Step By Step

Cheese Gougères STEP BY STEP:

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY RENÉE KOHLMAN

One thing I like to make ahead for holiday snacking are cheese gougères. If you’re not familiar with gougères, think of them as savoury cream puffs.

We all love cream puffs, right? These are made with the exact same dough (choux paste) but there is hard, sharp cheese, like aged cheddar or Gruyère stirred into the dough at the end. They bake up into golden globes of goodness, which you can stuff with a herbed cream cheese, or you can eat them warm, as is. They are the perfect little bite to serve with cocktails and sparkling wine, and it’s best to make millions as they are sure to disappear faster than you can say Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. If one is not in a partying mood, gougères are also excellent when dunked in soup and stews

I understand that some people may feel intimidated when it comes to making choux paste. The ingredients are very simple, but there is a little bit of technique involved in the process. It’s nothing to get too worked up over though. It mostly comes down to timing, elbow grease and a good wooden spoon.

To start, make sure your eggs are at room temperature. Boil together water, milk, butter and salt. Easy, right? Now dump in a cup of flour, turn the heat down to medium and stir the dough, quite vigorously, for about 2-3 minutes. This is the hardest part, and you may feel like giving up, but don’t. This is an important step in drying out the dough, which will ensure that the eggs are fully absorbed.

When the dough is shiny and smooth, and there is a crust on the bottom of the pot, dump the dough into the bowl of a stand mixer, or you can use a hand mixer as well. Back in the olden days, people would have used their arms and a wooden spoon, but I’m not that ambitious, or strong. Beat the dough on medium-low

It’s best to make millions as they are sure to disappear

speed for 2 minutes so it cools down. Next, beat in each egg, one at a time, until the dough is smooth and slides off the paddle, then stir in some mustard and grated cheese. You could also stir in chopped fresh rosemary, thyme or cracked pepper.

Drop by spoonfuls and bake for about 25 minutes. In the end, you have indecently cheesy gougères, with a crispy exterior, and a soft, almost eggy interior. For those of you planning ahead, scoop out the dough, then freeze the gougères until solid. Transfer to an airtight container, and bake from frozen when the time comes. I guarantee you’ll feel like a total smarty pants, winning at this holiday entertaining thing.

Cheese Gougères

Makes about 50

½ cup (125 mL) whole milk ½ cup (125 mL) water ½ cup salted butter, cubed Pinch of salt 1¼ cups all-purpose flour 5 large eggs 2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard 2 cups grated cheese, such as Parmesan, sharp Cheddar, Asiago, or Gruyère

1. Position the racks so they are in the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425º F. 2. Bring the milk, water, butter, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the flour all at once, lower the heat to medium and use a wooden spoon to stir the flour into the liquid. You want to be fairly energetic about this process. The dough will form a ball and there will be a light crust on the bottom of the pot. Stir for about 2 minutes so the dough dries out. 3. Transfer the dough into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed until each one is incorporated before adding the next. Separate the last egg and beat in the white. The dough may look like it’s separating but eventually it will smooth out. Scrape down the bowl a couple of times during this process. Beat in the mustard and 1½ cups of cheese. 4. Spoon or scoop out heaping tablespoon-sized balls of dough (I use a mini ice cream scoop), and drop the dough onto prepared baking sheets, leaving about 5 cm between balls. Beat the yolk with a bit of water and brush the top of each ball. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. 5. Slide the baking sheets into the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 375º F. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the baking sheets from the oven and rotate from top to bottom. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese puffs are puffed, deeply golden, and firm enough to pick up. Serve immediately. These are best served warm. If serving later, they can be stored at room temperature and reheated at 350º F for a few minutes. 6. Make ahead/freezer instructions: Scoop the dough and freeze on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pack the frozen balls in an airtight container. You can bake them straight from the freezer, adding a few minutes extra to the baking time. You can also freeze cooked gougères in an airtight container. Reheat at 350º F for a few minutes.

Renée Kohlman is a busy food writer and recipe developer living in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Her second cookbook, Vegetables: A Love Story has just been released.