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Gruyère Cheese Choux Pastry Puffs
PAIR WITH
Crab Buttermilk Bisque with Sweet Corn and Bacon
(PAGE 73)
Lobster Tail Bisque
(PAGE 76)
This simple choux pastry dough—made of milk, butter, flour, eggs, and Gruyère cheese—comes together quickly. Once baked, the airy little puffballs (called gougères in French) are so full of nutty cheese flavor that they are all but impossible to stop eating. You can substitute any full-flavored cheese for the Gruyère—Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Toscano, and Spanish Idiazabal come to mind
.
MAKES
24
PUFFS
SERVES
6
PREP TIME
15
MINUTES
TOTAL TIME
45
MINUTES
1
/
4
cup [60 ml] whole milk
4 tablespoons [55 g] unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1
/
4
tsp sea salt
1
/
2
cup [70 g] all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup [85g] grated Gruyère or other aged cheese (see headnote)
1.
Preheat the oven to 425°F [220°C].
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2.
In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring the milk,
1
/
4
cup [60 ml] water, the butter, and the salt to a boil.
Remove the pan from the heat, add the flour all at once, and stir to combine.
Place the pan over medium-low heat and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to dry out the dough, 3 to 5 minutes.
The dough is ready when it is glossy and stiff enough to hold a spoon upright.
3.
Transfer the dough to a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed, or beat in a stand mixer until the dough is no longer steaming, about 2 minutes.
Add one of the eggs, beating until completely incorporated into the dough.
Add the second egg, and beat until the dough is thick and shiny.
Add the grated cheese and beat until the cheese has been thoroughly incorporated.
4.
Using two wet soupspoons, spoon 1-in [2.5-cm] mounds onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 in [5 cm] apart.
Bake the puffs for 5 minutes.
Lower the oven temperature to 375°F [190°C] and continue baking until the puffs are browned and cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes.
Test for doneness by quickly retrieving one puff from the oven (close the oven door and continue to bake the remaining puffs).
Let the test puff rest for 30 seconds on a cutting board; if it starts to deflate, the puffs are not sufficiently baked.
Cut the puff in half—the center should be a little moist, but not wet to the touch.
Continue to bake the remaining puffs for a few more minutes, if necessary.
5.
Serve the puffs immediately.
GET AHEAD:
The unbaked puffs can be frozen on a baking sheet until firm, transferred to a zip-top plastic bag, and frozen for up to 3 months. Bake while frozen, adding an additional 2 to 5 minutes to the baking time.