White Cheddar Gougeres

White cheddar gougeres —also known as Baylor’s favorite new snack. No joke. After I made these, I gave Baylor a sample. As my favorite kitchen assistant, I figured she deserved it. She was hooked and followed me around all day hoping for another taste. Honestly, it felt like a shark circling me in the water. Not that I’ve ever been circled by a shark in the water but it was with that kind of intensity. You know, minus the fear of an actual shark attack. But you get what I’m saying.

Anyway, she got another gougere or two because she stole my heart, and I have a hard time telling those sweet puppy-dog eyes no. And you know what? I don’t blame her for obsessing over these white cheddar gougeres. I love everything about them.

These white cheddar gougeres are delicate and flaky yet full of delicious cheesy flavor — bite-size perfection, really. Pate a choux, which is a French pastry and pronounced as “pat a shoe,” serves as the base for gougeres. On top of being delicious, pate a choux is great because it’s so versatile. You can use this pastry dough for eclairs, cream puffs, churros, doughnuts — so many possibilities. Plus, it sounds fancy, and I always love that. So let’s start cooking, shall we?

How to Make Gougeres

Despite being a French pastry, gougeres are surprisingly simple to make. In a medium-size saucepan, we bring water, butter and salt to a simmer and then quickly stir in some flour. After the mixture cools for a few minutes, we beat in the eggs one at a time. We could use a wooden spoon, but I find it much easier to get a little mechanical help with a mixer. Once we incorporate all the eggs, stir in the cheese, and we’re ready to bake.

Some people like to shape gougeres by piping them, but scooping works just fine. Granted, it’s a little messy, but a quick rinse solves that problem if you’re fingers get too sticky. But you do you.

Gougeres are funny little nuggets and require baking at two separate temperatures. We start the gougeres in a 425-degree oven for 10 minutes and then bring the temperature down to 350 degrees and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes. My favorite way to serve gougeres are warm, freshly out of the oven, but they’re still delicious at room temperature. You can also make these ahead of time and reheat for three to five minutes. If serving for a crowd, anything that can be made ahead of time is a huge plus in my book.

Perfect Pairing

These white cheddar gougeres are so delicate that you don’t want an overpowering beer. With that in mind, I recommend an amber ale. The mouthfeel of an amber ale is light enough to work with the gougeres. Amber ales are also malt-forward with a toasty, bread-like flavor, which complements both the white cheddar and the pastry.

If wine is on the mind, pinot noir is a good call. While pinot noir is a red wine, it’s light in body, so it won’t overwhelm that delicate texture. The earthy notes in the pinot noir are also a tasty match to that nutty cheese.

I hope you try these white cheddar gougeres soon. These gougeres are the perfect party appetizer — addictive enough that you can’t stop eating them but light enough that it won’t ruin your appetite. Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter, and please leave a comment if you try these gougeres. I’d love to hear from you.

Cheers!

Looking for Some Other Party Favorites? Check Out These Burrata and Bubbles Recipes.

• Beer mussels in chorizo-tomato sauce
• Soft beer pretzels with Oktoberfest cheese dip
• Ahi nachos with wasabi crema
• Baked Brie with fig and Kahlua sauce

White Cheddar Gougeres

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★★★★★

5 from 5 reviews

• Author: Amanda McGrory-Dixon
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: About 20 gougeres 1x

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Description

These white cheddar gougeres are delicate and flaky but full of delicious cheesy flavor. Plus, these white cheddar gougeres are simple and quick to make.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white cheddar, shredded

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Instructions

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium-size saucepan, bring water, butter and salt to a simmer over high heat. Drop the heat to medium and rapidly stir in flour. The flour will start to pull away from the sides as it becomes dough. Continue to stir and cook for another minute or two.
2. Remove from heat and allow the dough to cool for a few minutes. The dough should still be warm but not too hot. Use a hand mixer or transfer the dough to a stand mixer and beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in the white cheddar.
3. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, either scoop or pipe the pastry dough into balls. You can make them any size, but keep in mind that they will expand. For smaller gougeres, make each dough ball about 1 tablespoon or golf ball-size dough for larger gougeres.
4. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees after 10 minutes. Bake for another 15-20 minutes. Serve right away or store. To reheat them, pop them into a 350-degree oven for three to five minutes. Enjoy!

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• Category: Appetizers
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: French

Keywords: cheese puff, gougeres