GRUYERE GOUGERES

I’m not sure what I love more — the smell of these gougeres baking in the oven or the actual first bite as it melts in your mouth. My husband is a master at these and I beg him to make these whenever anyone is coming over. He’s experimented with all kinds of different cheeses, but gruyere is by far my favorite. Feel free to substitute yours.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup grated Gruyere, large grate

¼ cup grated Parmesan, small grate

½ cup water

½ cup whole milk

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup flour

4 eggs

honey for dipping (optional)

PREPARATION

Grate gruyere using the large hole side of a box grater. Set aside. Grate ¼ cup of parmesan with the small hole side of a box grater. Set aside.

Combine water, milk, butter and salt in a medium sized pot. Bring to a full boil over medium heat. Add the flour and stir quickly with a wooden spoon until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pot.

Continue to cook and stir the mixture for another minute so that some of the water content evaporates. If the butter oozes out a little, don’t worry. That means it’s working.

Transfer to a bowl and let cool for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Don’t skip this part or your eggs will scramble!) Beat in 1 egg at a time by hand or use the low speed on a hand mixer.

Make sure the egg is fully incorporated before adding the next one. Continue to mix the dough until it is smooth and shiny. Add in the gruyere and mix until well incorporated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 4 hours.

When you’re ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. (No need to bring to room temperature.)

Scoop the paste into a pastry bag fitted with a ½ inch plain tip. (If you don’t have a pastry bag, use a large ziplock bag and snip one corner leaving a ½ inch hole.) Squeeze out 24, 2-inch balls (about the size of an apricot) onto a baking sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper.

Sprinkle balls with grated parmesan. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake until golden brown and very firm to the touch, about 10-15 minutes more.

Turn off the oven. Poke the bottom of each gougere with a toothpick, turn upside down on the backing sheet, and let dry in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack until they are at room temperature.

Serve alongside a small bowl of honey for dipping.

(NOTE: By the way, if you leave out the cheese, you’ll have the basis for profiteroles! When cooled, just slice in half, fill with your favorite ice cream and pour on the chocolate sauce.)