I guess I am having a bit of a pate a choux moment. Once you learn how to make this very special dough, the world is your oyster. From éclairs, to profiteroles, to “Parisian gnocchi” to gougères, the possibilities are limitless. I know I am not the first food blogger to post about gougères {and I dare say not the last}, but they have truly become one of my go to recipes when I want to make little bits and bobs for cocktail hour – in my opinion, there is no better accompaniment to a glass of champagne. They are {relatively} easy to make with ingredients you likely already have on hand, can be made ahead of time and reheated before guests arrive, and are simply delicious. I personally love the combination of Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses, with just a pinch of cayenne pepper for heat and a sprinkling of chives for color and bite, but you can use any combination of hard cheeses, herbs and spices you would like.
Recipe continued after the jump…
Recipe
Adapted slightly from Alain Ducasse
- 1/2 c. water
- 1/2 c. milk
- 1/2 c. {1 stick} unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
- Large pinch of coarse salt
- 1 c. all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1 c. shredded Gruyère cheese
- 1 tablespoon chives
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, milk, butter and salt and bring to a boil. Add the flour and stir it in with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms; stir over low heat until it dries out and pulls away from the pan, about 2 minutes.
Scrape the dough into a bowl; let cool for 1 minute. Beat the eggs into the dough, 1 at a time, beating thoroughly between each one {I enlisted Matt’s help with the beating but you could also use a KitchenAid}. Add the Gruyere cheese, chives and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip and pipe tablespoon-size mounds onto the baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake for 22 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Serve hot, or let cool and refrigerate or freeze. Reheat in a 350°F oven until piping hot.
These sound like a great go-to for little gatherings. Awesome.
Yes – I have been making them so often recently – you will be amazed by how quickly they go – they are so easy to just pop into your mouth between sips of champagne! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Your combination of delicious cheese with just a hint of spice would have me coming back for seconds. Your photos look like I could pick one right off my computer screen…if only I could.
Thank you Karen! The cayenne is so barely detectable, it just lends a slight warmth. I know these are by no means traditional gougeres, but they are delightful! xo
I love gougere’s, your recipe is fantastic, and the photo’s well, like Karen said you feel like you can reach through the computer screen and grab one. Beautiful!
Thank you! All the lighting and photography gods were smiling on me that particular day 🙂
Those sound AMAZINGLY flavoursome – wow.
Thank you!
Wow — the mild gruyere in this must make this amazing! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Thank you Danny! And thanks for stopping by!
Those have the perfect combination of flavors! I really wish I had a bowl full of them right now.
Thank you Jessica – and thank you for stopping by – I am so happy to have found your blog as well – it is absolutely beautiful! xo
yum yum..i could eat ohhhh about that whole basket…what a rude party guest i would be..:) the flavor combo sounds just amazing, i dont know why but i imagine crab salad would be wonderful with these…lovely post as always..sarah
Oooh Sarah – I think you are on to something with the crab salad idea – that would be heavenly! Might have to try that soon! 🙂 xo
I need to attempt this. Get out of my comfort zone. 🙂
Exactly! As intimidating as it seems, it really is quite simple, I guess just like all culinary adventures! xo
Love these – must try!
Thank you! xo
I only eat gougères once a year when I visit my family in Burgundy (where they originally come from). A Burgundian would probably consider your gougères very untraditional (I’ve only seen gruyère gougères, and sometimes walnut gougères), but I LOVE that you used chives and if I ever decide to try making them, I will definitely add some!
Thank you Darya! I love your wealth of knowledge about all things French! I believe I had gougeres for the first time in Burgandy – they made me fall in love with them! And you’re right – I am sure the Burgundians would not approve of my highly untraditional ingredients! 🙂 Where in Burgandy does your family live? xo
Parfait!
Hi Friend!
I nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award! If you want to follow the rules check out my page for details.
http://lifeasaculinarygirl.wordpress.com/2013/02/28/wow-you-really-like-me-inspiring-blog-award/
Congrats 🙂
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Looks delish!
Oh, yum, Lindsay! Gougères have always intimidated me a bit, I must confess, but you are inspiring me to give ’em a go! So delightful — thanks for sharing this recipe and awesome creativity, foodie friend!
Thank you Christina – please do give em a go! Even though Alain Ducasse’s recipe is quite simple, I found it to be somewhat foolproof, although I didn’t use a KitchenAid the first time around and beating in the eggs by hand was quite the workout! I am sure you will have no problem with this recipe. xo
This looks soo great and delicious! I love the different flavor combinations! Reminds me of baking class 🙂
What a fun class that must have been! 🙂
It was soo much fun! But I won’t lie we did get sick of them after a while LOL
Reblogged this on Haute Mom Living and commented:
delicious!
Thank you for reblogging! xo