Gougère

Hi guys!

For your next cocktail party or get together, you can serve these tiny fancy treats!  In French, it is called gougère or cheese puffs. Pay close attention to the technique in this recipe, because if you get it right, you can make cream puffs, éclairs, and many other French treats!  

Gougère

Servings:  40 puffs

Ingredients

1 cup milk

4 ounces unsalted butter

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Pinch ground nutmeg

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

¾ cup grated Gruyère cheese, plus a little extra for sprinkling on top

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Directions

1.   Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.   In a small pan, heat milk, butter, salt, pepper, and ground nutmeg over medium high heat   until butter is completely melted in the milk.

3.   Add the flour in the milk mixture and beat it vigorously with a wooden spoon on low heat for about 2 minutes until it turns into dough.

4.   Then transfer the dough into a stand mixer bowl and starting mixing the dough with eggs and cheese until mixture is smooth and thick

5.   Spoon the dough into a large gallon-sized plastic bag (or piping bag.) Use your hands to squeeze dough towards the bottom corner. With kitchen scissors, snip off just the tip of the bag, about 1/4" of the tip. Pipe onto a baking sheet into little puffs, keeping the puffs 2-inches apart. With your finger, press down the peaks because they can burn.

6.   Brush the top of each puff lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with a pinch of Gruyère cheese.

7.   Bake at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes or until golden brown outside but still soft inside.