by: Kate McMillan
Cook Time
25 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Refrigeration Time
6 hours
Yield
42 gougeres
Total Time
25 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Yield
42 gougeres
summary
This classic French appetizer is a savory cheese puff made by piping mounds of dough and then baking it in the oven. The best part about this delicious make-ahead white cheddar gougeres recipe is that you can do all the heavy-lifting ahead of time, so when it’s time to serve, you can just pop them into the oven.
ingredients
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup water
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Big pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 cup bread flour
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 5 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
directions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add the milk, water, butter, salt and cayenne to a pan and set over medium-high heat. Bring to a low boil and then add the flour. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low for 30 seconds to slightly cool the dough. Add the eggs, one at a time, waiting until each one is completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed before you add the next. Finally add the cheddar and Parmesan cheeses and mix until fully combined.
- Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch metal tip. Pipe heaping tablespoon-sized mounds onto the prepared baking sheet. The dough will not spread so you can pipe them very close together. Once the dough is completely cooled, cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer. Once the gougeres are frozen, you can transfer them to a reusable plastic bag and keep frozen for up to 3 weeks.
- When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the frozen gougeres about 1 inch apart. Bake on the center rack of the oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Repeat this process until you’ve cooked all the gougeres. Serve immediately.
notes
If you don’t have a piping bag that’s okay! You can use a reusable plastic bag: add the dough to the bag and cut a ½-inch opening in the corner of the bag. Don’t squeeze too tightly or you will pop the bag.
You can use any cheese you’d like: Gruyere, Swiss, pecorino. Cheeses that are salty will offer more flavor.
Gougeres are best served warm out of the oven.
You will have the best results with this make-ahead white cheddar gougeres recipe if you bake a single tray at a time in the center oven.
