Cheddar and Parmesan Gougères (Cheese Puffs)

Light and airy on the inside and slightly crisp on the outside, gougères make crowd-pleasing appetizers, snacks, or accompaniments to your favorite mocktail or glass of wine. Watch them puff in the oven then try one, and you’ll know why the French often serve these cheese puffs as the hot bite at an apéro, that beautiful moment to gather before dinner and unwind.

Traditionally gougères are made with Comté or Gruyère, but I love the combination of aged cheddar and parmesan in this recipe. The base is pâte à choux, a versatile pastry from which you can make a variety of savory and sweet treats such as éclairs and cream puffs. Instead of stuffing pockets with sweet fillings, however, you’ll incorporate cheddar and parmesan right into the mix before baking. Once you become comfortable with the process, you’ll find so many reasons to serve these, even to replace croutons or rolls with your soups and braises.

If you already love all things French, I have a feeling you’ll be making these as often as I do.

Ingredients

¾ cup filtered water
¼ cup whole milk
½ cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1 cup freshly grated sharp aged cheddar cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly cracked black pepper

Yields about 32 cheese puffs

A note on equipment: For shaping the cheese puffs, I recommend a piping bag fitted with a round tip of about .6 inches (alternately you can cut the tip off a large plastic bag).

How to Make Pâte à Choux

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Bring the water, milk, butter pieces, sugar, and salt to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring to make sure the butter is melted before a boil is reached.  Once the butter has melted and the mixture has come to a boil, remove from heat, add the flour all at once, and stir to combine.

Return the pot to medium-low heat and stir vigorously until the mixture forms a thick, smooth dough that pulls away from the sides of the pan and has a shiny but not wet quality.  A film will form on the bottom of the pan.  This takes about 3 minutes.

Set aside the dough to cool in a bowl for 5 minutes.

Add the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat for 1 minute or until the dough reaches about 125 degrees. (If you prefer not to use a hand mixer, the process can be done by hand. Each step will take a bit longer using that method.)

Add the eggs one by one, beating to incorporate well after each addition and scraping the bowl as necessary.

Add the cheese in increments along with your desired amount of freshly cracked black pepper.

How to Make the Gougères

With a spatula, add the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a round tip of about .6 inches (alternately you can cut the tip off a large plastic bag).  First fold down the wide edge of the bag to make a cuff. This will make it easier to scoop in the mixture. Avoid filling the bag more than ⅔ to ¾ full at a time.

Use your hands on the outside of the bag to gently push the dough toward the tip as if you were working with frosting. Twist the end of the bag right above this point. With your dominant hand, apply gentle pressure or a squeezing motion near the twisted edge, working the dough through the bag from the top down. Use your other hand to guide the tip.

Pipe rounds about 1 ½ inches in diameter and about ¾ inches high. Leave about 1 ½ inches of space between them.  Any points can be gently flattened by dipping a fingertip in water and smoothing.

Bake on the center rack for about 20 minutes or until puffs have become rounded and golden.  They should be crisp on the outside and soft but hollow in the middle.  Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve while still warm. If making ahead, reheat at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.