Looking for the perfect cocktail hors d’oeuvres? Look no further. Herbed gougères are your answer. They’re quite easy to make, can be made days ahead, are hot, cheesy and tasty, light and not too filling, reheat perfectly in minutes, are finger food, go well with cocktails, and make no mess to clean up.
For a short history of these cheesy puffs, click here. The main difference between my version and traditional gougères is that I have added herbs for a more distinctive flavor.
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Place two racks in the oven, one in the lower third, the other in the upper third. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 425°. Then gather together all your ingredients.
The ingredients.
In a medium saucepan, combine the water and the milk. Cut the butter into pieces, and add it, along with the salt, to the water and milk. Bring this mixture to a boil.
Melt the butter in liquids.
Remove the pan from the heat and add all the flour at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon to blend completely.
Add the flour.
Return the pan to the heat. Continue to beat until the mixture leaves the side of the pan, forms a mass, and starts to film the bottom of the pan.
Remove the pan from the heat, and make a well in the center of the paste. Let the mixture cool for a minute. Add one egg to the center of the well and beat until it is absorbed.
Add the eggs.
Continue beating in the remaining eggs one at a time, until the mixture is smooth. Beat in the Gruyère, the Parmigiano, herbs, pepper, and nutmeg.
Add the herbs and cheese.
Fit a pastry bag with with a 1/2-inch round tip. Place the pastry bag into a large cup or small bowl, and fold the top part of the bag over the cup or bowl for easier filling.
Fill the pastry bag.
With a rubber spatula, carefully fill the bag with the paste. Pipe tablespoon-sized round mounds 2 inches apart onto the baking sheets.
Pipe the batter.
If you don’t have a pastry bag, you can cut a small slit in the corner of a plastic bag, or you can drop them on the baking sheets with a spoon, though your Herbed Gougères may not look as perfect.
If the mounds are uneven, gently smooth the tops with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the remaining grated Gruyère on top of each mound.
Top with cheese.
Place one sheet on each of the oven racks. Bake for 20-25 minutes until they are puffed, golden brown, and crispy to the touch, switching racks and turning the sheets halfway through the baking period. Remove the sheets from the oven, and pierce each puff with a sharp paring knife.
Slit the puffs.
Return the sheets to the turned-off oven with the door ajar for 10 minutes. This will ensure that the puffs are dry inside. Serve immediately, or cool on a rack and freeze the puffs in a plastic bag.
Just before serving your Herbed Gougères, place the frozen puffs on a baking sheet in a 425° oven for 4-5 minutes. Serve hot with wine or cocktails.
