Classic French Gougères – Day 2 of the 12 Days of Canapés – 2013

Gougères

Recipe is from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan

1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 lb (113 g) butter
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
5 large eggs, at room temperature
6 ounces (170 g) grated Gruyère

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 C). Line two baking sheets with parchment or silpats.

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan heat the milk, water, butter and salt over high heat until it begins to boil. Add the flour in all at once and lower the heat to medium low while stirring the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon. The mixture will come together in a smooth mass and there will be a thin coating on the bottom of the pan. Continue to stir the mixture for a minute or two to dry the dough and then place it in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Allow the dough to cool for a minute and then mix the dough over medium heat and add in the eggs one at a time. Ensure that each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next egg.

Once all of the eggs have been mixed in the dough should look thick and shiny. At this point, beat in the grated cheese.

Once the dough has been made it should be spooned out right away.

Using about 1 tablespoon of dough for each gougère, drop the dough from a spoon (or spoon the mixture into a piping bag and pipe out the dough into 1 tablespoon mounds) onto the lined baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each mound of dough.

Place the trays into the preheated oven and immediately reduce the temperature from 425 F (220 C) to 375 F (190 C).

Bake the puffs for 12 minutes and then rotate the trays from front to back and top to bottom. Continue to bake for another 10 to 12 minutes until the gougères are golden and puffed.

Serve warm.

Makes approximately 36 gougères.