GOUGERES (FRENCH CHEESE PUFFS)

Gougeres (French Cheese Puffs) image

Best served warm, these party-ready savory gougeres, or French cheese puffs, are baked golden and packed with Gruyere cheese.

Provided by Connie Salisbury Risner

Time 55m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

½ cup water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
¼ teaspoon salt
1 pinch chili powder
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
¾ cup grated Gruyere cheese, divided

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Heat water, butter, salt, and chili powder in a saucepan over medium-low heat until the butter is melted.
Dump in flour all at once and stir vigorously until the mixture pulls away from the sides into a smooth ball. Remove from heat and let rest for 2 minutes, to cool it down a bit. At this point, you can scrape the dough into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. If you don't have a mixer, let it cool in the pan, stirring it a few times to let the heat escape.
Add eggs, one at a time, stirring quickly to make sure the eggs don't cook. The batter will first appear lumpy, but after 1 minute or so, it will smooth out. After the eggs have been added, let cool until tepid.
When the dough has cooled, stir in a generous 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese until well mixed. (If dough is not cool, the cheese will melt.)
Scrape the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a wide, plain tip. Pipe into mounds, evenly spaced apart, making each about the size of a small cherry tomato. Top each puff with a bit of the remaining cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, then turn the oven down to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Continue to bake until completely golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 181.3 calories, Carbohydrate 8.2 g, Cholesterol 95.4 mg, Fat 12.9 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 8.2 g, SaturatedFat 7.3 g, Sodium 178.9 mg, Sugar 0.2 g