Cheese Gougères Food

CHEESE PUFFS (GOUGERES)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Set aside.
• In a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup water with the milk, butter, sugar and salt and stir over low heat until the sugar, butter and salt have melted. Raise the heat to medium and bring to a healthy simmer.
• Take from the heat and immediately add the flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens, is smooth and no flour lumps remain. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, until a film forms on the bottom of the pan. Continue stirring, careful not to scrape up the film, for a minute or two more.
• Transfer the mixture (panade) to a food processor. Mix for a minute to dissipate the heat. Add the eggs one at a time with the processor running. Pay attention to the consistency of the paste. It should be smooth and shiny, so you may only need 3 of the eggs. Stir in the cheese.
• Using a small cookie scoop, scoop generous mounds onto the parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them an inch apart. Place in the oven, immediately reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese puffs are golden brown.

GOUGèRES (CHOUX PASTRY CHEESE PUFFS) RECIPE

Steps:

• In a 3-quart stainless-steel saucier or saucepan, combine water (or milk), butter, and salt.
• Set over high and and cook until liquid comes to a rolling boil and butter has fully melted, about 2 minutes (the small butter cubes should be fully melted just about at the same time the liquid hits a strong boil).
• Remove from heat and add flour. Using a wooden spoon or stiff silicone spatula, thoroughly mix in flour until no lumps remain (make sure to hunt down and smash out any stubborn ones).
• Return saucepan to medium-high heat and cook, stirring very frequently, until dough registers 175°F (80°C) on an instant-read thermometer; if you don't have a thermometer, other signs the dough is ready include a thin starchy film forming all over the inside of the saucier and the dough pulling together into a cohesive mass.
• To use a stand mixer: Transfer dough to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat at medium speed until dough registers 145°F (63°C) on an instant-read thermometer (you need the dough cool enough that it doesn't cook the eggs when they're added).
• Add eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully beaten into the dough before adding the next; it can help to start the mixer at medium-low speed for the first egg and then increase the speed to medium once the choux batter begins to develop.
• Scrape down sides of mixer bowl, then add cheese, nutmeg, and black pepper. Mix at medium speed just until cheese and seasonings are fully incorporated, about 10 seconds.
• To finish dough by hand: Let dough cool in saucepan, stirring frequently, until it registers 145°F (63°C) on an instant-read thermometer. Add eggs 1 at a time, stirring well between additions until each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next, until a smooth, shiny paste forms. Mix in cheese, nutmeg, and black pepper until well combined.
• Scrape gougères batter into a pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch pastry tip. At this point, the gougères batter can be held in the sealed pastry bag at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
• To Bake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. If desired, pipe a dab of gougères batter under each of the 4 corners of the parchment to secure it in place.
• Pipe gougères batter onto parchment paper in 1 1/2-inch mounds. You should have enough batter to pipe 20 gougères.
• Using a moistened finger, gently press down any pointy tips on the mounds to smooth them out.
• Using a pastry brush, gently brush a light layer of egg wash on each mound, being careful not to let excess egg wash drip down onto the parchment. Alternatively, spray mounds lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
• Sprinkle a pinch of grated Gruyere on top of each mound, pushing down very gently to ensure it adheres to the surface.
• Bake until gougères are puffed, deeply golden brown, and feel hollow when lifted, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn off oven, crack the door open, and let stand for 30 minutes to dry and fully set the crust.
• Gougères are best served while still warm; if they cool down too much before serving, briefly reheat in a 350°F (177°C) oven before serving.

GOUGèRES (FRENCH CHEESE PUFFS) RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Position 2 racks in the upper and lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
• In a large saucepan, bring water, butter, and salt to a rolling boil. Once the butter has melted, add the flour.
• Stir the mixture until a sticky dough ball forms and begins pulling away from the sides of the pan, about 1 minute.
• Reduce heat to low heat and cook, stirring continually, until the mixture begins to dry out a bit, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes.
• Beat the eggs into the flour mixture, one at a time, until fully incorporated before adding the next.
• Mix in the cheeses, nutmeg, and pepper.
• Place heaping teaspoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets leaving one inch of room between each. Alternatively, use a pastry bag and a round tip to pipe the dough, or just snip the bottom of the bag and pipe.
• Bake, rotating the sheets halfway through, until the gougères are golden brown and puffed, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

GOUGèRES (FRENCH CHEESE PUFFS)

Steps:

• Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat it to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Bring the milk, butter, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the flour all at once, lower the heat to medium and, using a wooden spoon, immediately start stirring energetically. The dough will form into a ball and there will be a light film on the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring for another two minutes or so to dry the dough: Dry dough will make puffier puffs.
• Turn the dough out into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or work by hand in a large bowl with a wooden spoon and elbow grease). Let the dough sit for a minute to cool, then add the eggs one by one, followed by the white, beating on medium speed until each one is incorporated before adding the next. The dough may look as though it's separating or falling apart -- just keep going, and by the time the egg white goes in, the dough will be smooth. Beat in the mustard, followed by the cheese. Give the dough a last mix-through by hand.
• Scoop or spoon out heaping tablespoon-sized balls of dough (I use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop), and drop the dough on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between the mounds. (The scooped dough can be frozen on the baking sheets.)
• Slide the baking sheets into the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 375°F. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pans from front to back and top to bottom. Continue baking until the gougères are puffed, golden, and firm enough to pick up, another 15 to 17 minutes. Serve immediately -- these are best directly from the oven. Storing: Although the puffs are best served hot out of the oven, they are still nice (although flatter) at room temperature that same day. If you want to keep baked puffs longer, freeze them and then reheat in a 350°F-oven for a few minutes.
• Make-Ahead/Freezer Instructions: Scoop the dough and freeze on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then pack them in an airtight container. You can bake them straight from the freezer; just give them a few more minutes in the oven.
• Note/Variation: Dorie adds ⅔ cup walnuts or pecans, lightly toasted and chopped, to these gougères. My family prefers them without nuts but it's a nice variation to try. Add them along with the cheese.

CHEDDAR CHEESE GOUGERES WITH BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
• In a medium saucepan, add 1 cup water, the butter and salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to medium and add the flour all at once. Stir rapidly with a wooden spoon; the mixture will form a dough ball that will pull away from the sides of the pan. Continue to cook for a couple minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for a couple of minutes. Stir so that the dough cools more evenly; you want the dough to be warm, but not so hot that when you start adding the eggs they cook as they hit the dough. In a mixer or by hand with a wooden spoon, add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition until the eggs are incorporated. The dough should become rather creamy. Stir in the grated cheese, bacon, thyme and a few grinds of pepper.
• Spoon out small balls (about a heaping tablespoon) of the dough onto the baking sheet, with at least an inch separating the spoonfuls. Cook for 10 minutes; lower the heat to 350 degrees F and cook until puffed up and lightly golden, another 15 to 20 minutes.

PIMENTO CHEESE-STUFFED GOUGERES

Steps:

• For the pate a choux: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
• Combine the milk, butter, salt, sugar and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally to ensure that the butter melts completely, until the liquid begins to simmer. Add the flour and cook, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon, until the mixture comes together to form an even dough. Continue to cook, stirring, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides as you stir and leaves a film or thin residue on the bottom and sides of the pan, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Slowly mix the dough until it cools to room temperature, about 3 minutes. When the dough has cooled, add the egg white and whole eggs one at a time, mixing well on medium speed. Scrape down the sides after each egg. After the last egg is added, scrape down the bowl and beat on high speed until the dough is smooth, thick and glossy, about 3 minutes.
• Scoop the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip and pipe 1 1/2-inch circles onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving a 1-inch gap between to allow the puffs to expand. If any of the piped choux have pointy tops, wet your fingertip with water and pat them down a little, smoothing out the tops.
• For the egg wash: Whisk together the egg and salt in a small bowl and brush over the choux.
• Bake until the puffs are round, puffed and a light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the puffs remain inside until they are a deep golden brown, an additional 5 minutes. Remove them from the oven and allow to cool completely while you make the pimento cheese stuffing.
• For the pimento cheese stuffing: Bring the evaporated milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, mix in the Cheddar and continue to whisk as the cheese melts. Add the mayonnaise, hot sauce, cornstarch and salt and whisk to combine. Mix in the pimento pepper, making sure that it is minced enough for the pieces to easily fit through the head of your piping tip. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool while you prepare the cream cheese.
• Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until completely smooth and no lumps are visible. When the Cheddar-pimento mixture is cool to the touch, slowly beat it into the cream cheese, making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding more to the bowl.
• Transfer the pimento cheese mixture to a piping bag fitted with a tip for filling. Pierce a small hole in the bottom of each choux puff with the end of the tip and fill each with the cheese mixture until just before it starts to bulge.