The New York Times' Classic Gougéres Recipe Almost Broke Me

Gruyère cheese

🥗Healthier: low-fat cheese

💰Cheaper: cheddar cheese

Cheddar is more accessible and still melts well.

butter

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Olive oil adds flavor and reduces saturated fat.

Add 1 cup of water to a saucepan over high heat.

Add 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter to the water.

Measure out 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt and pour it into the saucepan.

Add 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the mixture.

Bring the mixture to a boil.

Stir in 1 cup of bread flour using a wooden spoon until it forms a dough and pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with a paddle until cooled slightly, about 30 seconds.

Add 4 eggs to the dough one at a time, mixing until each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next.

Once all the eggs are incorporated, add 5 oz of shredded Gruyère cheese and mix until mostly melted into the batter.

Transfer the batter to a large sealable plastic bag or piping bag.

Pipe the dough into bite-sized puffs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, aiming for 2 teaspoons in size.

Freeze the cheese puffs on the baking sheet overnight before transferring them to a Ziploc bag for storage.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens