. You can bake them straight from the freezer; just give them a few more minutes in the oven.
• Note/Variation: Dorie adds ⅔ cup walnuts or pecans, lightly toasted and chopped, to these gougères. My family prefers them without nuts but it's a nice variation to try. Add them along with the cheese.

HERBED GOUGERE PUFFS

Steps:

• In 2-quart saucepan, heat 1 cup water, butter and salt to a boil.
• Remove from heat and add flour all at once, beating until smooth.
• Return saucepan to medium heat; cook, stirring constantly, until dough becomes stiff and pulls away from sides of pan, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in 2/3 cup Swiss cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, dill and chives.
• Lightly grease one or two baking sheets.
• Drop heaping tablespoon of dough onto baking sheet, forming one 15 inch or two 8-inch rings, with dough barely touching.
• Sprinkle with rema ining 1/3 cup Swiss cheese. Bake at 425 degrees F 25 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.
• Serve warm.