A few weeks ago I posted a chocolate mousse recipe from Paris Pastry Club.
The second recipe I’ve tried and really liked from the book is the gougères (pronounced goo-zher…think French). I first made them as an appetizer for this year’s NYE dinner party. They were delicious. Salty, parmesan-ey, fluffy, and little gooey in the middle, with the tang and zest of a heap of paprika. They make a lovely appetizer, snack for girls night, or accompaniment to your favorite movie. Pair with wine for best results!
How can you not love a recipe that starts with a big pile of parmesan?
They don't keep for very long; 3-4 days tops. But, they're best fresh from the oven. If I were you I'd eat them all up right then.
Gougères
Serves 4
125 g (4oz) whole milk
50 g (1 ¾ oz) butter
2 teaspoons ground paprika
½ teaspoon chili flakes (I’m a baby about spice so I cut the chili flakes, if you like the heat add more.)
1 teaspoon salt
75 g (2
½ oz) all-purpose flour
2 eggs1 egg, beaten for eggwash
60 g (2 oz) Gruyere, Parmesan, mature cheddar or any other hard cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 480 degrees and lightly butter a piece of parchment paper set inside a baking tray.
Bring the milk, butter, spices, and salt to a rolling boil in a saucepan over low heat (the butter needs to be fully melted before the milk boils). Take the pan off the heat, add the flour all at once and stir well until combined. Return to the heat and mix with a wooden spoon until a thin crust appears at the bottom of the pan. This shows that the dough is dry enough. It should not be sticky.
Transfer the dough to a large bowl and leave to cool for 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing with the wooden spoon after each addition until fully incorporated.
Fold in nearly all of the grated Parmesan cheese. Saving a little to sprinkle on after baking. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop the gougère in lines onto the baking tray. Dip a fork into the egg wash and score the top of each choux.
Turn off the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the choux are puffed but still light in color. Turn the oven back on to 350 degrees, with the oven door held slightly open with the handle of a wooden spoon, and bake for a further 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes. Transfer to a plate and serve.