Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
- Dash of nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp fine ground black pepper
- 4 oz Gruyere cheese, shredded
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. If you are doing multiple batches, make sure to allow the oven to come back to 425°F before putting a new batch in.
- In a saucepan, combine water, butter and salt over medium heat and whisk occasionally until the butter is melted and the mixture is creamy. Remove from heat and add flour, mixing with a spoon or spatula until combined. Return to low heat and continue to stir until the mixture pulls away from the sides and bottom of the saucepan.
- Remove saucepan from the heat and let rest 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to help release steam.
- One egg at a time, beat and add to the mixture. Fully incorporate each egg before adding the next. Once all eggs are combined, stir in nutmeg and ground pepper. Add 3.5 oz shredded cheese and fold until evenly mixed. This is Pâte à choux. Leave out the pepper and cheese if making sweet pastries.
- Fill pastry bag with pâte à choux. Use either an old and refrigerated bag or two 48-hour bags, using either a piping tip or simply snipping the tip on a disposable bag. Make about 1" mounds about 1" apart on parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and sprinkle reserved cheese on top.
- Bake gougeres for 10 minutes and then lower temp to 375°F and continue to bake for another 20–25 minutes until they are a rich golden color. Remove from oven and prick with a toothpick or cake probe to allow steam to escape while cooling. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
