Cheddar Dill Gougère

About the Recipe

Gougère is a traditional, small, hollow, cheese puff with a crisp outside and a soft, buttery inside. This recipe originated in Medieval France and was traditionally made with Emmenthal, Comté or Gruyère cheese but today they are made with meats, vegetables, and other variations. These little puff pastries pair perfectly with wine or champagne.

The first time I tasted Gougère, I was sitting in a French 1 class as a freshman in high school. As a picky eater, I was very wary of the “dill” part of the recipe. My teacher ensured me I would like it. I then took the smallest nibble out of the Gougère and hesitated before trying another bite. I decided to take a larger bite. After that bite, the taste of the sharp, cheddar cheese and the dill (to my surprise) added a flavor to this puff that was indescribable. The texture of the puff closely resembled the Cheddar Bay biscuits from Red Lobster. I ate 7 puffs before the class was over.

Though Gougère is typically native to French culture, Americans have started putting their own twist on the puffs with different seasonings, cheeses, and vegetables. I’ve tried a few variations of Gougère, but the Cheddar Dill Gougère easily trumps the rest of them.

Ingredients

1 cup water

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 to 5 large eggs

1½ (about 6 ounces) finely grated yellow Cheddar (preferably extra-sharp)

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

Recipe

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large saucepan on medium heat, combine the water, butter, and salt and cook until the butter melts. Bring mixture to a simmer and stir well occasionally. Add the flour all at once and stir mixture actively with a wooden spoon. Adding a small amount of flour will help prevent the mixture from sticking to the spoon. The mixture will start to form and pull away from the outside of the pan. Remove the pan from heat and allow mixture to settle for 3-5 minutes.

Adding the 4 eggs, one at a time, combine and beat each egg well. I find it’s easier to beat the egg in a small bowl first and then add to the mixture. It may appear that the batter is beginning to separate after the addition of one egg but continue to add the eggs and the batter will become smooth. Once eggs have been added, stir in the cheese and dill.

Once the mixture is finished, line two baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Using a scoop (or spoon if that is all you have) drop the batter in scoopfuls onto paper about 1 inch apart. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the puffs are golden brown and crisp when tapped.

 Notes

Puffs are best if served warm. This recipe makes approximately 20-22 puffs depending on the size of the scoop. Puffs can be frozen for up to 1 week and then reheated when desired. The first time I cooked these, I didn’t think the batter would separate as much as it did when I added the eggs and I got concerned at first but after adding all of the eggs it worked out. Also on my first attempt, the Gougère didn’t quite come out as “puffy” as it should have. I added 5 eggs on the first attempt and I feel like it made the batter too dense. Adding 4 eggs the next time allowed the Gougère to come out more puff-like. Regardless of the puffiness of the Gougère, the flavor was still delightful.