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Two-Cheese Gougères
Gougères are cheese puffs made from pâte à choux (also known as choux paste), the same light, airy pastry that is the basis of so many classic French desserts, including éclairs and profiteroles. Edward Delling-Williams of The Presbytere restaurant in Normandy, France, showed us how he makes extra-large gougères (most are smallish two- or three-bite affairs, whereas his were biscuit-sized). For our adaptation, we use Comté cheese (Gruyère works, too, though its flavor is milder) plus a little Parmesan. We incorporate a majority of the cheese before adding the eggs, which gave us gougères that were more flavorful throughout and with smoother exteriors. A little Dijon mustard balances the richness of the butter and cheese. Serve as an appetizer or as part of a charcuterie board. Or split them like buns and fill them with sliced cured meats and cheese to make elegant sandwiches.
Makes 12
3-inch gougères
Tip
Don’t add the flour to the butter-water mixture until the butter has melted and the water is boiling, otherwise the flour won’t gelatinize and the choux paste won’t hold its shape. After adding the cheeses, don’t overmix, which may cause the fat from the Comté to separate.
1¼ hours
40 minutes active, plus refrigeration and cooling
Ingredients
-
85
grams (6 tablespoons) salted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces
-
1
teaspoon Dijon mustard
Directions
-
01In a medium saucepan over medium-high, bring 1½ cups water, the butter, mustard, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper to a boil, stirring occasionally. When the butter is fully melted, remove from the heat immediately and add the flour. Using a wooden spoon, stir until the mixture forms an evenly moistened paste that resembles mashed potatoes.
