Recipe courtesy of Stephanie Boswell

Classic Gougères

  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: about 40 gougères
  • Total: 45 min
  • Active: 20 min
Gougères are savory French puffs made from pâte à choux – classic choux pastry – and infused with freshly ground black pepper, nutmeg and cheese. This version uses Gruyère, a savory and salty cheese that melts beautifully into the dough, resulting in a crisp golden exterior and tender, custardy interior. They are the perfect addition to your hors d'oeuvres or cocktail party repertoire.
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Ingredients

Gougères:

2/3 cup whole milk

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, diced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note)

4 large eggs

4 ounces shredded Gruyère (about 1 cup)

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Freshly ground black pepper

Whipped Goat Cheese with Herbs:

One 10.5-ounce log goat cheese, at room temperature

6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped (about 1/2 cup chopped)

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped (about 1 tablespoon chopped)

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Special equipment:
2 pastry bags; a 1/2-inch round piping tip; a 1/4-inch round piping tip
  1. For the gougères: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
  2. Combine the milk, butter, salt and 1/3 cup water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and continue to stir until the dough dries out and pulls away from the sides of the pan, 1 to 2 minutes.
  3. Scrape the dough into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on low to release the steam and cool a bit, about 1 minute. Add the eggs to the dough 1 at a time, beating on medium speed until each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Add the Gruyère, nutmeg and several grinds of black pepper and mix to combine.
  4. Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip and pipe tablespoon-size mounds onto the baking sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until puffed and golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes.
  5. For the whipped goat cheese with herbs: Meanwhile, pulse the goat cheese, cream cheese, parsley, thyme, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a food processor until smooth and combined. Transfer to a piping bag fitting with a 1/4-inch round tip.
  6. When the gougères come out of the oven and are still warm, poke a small hole in the bottom of each with the tip of a paring knife and pipe in about 1 heaping tablespoon of the whipped goat cheese filling. Serve immediately.

Cook’s Note

When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.) 

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