If you've never had gougères—French cheese puffs—you're in for a treat! These lovely little bites make for a great party appetizer and are sure to impress your guests. Serve them with a buttery French white wine and watch them disappear before your eyes! Try this recipe from Bon Appétit.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 6 ounces (1½ cups) grated Comté cheese or Gruyère
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large egg yolk
Method
- Preheat oven to 400°. Bring butter, salt, nutmeg, and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until butter is melted. Remove from heat, add flour, and stir to combine.
- Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon, until mixture pulls away from sides of pan and forms a ball, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring vigorously, until a dry film forms on bottom and sides of pan and dough is no longer sticky, about 2 minutes longer. Remove pan from heat and let dough cool slightly, about 2 minutes. Mix in whole eggs one at a time, incorporating fully between additions. Mix in cheese and pepper.
- Scrape dough into a piping bag fitted with a ½” round tip (alternatively, use a plastic bag with a ½” opening cut diagonally from 1 corner). Pipe 1” rounds about 2” apart onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Whisk egg yolk and 1 tsp. water in a small bowl; brush rounds with egg wash.
- Bake gougères until puffed and golden and dry in the center (they should sound hollow when tapped), 20–25 minutes.
- DO AHEAD: Dough can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Gougères can be baked 2 hours ahead; reheat before serving.
READ MORE: Gougères