My mother sent me this recipe the other day. These cheese puffs are a popular French hors d’oeuvre and a specialty of the Burgundy region of France. They’re typically made with Gruyere cheese which is one of my favorites for cooking (and eating!) I’m told they go well with a nice glass of red wine.
These are excellent when they’re warm out of the oven, and they’re even good at room temperature the next day. I ate six of them with my lunch today and they were delicious.
I thought the boys would like these. They like most carbohydrates, and they like Cheese-Its, so I figured I couldn’t go wrong with these. Wrong! Not one of them liked them, and I have no idea why. These things are delicious! Do you think the boys will ever learn?
I’m making another batch of these the next time we have company. They’re easy to make and they look very attractive piled up on a platter.
French Gougères
Recipe from Viking River Cruises website1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cup butter, cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups flour (unbleached, all-purpose)
6 large eggs
1 cup (packed) grated gruyère cheese
1/2 cup (packed) good-quality parmesan
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon saltPlace one rack in top third and a second in the bottom third of oven; preheat to 400°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, lightly greased with non-stick cooking spray.
In a 3- to 4-quart pan over medium heat, bring the water, butter and salt to a simmer, stirring until the butter melts. Add flour all at once, and stir rapidly with a wooden spoon until mixture is a smooth, thick paste with no lumps. Remove pan from heat and allow mixture to cool. Using a hand-held mixer (I used an immersion blender), beat in one egg at a time until all are incorporated. Stir in cheese and pepper.Using a tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop, drop 48 equal mounds of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing each mound three inches apart. Bake until dough is puffed, and looks dry and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Halfway though cooking, reverse the positions of the baking pans. You can also use a pastry bag to pipe the dough if you prefer.
Yield: 48 puffs
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Maybe the boys would eat them if you use cheddar or even(sacrilege)American.
Diane, how many fit on one pan? I can only get about 15 on one pan, and they are the large baking sheets. Are you getting 25 on each pan? HELP!
Hi January,
I have large baking sheets, and to make the whole batch of gougeres, it took 4 sheets! In retrospect, I probably could have crowded them more closely together and gotten them all on 3 baking sheets.
I hope you like them. I thought they were delicious.
Diane
Thanks Diane! I squeezed 3 sheets into my oven, but next time I’ll crowd them closer, because I still have some left-over batter. They smell delicious!! I’m bringing them to Back to School night. THANKS!!!!!
Di- did you use parchment paper? I have the william-sonoma gold touch pans and usually don’t use parchment.
Laur- I did use the parchment paper, but I bet they don’t stick to your gold touch pans. I think you can try them without the parchment.