Gougères–Secret Recipe Club Reveal

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It’s hard to believe that it’s time for the Secret Recipe Club reveal.  Each month passes by faster and faster!  If you haven’t heard of SRC before, it’s a way for other bloggers to secretly cook another bloggers recipe and then post about the experience.  Amanda from Amanda’s Cookin started it, there are four groups and each group has a host, mine is the charming Angie from Big Bear’s Wife.

I really enjoy it, not only because I actually make time to cook another bloggers recipe, but I take the time to get to know them.  The hardest part, is lurking on their site and not making too many comments for fear that they’ll clue in who it is.

This month I was assigned The Pink Apron.   Kelly started her blog in 2008, she is passionate about her food and about the story behind the food.  I knew Kelly and and I were of one heart when I read that she loves cheese (anyone who hangs around here knows that I’m a cheese FREAK).  To quote Kelly:

If I had to pick only one food to live off of for the rest of my life it would be cheese.  I’ve even decided that if I ever get married I want a cake made of stacked wheels of cheese.  (I know my mom thinks this is crazy, but I am serious.)

Kelly, I don’t think you are at all crazy, plus I bet if you saved the top layer (with the right kind of cheese) in a year it would probably taste better than some frozen stale cake.  Kelly doesn’t just love cheese, she makes her own!  She even has a cheese certificate from Boston University.

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Naturally I had to choose a recipe from her site that included cheese.  I choose the gougères (pronounced goo-ZHAIR) for a couple of reasons.  I had my very first taste of gougères in San Francisco 2 years ago at the Foodbuzz festival and was beside myself!  A perfect bite sized cheese puff, cheesy yet not heavy, I could have ate them endlessly.  I haven’t had them since…

Plus gougères require a pâte à choux (pronounced paht-ah-SHOO & sometimes spelled with ‘au’), something I’ve never attempted before.  Frankly it’s quite intimidating, I’ve read and heard about many a pâte à choux based recipe that went flat, or the eggs weren’t tempered right and cooked.  A choux contains only butter, water, flour, and eggs. In lieu of a raising agent, it employs high moisture content to create steam during cooking to puff the pastry.  Pâte à choux is also used to make churros, éclairs, profiteroles, beignets and crullers.

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Even though I’d never made gougères before, I got a little brave and incorporated two of my favorite flavors inspired by breadsticks that I love, rosemary and roasted garlic.  I wasn’t sure how the moisture in the roasted garlic would affect my choux, but I tried to use a little cooking logic based on some troubleshooting advice I read (see below).  I reduced the cheese mixed in the choux to 1 cup, and used the other 1/2 cup to sprinkle on top (there’s no way I was about to reduce the amount of cheese used).

If I could, I would pat myself on the back!  They weren’t nearly as difficult as I thought.  I did go online and pick up a few pointers since I had no experience.  David Lebovitz was partially my guide, he had this to say:

The puffs are best served warm, and if making them in advance, you can simply pipe the gougères on baking sheets and cook right before your guests arrive, or reheat the baked cheese puffs in a low oven for 5-10 minutes before serving. Some folks like to fill them, or split them and sandwich a slice or dry-aged ham in there, although I prefer them just as they are.

A bit of troubleshooting: The most common problem folks have with pâte à choux, or cream puff dough, is deflated puffs. The usual causes are too much liquid (eggs), or under baking. Make sure to use large eggs, not extra-large or jumbo, and use a dry, aged cheese, if possible. And bake the puffs until they’re completely browned up the sides so they don’t sink when cooling. If yours do deflate, that’s fine. I’ve seen plenty of those in France, and I actually think the funky-looking ones have a lot of charm—and you’re welcome to quote me on that.

Mine didn’t deflate!  Thank you Kelly for being a cheese soul freak like me and inspiring me to stretch my wings a bit and make something entirely new.  Kelly has a zillion other great recipes, please stop by and check The Pink Apron out.  And make sure to check out some of the linkies from my fellow SRC members.

 

Rosemary and Roasted Garlic Gougères
Yields 48
Write a review
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Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
1 hr
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
1 hr
Ingredients
  1. 1 cup water
  2. 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, roughly chopped
  3. 1 cup all-purpose flour
  4. 4-5 large eggs (I used 4)
  5. 1 1/2 cups finely grated Gruyere cheese, divided
  6. 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  7. 1 tablespoon minced rosemary
  8. 1 head roasted garlic, peeled
  9. 3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
  10. 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Place your racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a large saucepan, combine water, and butter over medium high heat. Continue to cook, stirring, until butter has melted and mixture has come to a boil.
  3. Reduce heat to medium low and add flour all at once, using a wooden spoon, stir vigorously until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 30 seconds. Continue to cook and stir for an additional 1 1/2 minutes to remove more moistures. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly for about 3 1/2 minutes.
  4. Add your eggs, one at a time, beating each egg into the mixture until it is incorporated. The batter will appear to separate at first, but will then come together in a dough. Continue adding the eggs one at a time until the dough is glossy and just stiff enough to hold peaks, but pliable enough to fall softly from a spoon. This may or may not require the last egg, so monitor your dough accordingly.
  5. On a cutting board, with the edge of a chef’s knife, smash the roasted garlic with the kosher salt to form a paste, add to the choux. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, pepper, and rosemary until well incorporated.
  6. Fill a pastry bag (or zipper lock bag with a snipped corner) with the dough and pipe 1-inch rounds onto your baking sheets, approximately 1-inch apart. Continue until you have used all the dough. Bake in the oven, switching positions of your sheets half way through, until the gougères are puffed, golden, and crisp, about 30 minutes. Serve warm.
Adapted from The Pink Apron & The Gourmet Cookbook
Adapted from The Pink Apron & The Gourmet Cookbook
The Kitchen Witch https://www.thekitchenwitchblog.com/



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27 Responses to Gougères–Secret Recipe Club Reveal

  1. Juls (Pepper and Sherry) April 23, 2012 at 10:28 am #

    I’ve told my partner it isn’t even up for discussion – our wedding cakes is going to be a massive cheese-cake. I have spent more time planning the cheese-cake than bothering to consider a dress or venue.
    And yet I have never had gougeres, they have always beckoned and yet fo rreasons unknown have never made a sprint through my kitchen to a plate. Thanks for the inspiration.

  2. Kate April 23, 2012 at 12:10 pm #

    Aren’t gougeres heavenly? Wish I could eat only one or two…instead, I am always up for the entire platter!! Great SRC choice.

    • Giggles April 23, 2012 at 3:50 pm #

      We couldn’t stop at one or two. As a matter of fact, I served them for dinner with a salad and that’s all we had! I was hoping the salad would ease some of the guilty feelings from overindulging.

  3. CJ at Food Stories April 23, 2012 at 12:52 pm #

    Cheese is probably my most favorite food so this recipe looks amazing! Excellent Job!

    • Giggles April 23, 2012 at 3:51 pm #

      Hooray, another cheese lover~!

  4. Mindy April 23, 2012 at 1:10 pm #

    I’ve wanted to try a pate a choux for a long time, but didn’t know what to make with it. I think I know now! 😉

    • Giggles April 23, 2012 at 3:51 pm #

      Now that I’ve made one, I might even tackle an eclair or beignet!

  5. Kelly April 23, 2012 at 1:58 pm #

    I’m SO glad you got me. How fantastic to be connected with another cheese freak and I’m glad you liked the recipe. (I actually made them again this weekend with a roasted red pepper/mascarpone foam inside for my book club.) They really are deceptively easy. Anytime I make them for a dinner party people are always convinced I’ve fussed and I don’t have the heart to tell them that once you get the egg to butter/flour/water ratio right and if you use a good cheese, you’re golden. Rosemary and roasted garlic sound like fantastic additions.

    Your pictures are 100% gorgeous and I LOVE the lighting. Thanks again!

    • Giggles April 23, 2012 at 3:54 pm #

      It was great fun, I will never let my guest in on how easy it really is!

  6. Aimee @ Chickenville April 23, 2012 at 2:45 pm #

    Wow, fancy schmancy. I’m pretty impressed with this and the work it took to create it. I know even Martha S would proud.

    Group C Rocks!

    • Giggles April 23, 2012 at 3:55 pm #

      they are fancy schmancy but my favorite kind of fancy…easier than they look!

  7. Wendy (The Weekend Gourmet) April 23, 2012 at 5:29 pm #

    Rhonda…your gougeres came out GORGEOUS!! Love eating them, but have never been brave enough to try baking a batch. Perhaps soon…great job!!

  8. Teri @ The Freshman Cook April 23, 2012 at 6:14 pm #

    These look so beautiful! I know that are a lot of work, and all your time spent sure paid off. Great recipe!

  9. Gloria April 23, 2012 at 9:03 pm #

    Cheese is a powerful force. I love it but struggle with the fact my Hubby is lactose intolerant. But I guess that means more cheese for me. I’ve made gourgeres only once and I was pleasantly surprised to find they weren’t as intimidating as I thought they would be. Adding garlic and herbs sounds heavenly.

    • Giggles April 24, 2012 at 6:56 am #

      Haha, love that “cheese is a powerful force”. I always feel sad for people who can’t eat cheese, even if it means more for me. May the force (cheese) be with you.

  10. Anne@FromMySweetHeart April 23, 2012 at 9:10 pm #

    Hi Rhonda! So glad to see you working in puff pastry again! These look amazing and you did a beautiful job! I LOVE cheese and I’ve seen these before….and now you are inspiring me AGAIN! I really enjoyed being assigned your blog this month. I’ve been here so often and wanting to comment on all of your luscious stuff, but didn’t want to give the ‘secret assignment’ away! So I look forward to visiting again…and often! : )

    • Giggles April 24, 2012 at 6:59 am #

      Anne, it is sooo hard to not make comments when you’re assigned another blog! I refuse to let the puff pastry conquer me!

  11. heidi April 24, 2012 at 11:48 am #

    From one cheese lover to another – they look amazing, and even though I only tried something similar once (actually also with cheese, just formed like sticks (so you can dip them into… dip)), I wouldn’t be afraid to try them out.
    Love your pictures – and that you so clearly let us know how to pronounce all the foreign words 🙂

    • Giggles April 25, 2012 at 11:05 am #

      Heidi, I had to check out how to pronounce the words for my own sake! Piping them into sticking for dipping sounds great, I have a feeling that they are tasty in any shape.

  12. Eliot April 24, 2012 at 6:55 pm #

    Perfection! Such a great recipe to make, especially with rosemary AND garlic—two of my favorite things (but the cheese didn’t hurt either.) Great SRC post.

  13. Wandering Spice April 25, 2012 at 4:59 am #

    I concur entirely with the thought of living with little more than cheese in my pantry. Gougeres are some of my favorite, sinful little snacks. Paired with roasted garlic and rosemary, I can only imagine how many I could scarf down in one sitting!

  14. Veronica Gantley April 25, 2012 at 3:46 pm #

    Looks amazing! Excellent job. You picked a great recipe for SRC

  15. Jen at The Three Little Piglets April 26, 2012 at 9:13 pm #

    Gougeres are one of my favorites little appetizer bites! Any leftovers make the best little sandwiches as well!

    • Giggles April 27, 2012 at 11:06 am #

      We were so piggy about eating them that we didn’t have any left over to make little sandwiches. Next time I’ll put some aside just for that purpose!

  16. The Smart Cookie Cook April 28, 2012 at 8:56 am #

    Wow, I’m so impressed by these! I would be way too intimidated by the pate a choux to make ’em. I’ve never had gougeres before, but they look seriously amazing. Anything with cheese is!

  17. Henriette December 17, 2016 at 3:31 pm #

    Hi, I’m so thankful for your recipe! I have been trying for years to make my mom’s gougères – I’m French…- and they never came out quite the way I wanted. Thanks to your detailed recipe and to the explanation, I finally understand what was going wrong and my gougères come out delicious and gorgeous every time! So much so that I’m using your recipe as a base for my all times favorite pastries, the “chouquettes”!! I’m twice thankful!!

    • Giggles December 17, 2016 at 8:44 pm #

      Henriette,

      I’m so glad that this recipe has worked out for you! Gougères are a fav of mine, although I prefer the savory over the sweet the pâte à choux method works for both. Prendre plaisir!