A recipe for Gruyère Gougères appetizers, tiny crisp pastry pillows made with choux dough bursting with intense Gruyère flavor.
I would like to be the type of person that throws parties. Big, raucous celebrations with champagne flutes and confetti, music playing in that just-loud-enough way where you can dance to it but still talk to your neighbor without screaming until you’re hoarse. The lights would twinkle in the background in a magical way, guests unable to find the source of their wonderment. It would be the type of affair everyone leaves with a bright light in their belly and a grin on their face, unable to think of a way it could have gone better.
There would be food aplenty at such a scene, for certain. Gougères, their crisp outer shell giving way to airy, chewy insides, crostini and salads, hot chocolate served alongside dessert. Dessert would be a multi-course affair, with guests unable to decide between all the sugar-laced treats laid out before them. The entire evening would whisper with enchantment.
Of course, we’d need something to be celebrating, and who better to celebrate with such idyllic gathering than an enchantress in the kitchen and in life? Bev of BevCooks is decidedly worthy of such a soirée as she has made carrying twins appear effortless.
Sugar and sass and a bit of silliness would be how I would describe this lovely lady, and I so look forward to seeing those sweet babies once they make their appearance. If they’re anything like their mama, it will be quite the appearance. Bev is continuously cooking enviable eats in the kitchen, always with a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor or just outright absurdity. She makes everything look good, including the third trimester with twins. Congratulations, Bev!
Today we’re throwing a virtual baby shower, complete with sparkling champagne flutes and multiple courses of festive food. To the party I’m bringing gougères, French cheese puffs made from choux pastry dough with crisp outer shells and soft, chewy insides. They can be filled with cheeses or creams, sliced open and treated like sandwiches, or enjoyed just as they are. Best served warm, bake them just before serving, or bake ahead and reheat for 5 minutes in a 300º F oven.
Tiny crisp pastry pillows made with choux dough bursting with intense Gruyère flavor
Ingredients
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup flour
4 large eggs
2 ounces grated Parmesan (1/2 cup)
6 ounces grated Gruyère (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 large egg yolk
sea salt, optional
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400º F.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of water, the milk, butter, kosher salt, and cayenne. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Immediately add the flour. Stir quickly into the mixture with a wooden spoon until the dough pulls away from the pan and forms a ball, cooking for an additional minute while stirring.
Remove the dough from the heat and place in a food processor, pulsing twice, and then allowing to cool at least five minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, pulsing after each addition until incorporated. Add in the cheese, reserving two tablespoons, and pepper and mix just until combined.
Place the dough in a pastry bag and pipe into 1-tablespoon rounds on a parchment- or baking-mat-lined baking sheet, 2" apart. Alternatively, scoop balls using a small scoop or two spoons onto the lined baking sheet.
Beat the egg yolk with one teaspoon of water. Brush lightly over the top of the rounds with a pastry brush. Sprinkle with reserved cheese and a bit of sea salt, if desired.
Bake for 25 minutes, until rounds are golden brown and dry in the center. They should sound hollow when tapped.
Serve warm. These can be reheated for a few minutes in the oven just before serving.
You could grate it to serve with pasta or salads, as it is not too overpowering. If you are serving it as part of a cheeseboard, try to include fruits such as pears, apples, and grapes. The sweetness of these fruits is excellent against the nuttiness of the cheese. Cut it into thin slices that your guests can enjoy.
The secret to gougères' puff is the addition of eggs, but here's the thing — too many eggs and the dough will be too wet to properly puff. Whats more, the number of eggs your dough will need varies depending on the flour you use, how long you cooked the paste, and the weather (seriously!
Gruyere cheese is also a perfect accompaniment to crackers, fruits, bread and pecans, as well as a wide range of meats such as ham, salami, prosciutto.
The dough/batter can be made up to 3 days in advance of cooking, store in an airtight container in the fridge. I personally feel that gougères are best served fresh and warm, but leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container and then reheated in a warm oven before enjoying.
Aged cheeses typically have rinds, but fresh cheeses (like mozzarella, feta, goat cheese, block cheddar, and burrata) don't because they haven't gone through the aging process. Aged cheeses like brie, Gruyère, and Parmigiano-Reggiano all have edible rinds.
In fact, the question here shouldn't be “can” I eat the rind, more like “should” I eat the rind, because (unless the cheese is coated with an inedible substance like wax or cloth), rinds are totally safe to eat.
Due to the dough being so delicate, starting them off in a very hot oven — 450 degrees Fahrenheit to be exact — will ensure they rapidly puff, whereas starting them in a cool oven could lead to deflated pancakes.
For successful gougères it is very important that you beat in as many tiny air bubbles as you can. Use an electric beater if you can. The air you introduce at this stage is the reason gougères will rise, by helping the water turn into steam and inflate the dough. No air means flat gougères.
The texture is smooth and firm with small holes or "eyes" throughout. Gruyère is considered an expensive cheese due to a few reasons: Firstly, it's made from raw milk, which is more expensive to produce than pasteurized milk. Secondly, it's aged for a minimum of 5 months, which is longer than most other cheeses.
I cut the 6-month Le Gruyère AOP into triangle wedges and paired them with pears and fig jam. The pear notes married perfectly with the fruity element of the cheese, while the fig jam added a nice sweetness to bolster the creaminess. Next on the cheese plate is the Le Gruyère AOP aged for 12 months.
Nothing beats a burger hot off the grill! This one is topped with caramelized onions and melted Gruyère for an extra pop of flavor!! While I try to eat healthy as often as possible a juicy burger has got to be one of my favorite indulgences! I just love a nice juicy burger topped with gooey melted cheese!
Hard cheese (Emmentaler, Gruyère) and raclette cheese as well as extra hard cheese (Sbrinz) are types of cheese that are best suited to freezing. However, if stored correctly, they can also be kept in the fridge for many weeks.
The baked gougères can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days or, wrapped tightly in plastic and kept in an airtight container, they can be frozen for up to 1 month.
Always store your Gruyère cheese in the refrigerator, ideally between 35°F and 40°F, which is the ideal temperature for preserving cheese. Once opened, store your cheese in airtight containers or wrap tightly in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
Gruyère. Made of raw milk from cows grazing on the flower-speckled hills of western Switzerland, Gruyère is the consummate melting cheese. It's the star of classics like our French Onion Soup and Cheese Fondue, thanks to its gloriously smooth texture under heat.
A palate of vast complexity, Gruyere enjoys ever evolving nuances. Opening with full-bodied, fruity tones, the flavors slowly journey towards earthy and nutty with a soft finale to finish. Covered by a natural rind, the texture of the body is dense during its youth, becoming flaky and somewhat granular as it ages.
Because it is a mild cheese, Gruyere is a great addition to charcuterie boards. It can be layered on top of crackers, it can be paired with salty, cured meats, it can be smothered with jams…
Introduction: My name is Dean Jakubowski Ret, I am a enthusiastic, friendly, homely, handsome, zealous, brainy, elegant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
