Ingredients

The following ingredients have 24 Servings
  • 1 cup water
  • 8 tbsp butter
  • 1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
  • pinch of salt
  • pinch of nutmeg (optional)
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese, plus more
  • Egg wash: 1 egg + 1 teaspoon water

Instruction

  • Preheat oven to 450F degrees.
  • Combine water, butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg (if using) in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a boil, over medium high heat.
  • Once the water is boiling and the butter has melted, remove the saucepan from the stove and add all the flour at once. Stir vigorously until combined and resembling mashed potatoes. Bring the pan back to the stove, over medium-low heat, and cook until the dough dries out a bit and starts to create a film on the bottom of the pan, about 3-5 minutes.
  • Transfer the dough to your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat the dough on medium low speed so it cools off a bit. Once it's just warm to the touch, start adding the eggs, one at a time. Wait for each egg to be completely incorporated before adding the next one. The final dough should be smooth and creamy.
  • Add the cheese and mix until incorporated.
  • Shape the Gougeres: Using a medium sized scoop, drop the dough from a spoon onto parchment-paper lined baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between them. For more uniform looking Gougeres, I like to wet my hands and shape the dough into little balls before placing them on the baking sheets. You can also go the Julia Child way and scrape the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a wide plain tip and pipe the dough into mounds, about the size of a small cherry tomato.
  • Brush the top of each Gougere with egg wash and sprinkle with extra grated cheese or some chopped fresh herbs.
  • Bake the Gougeres for 5 minutes and then lower the heat to 350F degrees. Bake for another 20 minutes, rotating once during the baking time, or until puffed and deep golden brown.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Remove from baking trays to cooling racks.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature.