- 1 cup water
- 7 tablespoons (3 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, or more to taste
- Pinch of sugar
- 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 4 – 5 large eggs (I only needed 4)
- 1 1/4 cups grated gruyère (5 ounces) (I used a combo of manchego and Irish Cheddar)
- Freshly ground white pepper (I didn’t have any so I omitted)
If there was ever a good reason for me to make three dozen not-so-little gougères for only two people, it’s this: I wanted to conquer a 15-year old fear.
When I first saw a friend make cheese puffs years ago, I was told that I had to make sure to stir the water/butter/flour mixture constantly (and very carefully) until the mixture formed into a ball. If I didn’t do it right –I was told–the whole exercise would be unsuccessful. Since I didn’t know how to cook then, that fear always stayed with me. Silly, I know, but I didn’t realize how easy these cheesy nuggets were to make until tonight. I hope this wasn’t just beginner’s luck. I’d like to believe that I chose the right recipe to follow and that I’ll be able to make an equally light, cheesy, golden puff next time.
French in origin, a gougère is a light, hollow pastry that is most commonly flavored with gruyère, a mildly sharp, nutty cheese. It works well as an appetizer because gougères are light, airy and can easily be paired with wine, cheese, or even charcuterie. I actually didn’t have any gruyère tonight but I did have a nice wedge of manchego and a small block of Irish cheddar. I used a combination of the two cheeses with good results.
Gougères
Adapted from The French Laundry Cookbook
Kasey says
I made gougeres for the first time after I purchased Clotilde’s Chocolate and Zucchini cookbook–they’re phenomenal, and always so impressive. The perfect thing to kick off a dinner party with a handful of friends.
lemonsandanchovies says
I have that book, too, Kasey. As usual, I haven’t tried anything from it yet, but I have made a couple of Clotilde’s desserts (from her blog) and they’ve been a hit. Thanks so much for dropping by!
Jean
Liren says
Gorgeous gougeres! I love these, too, and I vividly remember the first time I made them. I love the idea of trying them with manchego cheese.
lemonsandanchovies says
Hi, Liren. I can’t believe it took me so long to try these out. The manchego/Irish Cheddar combo was pretty good, too. Thanks! 🙂