It’s truly amazing how flavorful and delicious food becomes once cheese is added. This cheese gougeres recipe is proof in itself that cheese is incredibly transformative.
Now, when I say cheese, I’m not talking about Krafts singles or that stuff that comes out of a can. Not that those cheeses don’t have their own purpose or fans, but for these baked cheese puffs, you want the good stuff.
If you’re looking to create something with incredible cheese flavor, like these French cheese puffs, it’s important to go for bold and flavorful cheeses.
In this case, these gruyere gougeres obviously rely on the flavor of gruyere for their delectable taste.
Gougeres have been made with parmesan cheese as well, and some even prepare a gougeres filling to create stuffed gougeres.
Gougères are small puffs made from choux pastry mixed with grated cheese, usually Gruyère or a similar French alpine cheese (though many other semi-firm cheeses, like cheddar, will work). They’re baked until puffed and hollow, crisp and golden on the outside and tender within.
Savory Filling for Gougeres
If I want to spruce up my gougeres, I personally love just mixing bacon bits and chives to keep things tasty but easy
If you’re wondering how a gougere can be stuffed, well just think of gougeres much like you would a cream puff.
Gougères are really just savory baked cheese puffs. Unlike sweet cream puffs, gougeres utilize cheese and are served as appetizers.
When the dough bakes, the inside becomes somewhat hollow, very much like a cream puff, making it simple to fill.
That’s because these cheese puff balls are made from the same pastry dough as cream puffs, a dough called pâte à choux. This dough is made with a paste-like batter that is either piped or scooped into round mounds onto a baking sheet.
French gougeres puff up as they bake in a hot oven and turn golden throughout.
It may feel like the dough a bit runnier than cream puff dough – you can thank the cheese for that.
But the key is to really stir that dough over the heat long enough to get out as much moisture as you can ahead of time. You can also let the dough rest for about 10 minutes before you try piping it out.
Whether you choose to add a gougeres filling for your savory cheese puffs or not is truly a matter of preference. The cheesy puffs are delicious enough on their own.
Normally, the taste of pâte à choux is not very flavorful on it’s own. In the case of dessert puffs, the custard filling delivers all the magic.
For gougeres, however, we use a bold and salty cheese like gruyere to give the dough wonderful flavor. Any extras like bacon and chives are just a bonus.
If you’ve never heard of it, you may be wondering what gruyere is? It just happens to be one of my favorite French cheeses. Similar to mozzarella, gruyere melts really well.
Unlike mozzarella, however, it tends to be a more firm cheese and has a nutty edge. Trader Joe’s makes a wonderful combination version of gruyere and cheddar cheese and sells its for a few dollars, making it really cost-effective and incredibly tasty.
I love using gruyere in a variety of recipes, including classic grilled cheese as well as a topping for my French onion soup. It’s the type of cheese that turns these french cheese puffs into addictive, crowd-pleasing bites.
Gougeres – French Cheese Puffs (Appetiser!)
FAQ
What is the difference between profiteroles and gougères?
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Why don t my gougères puff up?
Why do my gougères go flat?