Healthy Recipes from Martine, Certified Nutrition Consultant
Oh so French, gougeres are savory cheese puffs made from pâte à choux, or cream-puff dough, with a generous amount of cheese folded in. Slightly warm with a crisp shell and a cheesy, pillowy interior, they’re the perfect little bite to pop in your mouth at a holiday party. Click here to download a PDF version of the recipe!
Ingredients
1 cup low-fat milk
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg white, at room temperature
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 cups coarsely grated cheese, such as Gruyère and/or sharp cheddar
Instructions
Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat it to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Bring the milk, butter, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the flour all at once, lower the heat to medium and, using a wooden spoon, immediately start stirring energetically. The dough will form into a ball and there will be a light film on the bottom of the pan. This is completely normal. Keep stirring for another two minutes or so. It’s important to not skip this step because it dries out the dough - and dry dough will make puffier cheese puffs.
Turn the dough out into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or work by hand in a large bowl with a wooden spoon and strong PCC muscles…)
Let the dough sit for a minute to cool, then add the eggs one by one, followed by the white, beating on medium speed until each one is incorporated before adding the next. The dough may look as though it's separating or falling apart -- just keep going, and by the time the egg white goes in, the dough will be smooth.
Beat in the mustard, thyme and nutmeg, followed by the cheese. Give the dough a last mix-through by hand.
Scoop or spoon out heaping tablespoon-sized balls of dough (I use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop), and drop the dough on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between the mounds. (The scooped dough can be frozen on the baking sheets.)
Slide the baking sheets into the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 375°F. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pans. Continue baking for another 15 to 17 minutes. Serve immediately -- these are best directly from the oven.
Make-Ahead/Freezer Instructions
Scoop the dough and freeze on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then pack them in an airtight container. You can bake them straight from the freezer; just give them a few more minutes in the oven.
Enjoy!
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For questions please email Martine at martinel@wearepcc.com.