
Cheesy Gougères
2h 15m
For a chef after a busy night's service, gougères are simply the best snack-canapé-appetizer you could ever imagine. People go crazy for them!
Originally from Burgundy, France, I like to fill them with a rich, cheesy béchamel, which makes them even more delicious.
Making them will also teach you a new skill set and further enhance your credentials as a top chef.
I stumbled upon gougères while working in French restaurants. They were especially wonderful, because at the end of the night, they became the snack for the chefs.
It always filled our soul with cheesy warmth!
Bring a pot with 200 ml of water and 100 g of butter to a boil over medium heat
Add 6 g of salt. Boil until the butter is completely melted
Add 145 g of all-purpose flour. Turn the heat down to low and mix. Cook, while continuously stirring, until it comes easily away from the pot, without sticking to the sides. Transfer to another container
Add 45 g of finely grated Comté cheese. Mix until combined
Break 4 eggs in a bowl
Add the eggs, one or two at a time, while mixing to get a smooth dough
Cover with cling film, pressing it against the surface of the dough to avoid forming a skin. Let is cool down to room temperature
Melt 80 g of butter in a saucepan over medium heat
Add 80 g all-purpose flour. Whisk for 3m until the flour is cooked and the mixture becomes loose
Add 575 ml of milk to a separate pot. Warm over medium-low heat until hot, but not boiling
Add ¾ cup of the milk to the butter and flour, in 4 batches. Whisk each time until it becomes smooth
Add 110 g of finely grated gruyére cheese. Whisk until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Add the remaining milk to loosen the sauce, if necessary
Season with salt to taste
Grate nutmeg to taste and whisk
Transfer the sauce to a bowl
Cover with cling film, pressing it against the surface to avoid forming a skin. Set aside to cool down to room temperature
Preheat the oven to 170 °C
Transfer the dough to piping bag and cut the tip about 1½ cm wide
Pipe dots in the corner of a baking tray to hold a sheet of parchment paper in place
Pipe the dough, leaving at least 1 cm between each piece
Dip your finger in warm water and gently tap the tip of the dough to make it rounded
Bake the dough for 25m until puffed and golden
Transfer the sauce to a piping bag and cut a 1 cm hole. The mornay sauce is ready
Make a small incision in the bottom of the baked gougères
Insert the tip of the piping bag and fill the gougères with the Mornay Sauce
Return the gourgères to the oven for 4m to warm them up. The cheesy gougères are ready
They are best served warm. Enjoy!
Yield 24 pieces
All-Purpose Flour
145 gButter
100 gFinely Grated Comté Cheese
45 gEgg
4Salt
6 gWater
200 ml
Mornay Sauce
Finely Grated Gruyère Cheese
110 gAll-Purpose Flour
80 gButter
80 gMilk
575 mlNutmeg
to tasteSalt
to taste
Equipment
Kitchen Scale
Piping Bag
Piping Bag
Fine Grater