Gougères aka Cheese Puffs
This is the time of year when there are a lot of parties going on 🥳. They can be soirées or dinners. Of course, as an excellent host/hostess, not only are you paying attention to the finer details but you also want your guests to enjoy their time and have fun!
Without pinpointing all the aspects of creating the perfect event either formal, semi-formal or casual, one thing that should always be on the list is food 🍤! It doesn’t matter what caliber your reception is at, there has to be something to munch on.
Hors d’oeuvres and canapés are a great option and also fun because they’re usually small and bite sized. When I host a cocktail party, I want everyone to have a good time. I make sure I have all my guests’ favorite liquors, plus plenty of wine 🍷 and beer 🍺. As I want the evening to last, there’s a big tray of canapés.
When it comes to dinner parties, there’s always something to nibble on before people sit at the table for the first course. It can be some Crab Rangoon, Russian Deviled Eggs with Caviar, Beet Hummus, Baked Goat Cheese with Almonds, Stuffed Buns, Saganaki Opa, and many more.
There’s a French recipe that is always a crowd pleaser and it’s Gougères aka Cheese Puffs! These bite-sized pastries are pure yumminess and ideal for any event! With a gorgeous savory taste to them, these little guys make great hors d’oeuvres!
They’re also easy to make. The hardest part (not really) is to make the Pâte à Choux also known as Choux Pastry. After this is done, the rest is a breeze! Simply mix the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and voilà, done! This process takes less than 10 minutes ⏳.
There’s an ingredient that in my mind is totally not interchangeable 🚫 and it’s the Dijon Mustard. Many might want to use yellow mustard… please, don’t! Not all mustards are created equally and ingredients change from one to another. Let me explain…
Dijon mustard is sharper in taste than yellow mustard because the ingredients to make them are different. The French one is made with dark brown mustard seeds although black can often be used along with a white wine, vinegar, water and salt 🧂 mixture.
Yellow mustard on the other hand, is made with powdered yellow mustard seeds (the mildest of all mustard seeds), ground turmeric with vinegar as well as water 💦 and salt. If you switch mustard and go for yellow, the results would lack intensity.
The cheese 🧀 is another story and there are three options to choose from when making Gougères aka Cheese Puffs. As much as Gruyère is easy to find, Comté cheese might be harder depending on where you live. One we can all count on finding is sharp white Cheddar cheese.
What I like to do when I entertain is to make them ahead of time and place them in the freezer. When it’s time to serve, I put one baking sheet in the oven while the other one sits on the counter so it has time to thaw out a little. I bake the frozen ones maybe 8 to 10 minutes longer at 350ºF than the ones from the fridge which go straight in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until puffed and golden.
To have them “puffed”, DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR under any circumstances! Gougères, Éclairs, Profiteroles, and any other confections made with Choux Pastry are basically filled with air. They get their puffiness from the heat of the oven so if the door is opened during cooking time, they can deflate due to the cold air coming in from outside.
Deliciously cheesy, these Gougères aka Cheese Puffs are ideal when entertaining! These bite-sized little guys make the perfect hors d’oeuvre for your cocktail party or when having guests over for dinner.
Bon Appétit!🍽
Here are several more delicious hors d’oeuvre recipes for you to enjoy… 😀
– Stuffed Dates with Gorgonzola
– Sardine Cups
– Duxelles Bruschetta
– Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
– Spanakopita
– Brie en Croûte
– Pull-Apart Garlic Bread
and for even more appetizer recipes 🍣, click on this link… Recipe Category • Appetizers
Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel 📽 by clicking on this link… Club Foody
Gougères aka Cheese Puffs
Hover to scale
Ingredients
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp. ground Himalayan pink salt
- 1/2 cup shortening tips & tricks
- 1 cup water
- 4 large free-range eggs, room temperature
- 1 large egg white, room temperature
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 cups Gruyère cheese (substitute sharp Cheddar or Comté cheese), grated
- 1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves
- 1/8 tsp. dried rosemary, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 1 egg wash (1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tbsp. water)
Directions
- In a bowl, whisk flour and salt together; set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add shortening and water; bring to a boil.
- When melted, add flour and stir vigorously until it releases from the sides of the pot and forms a ball, about 2 minutes.
- Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat the dough on medium-high speed for 1 minute. Let it cool for 3 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425ºF and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
- On medium speed, add 1 egg at a time and mix well between each addition. Add the egg white and process for 30 seconds.
- Add Dijon, cheese, thyme, rosemary and pepper. Mix until combined, cleaning the sides and the bottom of the bowl.
- Using a portion scoop of about 1 tablespoon, measure the dough out and drop it onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between each.
- At this point, the dough can be refrigerated or frozen otherwise, brush the egg wash on each dough ball.
- Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 3 minutes.
- Reduce heat to 350ºF and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until puffed and golden - DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR under any circumstances! If the dough is frozen, leave them in the oven for an extra 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and serve immediately. Makes 36 gougères.
Don't forget to rate and comment on this recipe!
if you were to detail all the aspects of hosting the perfect event, what would they be?
Hi Jimmy,
It depends on what kind of event it is?