French Gougere

The ingredients for Gougere are very similar to those for Cream Puffs although differing in the category of sweet and savoury.

If you have ever made Cream Puffs these will be just as easy to make. Even if you have never tried making either recipe, sweet as well as savoury success is easily attainable.

This recipe has been in my “recipes to try out file” for 30 years, the aging page of the magazine it was taken from reads June 1983 .

It usually doesn’t take this long to try out a recipe that I’m interested in but I suppose there is a time and occasion for everything.  This recipe for French Gougere  has been taken out of and gone back into my temporary file many times with the best of intentions to give it it a try. Each time, the recipe has found its way back into the file to wait a little longer.

It has been a long 30 year wait but the day to shine has finally come and I am happy to report that it has finally graduated to a more permanent file.

The addition of Swiss or Jarlsberg cheese and a little salt and pepper takes this choux batter from a delicious, sweet, Cream Puff dessert to a tasty, savoury, Cheese Puff appetizer.

Wonder if the Cream Puff girl would approve...

Gougere
1 cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup water
6 tablespoons butter
4 large eggs
1 cup (4 ounces) Swiss or Jarlsberg cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten for glaze

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Grease and flour or line baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Combine flour, salt, sugar and pepper in a small bowl.
4. Bring water and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat and boil until butter is melted
5. Reduce heat to low and add flour mixture all at once
6. Stir vigorously with wooden spoon until mixture leaves sides of pan and forms a ball.
7. Stir 1 minute to dry the mixture.
8. Remove saucepan from heat and place batter into a medium size bowl.
9. Beat in eggs one at a time beating well after each addition until smooth.
10. Fold in cheese.
11. Drop about 2 tablespoons of batter onto baking sheet and brush tops with beaten egg.
12. Bake 30 minutes until puffed and golden brown.
13. Turn oven off and leave in oven an additional 30 minutes, do not open the oven  (caution... you will be tempted.)
14. Transfer to cool on wire rack.
15. Serve warm or at room temperature.
16. Yield about 25.

 





Notes, Tips and Suggestions

• Use of a small ice cream scoop to spoon out batter makes the job much easier.
• Can be made ahead.  Cool, wrap well and freeze up to 1 month. Unwrap, thaw at room temperature about 1 hour then bake in a 350 degree F. oven 8 to 10 minutes until crisp. 
• Can also be filled with any favourite savoury filling.
• Use of parchment paper will eliminate a lot of cleaning up!