Classic French Gougères – A Simple Cheese Puff Appetizer
When having friends over for dinner, it is fun to welcome them with a cocktail, glass of wine, or champagne to enjoy while the meal is receiving the “last minute” touches. Having something to nibble on, some tasty hors d’oeuvres, to accompany the beverage is a must. These Classic French Gougères are the perfect solution. They are light, flavorful, and simple to pop in the oven and pull out with perfect timing. You will definitely be asked for the recipe, as they are such a treat.
The Dough:
Gougères are made with Pâte à Choux, the same dough that is used as a base for a cream puff or an eclair. The only difference is that here, the dough is made into a savory dough by the addition of cheese. These lovely little puffs may seem intimidating to make, but in reality are quite simple. The best part is that you can make the dough, spoon out the individual Gougères onto a parchment-lined tray, and freeze them. Once frozen through, remove to a Ziplock freezer bag and store in the freezer. You can pull them out and bake as needed – only add a couple minutes to the total baking time to account for the frozen dough. By doing this, you will always have classy hors d’ oeuvres ready to go!
The Cheese:
To make a Classic French Gougères, you will need to choose a strong, flavorful cheese. I recommend Gruyère, as it is flavorful and French. If you don’t have access to Gruyère, an extra sharp cheddar will work as well. You could also get creative and add a bit of smoked cheddar, or an herbed cheese to the dough.
I recently had a group of friends over for a cooking party and started the evening with Aperol Spritzes and French Gougères. My wonderful friend (who has dairy cows and makes amazing cheeses) supplied the Gruyère cheese for the Gougères! What a treat! If you have access to local, raw cheese, I highly recommend it for these wonderful treats. The depth of flavor was perfect, and it is always nice to know where your food is coming from. These lovely appetizers could be featured in a perfect romantic meal…..
ROMANTIC FRENCH MEAL MENU:
- You could start your evening off with a celebratory Pomegranate French 75 cocktail (https://northwestfrench.com/pomegranate-french-75-a-festive-french-christmas-cocktail-including-the-classic-version/), accompanied by Classic French Gougeres.
- Next, on to the main course of Chicken in Champagne Sauce (https://northwestfrench.com/chicken-in-champagne-sauce-perfect-for-a-french-menu/) – served with a side of sautéd green beans or broccoli.
- Finish the meal off with the luxuriously flavorful and creamy Easy Raspberry Posset(https://northwestfrench.com/easy-raspberry-posset-rich-creamy-with-only-four-ingredients/).
Classic French Gourgeres – A Simple Cheese Puff Appetizer
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Whole Milk
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 8 Tbsp Butter, cut into 4 pieces
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 Cup All Purpose Flour
- 5 Large Eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ Cups (6 oz) Coarsely Grated "strong" tasting cheese, such as Gruyère or Extra-Sharp Cheddar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Grate your cheese. Set Aside.
- In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat, bring the milk, water, butter and salt to a rapid boil.
- All at once, add the Flour. Lower the medium-low and immediately, with a wooden spoon, start stirring in a vigorous fashion.
- The dough will come together and a light layer will form on the bottom of the pan. Continue vigorously stirring for at least 2 more minutes, until the dough is very smooth, and the thin layer of dough on the bottom of the pan begins to brown.
- Dump the dough into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or into a bowl that you can use a wooden spoon or hand mixer).
- Let the dough sit for 5 minutes to cool slightly. At this point, add eggs, one at a time, beating EXTENSIVELY between each addition. The dough will become thick and shiny.
- After last egg is incorporated, and the dough is thick and shiny, beat in the grated cheese.
- Immediately, use a 1 Tablespoon cookie scooper to scoop dough onto parchment lined trays, taking care to leave about 2 inches in between each puff, so they have room to puff without bumping into their neighbors.
- At this point, you can either pop the trays into the oven or into the **freezer** (see notes).
- Once you place the trays into the oven, reduce the heat to 375℉ and bake for 25-30 minutes. Check puffs halfway through to see if you need to rotate trays for even baking.
- Cook until golden brown. Remove from oven.
- Serve fresh out of the oven (my favorite), or remove to cooling rack to cool. Enjoy.
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