French Gougeres: Cheesy Choux Puffs That Freeze and Reheat for After-School Snacks

Heat the oven to 425F and line two baking sheets with parchment.

Serves 8 (about 36 puffs)

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere or sharp cheddar, plus 1/4 cup for topping
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425F and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Bring the water, butter and salt to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan. Add the flour all at once and stir hard with a wooden spoon until the dough pulls away from the sides and forms a smooth ball, about 1 minute.
3. Keep stirring over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes to dry the dough slightly; a thin film should form on the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat and let cool 3 minutes.
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing vigorously after each until fully absorbed. The dough will look broken at first, then turn glossy and thick enough to hold a soft peak.
5. Stir in the grated cheese, mustard, pepper and nutmeg.
6. Scoop tablespoon-sized mounds onto the sheets, 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with the extra cheese.
7. Bake 10 minutes, then lower the oven to 375F and bake 12 to 15 minutes more until deeply golden and hollow-sounding when tapped. Do not open the oven early or they may collapse.
8. Serve warm. To freeze: cool completely, freeze on a tray, then bag. Reheat from frozen at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes and they crisp right back up.
9. Gougeres come from Burgundy, where they are handed round at wine tastings and family gatherings as the ultimate one-bite cheese course. They are simply pate a choux, the same dough as eclairs and cream puffs, with a heavy hand of Gruyere folded in. Because the dough freezes so well both raw and baked, a single Sunday batch becomes a week of after-school snacks that puff up hot from the oven in under ten minutes.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 220 kcal
• Protein: 9g
• Fat: 16g
• Carbohydrates: 12g
• Fiber: 0g
• Sugar: 0g
• Sodium: 300mg