GOUGÈRES? When you need an accompaniment for Champagne, try these Gougères!!!

I told myself to have one gougère in order to celebrate. Celebrate what? Everything! Excuse me, it's time for gougère number two. Delicious! Try these with Champagne!!! 

Gougères are savoury cheese puffs made from choux dough. They are associated with the Burgundy region of France and are served cold for wine tasting or piping hot if they're to be appetizers. And by the way, yes, these little guys make tremendously wonderful appetizers!   

In making them, I used the obligatory Gruyère cheese but also added some Parmesan for extra zing. 

It's important to beat the mixture very well in order to introduce air into it. The air (which will help to make steam), is the reason the puffs will rise while baking. Therefore, without vigorous beating, the cheese puffs will remain flat.

This recipe makes about forty cheese puffs. 


Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup water
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

5 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 

1 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese

1 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

EGG WASH
beat together the following:
1 egg
one tablespoon milk


Gently brush on the gougères prior to baking.

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375° F / 180° C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium saucepan, over high heat, bring the milk, water, butter, and salt and pepper to a rapid boil. 
• Add the flour all at once, adjust the heat to low and quickly start stirring energetically with a wooden spoon. The dough will come together, and a light crust will form on the bottom of the pan. With all your vim and vigour keep stirring for another 2 to 3 minutes. Your objective is to make a dry, soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the saucepan. 
• Place the dough into the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the eggs one by one and beat, beat, beat until the dough is thick and shiny. Don't be concerned if the dough falls apart - by the time most of the eggs are added, the dough will start to come together.
• Beat in the grated cheeses and black pepper but reserve some gruyere to use on the top of the puffs. Once the dough is ready, it should be used immediately.
• Use about 1 tablespoon of dough for each gougère: drop the dough from a spoon onto the lined baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between each piece of dough.
• Gently and quickly brush with the egg wash. Top each puff with a pinch of grated gruyere cheese. 
• Slide the baking sheets into the oven, bake for 15 minutes, and then rotate the sheets. Continue baking until the puffs are golden and firm, another 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot, as soon as they come out of the oven.

Storing: You can shape the gougères and freeze them for up to 2 months before you bake them. There's no need to defrost the frozen puffs, just bake them a couple of minutes longer.