Indulge in the delectable world of Gougeres, savory French cheese puffs that are a true delight for the senses. These airy and light pastries are made with a combination of flour, water, butter, and eggs, resulting in a crispy exterior and a soft, chewy interior. Gougeres are traditionally filled with cheese, commonly Gruyère or Comté, which melts and creates a gooey, flavorful center. Some variations also incorporate ham, bacon, or herbs, adding an extra layer of savory goodness. These versatile pastries can be enjoyed as an appetizer, snack, or even a light meal. With their irresistible texture and delightful flavors, Gougeres are sure to be a hit at any occasion. This article provides two enticing Gougeres recipes: the classic Gougeres with Gruyère and the Gougeres with Ham and Cheese. Follow the step-by-step instructions to create these delectable treats in your own kitchen and experience the joy of homemade Gougeres.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
CLASSIC GOUGèRES
These classic gougères are cheesier than many others, with a crunchy, salty crust from a sprinkling of Parmesan just before baking. Take care to serve these straight from the oven when they are still hot and a little gooey in the center. If you want to make these ahead, you can freeze them after forming them into balls, but before baking (it's easiest to freeze them directly on the baking sheet if you've got the freezer space). Then bake them while still frozen, adding a few minutes onto the baking time.
Provided by Melissa Clark
Categories dinner, finger foods, appetizer
Time 45m
Yield 5 1/2 dozen
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Heat oven to 425 degrees, and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water, butter, salt and cayenne to a boil. Stir in flour all at once and cook, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, until dough pulls away from the sides of the pot, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Scrape dough into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat with a paddle until cooled slightly, about 30 seconds. (Or you can do this with a wooden spoon if you beat vigorously.) Add one egg at a time, letting each one incorporate before adding the next. Mix in Gruyère and continue to beat until it is mostly melted into batter.
- Transfer batter to a large, sealable plastic bag, and snip off 3/4 inch from one corner. Pipe 2-teaspoon-sized balls, spaced 1-inch apart, onto baking sheets. Or use a spoon to form the balls. Sprinkle Parmesan on top, and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake until golden and cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool slightly then serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 30, UnsaturatedFat 1 gram, Carbohydrate 2 grams, Fat 2 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 2 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 30 milligrams, Sugar 0 grams, TransFat 0 grams
GOUGERES
Pate a choux derives from the old French meaning "to cherish" or cabbage paste because of its shape, this pastry has been in use since the sixteenth century. It is a cooked mixture of water, butter and flour which rises due to steam expansion. The paste crusts on the outside, trapping steam inside, creating a puffed shape with a hollow interior. The crisp shells are filled with a variety of creams and finished with a glaze.
Provided by Amy Finley
Categories appetizer
Time 40m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the grated cheese and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper to the half-recipe of pate a choux. With a rubber spatula, scoop the pate a choux into the pastry bag and pipe out approximately 25 (1-inch) rounds, spaced 1 to 2 inches apart on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush lightly with the beaten egg and place in the oven. Cook until golden and puffed, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool briefly on a baking rack. Serve hot or at room temperature.
- In a small saucepan over high heat, bring the water, salt, sugar, and butter to a boil, making sure the butter is completely melted. Off the heat, add the flour all at once and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon. Return to the heat and continue beating until the dough forms a solid, smooth mass and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan. Take off the heat and empty the dough into a clean mixing bowl. Little by little add the beaten eggs, beating vigorously in between each addition, until the dough forms a smooth, supple mass. Divide the dough into 2 even quantities, 1 part to be used for the gougeres, the other for profiteroles.
GOUGERES (FRENCH CHEESE PUFFS)
Best served warm, these party-ready savory gougeres, or French cheese puffs, are baked golden and packed with Gruyere cheese.
Provided by Connie Salisbury Risner
Time 55m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Heat water, butter, salt, and chili powder in a saucepan over medium-low heat until the butter is melted.
- Dump in flour all at once and stir vigorously until the mixture pulls away from the sides into a smooth ball. Remove from heat and let rest for 2 minutes, to cool it down a bit. At this point, you can scrape the dough into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. If you don't have a mixer, let it cool in the pan, stirring it a few times to let the heat escape.
- Add eggs, one at a time, stirring quickly to make sure the eggs don't cook. The batter will first appear lumpy, but after 1 minute or so, it will smooth out. After the eggs have been added, let cool until tepid.
- When the dough has cooled, stir in a generous 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese until well mixed. (If dough is not cool, the cheese will melt.)
- Scrape the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a wide, plain tip. Pipe into mounds, evenly spaced apart, making each about the size of a small cherry tomato. Top each puff with a bit of the remaining cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, then turn the oven down to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Continue to bake until completely golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 181.3 calories, Carbohydrate 8.2 g, Cholesterol 95.4 mg, Fat 12.9 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 8.2 g, SaturatedFat 7.3 g, Sodium 178.9 mg, Sugar 0.2 g
GOUGERE
This recipe, a Florence Fabricant classic, came to The Times in 1983. It is "one of those minor miracles, like a souffle, made possible only by eggs," she writes. Serve these cheesy, airy bites as an hors d'oeuvre, or take Florence's suggestion and pair them with a soup or baked ham - or fill them with softly scrambled eggs. Either way, they're sure to please even the pickiest guests.
Provided by Florence Fabricant
Categories brunch, side dish
Time 1h10m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a nine-inch flan ring or a cake tin that has a removable bottom.
- Combine water, salt and butter in a saucepan. Simmer until the butter melts, then bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the flour all at once. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the paste is smooth and leaves the sides of the pan. Place over low heat and cook, stirring, until the mixture begins to film the bottom of the pan.
- Remove from heat and beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well to thoroughly incorporate each. (The paste can be put into the bowl of a food processor and the eggs added one at a time and processed with the steel blade until blended.)
- Transfer paste to a mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Spoon rounded tablespoons of this mixture close together in a ring inside the cake ring or flan ring. Place in the middle of the oven and bake for about one hour, until the gougere is brown and firm to the touch. Cool briefly and serve.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 273, UnsaturatedFat 7 grams, Carbohydrate 13 grams, Fat 20 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 11 grams, SaturatedFat 12 grams, Sodium 237 milligrams, Sugar 0 grams, TransFat 0 grams
GOURGERE WITH MUSHROOMS AND HAM
Steps:
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Saute onion until soft, but not browned. Add mushrooms and continue cooking for 2 minutes longer. Add chicken broth and water: mix well. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Simmer for 4 minutes. Remove sauce from heat. Add tomato strips and ham strips. Set aside. To make the pate a choux, heat water and butter in a large saucepan until the butter melts. Bring water to a boil, add flour, salt and pepper all at once and stir vigorously until mixture forms a ball in center of pan, about one minute. Allow mixture to cool for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition. This beating is important or gougere will not puff. Stir in grated cheese. I suppose a cuisinart would make quick work of this! Butter an 11 or 12 inch ovenproof skillet or shallow baking dish. Spoon the pate a choux in a ring around the ege, leaving the center open. Pour the ham, tomato and mushroom filling into the center and sprinkle with remainint 2 tablespoons Cheddar cheese. Bake at 400 debrees for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the gougere is puffed and brown and the filling is bubbling. Serve at once. Note: great wtih fresh fruit and pecan rolls.
GOUGèRES
These two-cheese (Gruyere and Parmesan) bites-originally from France-are a great appetizer to include on your dinner table for any occasion.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Appetizers
Time 55m
Yield Makes about 30
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 1/2 cup water, the butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until butter melts and mixture boils. Remove from heat, and stir in flour with a wooden spoon. Return pan to medium heat, and cook, stirring, until mixture pulls away from side of pan and forms a film on bottom, about 4 minutes.
- Transfer batter to a bowl, and beat with a mixer on low speed until slightly cooled, about 2 minutes. Raise speed to medium, and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Beat 1 minute more. Batter should be shiny and form a string when pulled up with a finger; if string doesn't form, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it does. Stir in Parmesan.
- Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip (such as Ateco #806). Pipe about 30 mounds (1 inch in diameter) 1 inch apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush with egg yolk, and sprinkle each with about 1/2 teaspoon Gruyere.
- Bake until gougeres are puffed and lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, and bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out dry, 20 to 25 minutes more. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients: Fresh and flavorful ingredients will make a big difference in the taste of your gougeres. Use real butter, not margarine, and choose a good quality ham that is not too salty.
- Make sure the dough is well-chilled: This will help the gougeres rise properly and prevent them from spreading too much in the oven.
- Pipe the dough evenly: Use a pastry bag fitted with a star tip to pipe the dough onto the baking sheet. This will help them to have a uniform shape and size.
- Bake the gougeres until they are golden brown: This will ensure that they are cooked through and have a crispy exterior.
- Serve the gougeres warm: Gougeres are best served warm from the oven. You can reheat them in a warm oven if necessary, but they are best enjoyed fresh.
Conclusion:
Gougeres are a delicious and versatile appetizer or snack that can be enjoyed for any occasion. They are easy to make and can be customized with a variety of fillings and toppings. With a little practice, you can master the art of making perfect gougeres that will impress your friends and family.
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