Giant Gougères Recipes

GOUGERES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. In a large heavy saucepan, bring first 4 ingredients to a rolling boil. Remove from heat; add flour all at once and beat until blended. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring vigorously until mixture pulls away from sides of pan and forms a ball, about 3 minutes., Transfer to a large bowl; beat 1 minute to cool slightly. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition until smooth. Continue beating until shiny. Beat in cheese, chives and nutmeg. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets., For topping, whisk together egg and water; brush lightly over tops. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake until puffed, firm and golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Serve warm. , Freeze option: Freeze unbaked puffs on parchment-lined baking sheets until firm; transfer to resealable freezer bags and return to freezer. To use, place frozen puffs on parchment-lined baking sheets. Top and bake as directed, increasing time by 2-3 minutes.

CLASSIC GOUGèRES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees, and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water, butter, salt and cayenne to a boil. Stir in flour all at once and cook, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, until dough pulls away from the sides of the pot, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Scrape dough into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat with a paddle until cooled slightly, about 30 seconds. (Or you can do this with a wooden spoon if you beat vigorously.) Add one egg at a time, letting each one incorporate before adding the next. Mix in Gruyère and continue to beat until it is mostly melted into batter.
• Transfer batter to a large, sealable plastic bag, and snip off 3/4 inch from one corner. Pipe 2-teaspoon-sized balls, spaced 1-inch apart, onto baking sheets. Or use a spoon to form the balls. Sprinkle Parmesan on top, and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake until golden and cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool slightly then serve immediately.

GRUYERE GOUGERES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine water, butter, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and immediately add flour. Stir quickly with a wooden spoon for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Return pan to heat and stir to let excess moisture evaporate, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Scoop dough into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Let cool slightly.
• Add 3/4 cup Gruyere cheese, cayenne, and black pepper to the dough. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. If mixture still clings to the beaters, add a fourth egg.
• Pipe or spoon tablespoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto a the prepared baking sheet. Add a small pinch of remaining Gruyere cheese on top of each puff.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Lower temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and bake until puffed and golden brown, about 15 minutes more.

GIANT GOUGèRES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a baking sheet or line with parchment paper. (Use one half sheet pan and one quarter sheet pan because not all 8 pastries will fit on the half sheet pan.).
• Combine the milk, butter, and salt in a heavy saucepan and cook over medium heat until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a full boil. (Do not use whole milk, or the gougères will collapse. If you have only whole milk, use half milk and half water.) Add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon. Keep stirring until the mixture has formed a smooth mass and pulls away from the side of the pan and some of the moisture has evaporated. This will take about 3 minutes.
• Transfer the paste to a heatproof mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add 5 of the eggs, one at a time, incorporating each egg before adding the next. (If using a stand mixer, mix on medium; if working by hand, use a wooden spoon.) When all the eggs have been added, the mixture will be very thick, smooth, and shiny. Use a rubber spatula to mix in the cheese, pepper, and thyme.
• Make the egg wash: whisk the remaining egg together with a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Use a large spoon to form 3-inch rounds about 1 inch high on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with grated cheese. Baked until they have puffed, are light for their size, and are golden brown, 35-45 minutes.
• When they come out of the oven, poke a small hole in the side of each pastry to allow steam to escape (this should prevent them from collapsing). If splitting and filling, allow the gougères to cool to room temperature first. Otherwise, serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
• Notes:.
• Use this recipe to make classically small gougères, too: just use a spoon to drop the dough into 1-inch mounds spaced 1 1/2 inches apart and bake for about 25 minutes. Small gougères need not be slit when they come out of the oven to avoid collapsing.
• Suggests making the large gougeres into a ring, really festive. Having them touch each other helps with the height -- they push each other upwards as they rise.
• Alton Brown uses an extra egg white or two for this amount. Helps them dry out and hold their shape.
• You can make gougeres with pretty much any cheese you like. The Tartine cookbook says specifically that you can use cheddar, swiss, pecorino, and also any herb that appeals to you.

GIANT GOUGERES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment, or butter well.
• Combine milk, butter and salt in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until a rolling boil is achieved. Dump in the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring over heat until it forms a smooth mass which pulls away from the walls of the pan, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or to a heat-proof mixing bowl. Turn the mixer on medium, or beat with a wooden spoon. Add 5 eggs, one at a time, beating until each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. The dough should be very thick, smooth, and shiny. Add the cheese, pepper and thyme.
• Form 8 mounds, 3" across and 1" high, on sheet pans, spaced about 2" apart. Beat remaining egg with a pinch of salt and brush onto mounds. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake in preheated oven until puffed and golden-brown, 35-40 minutes. Poke holes in the side of each puff to allow steam to escape. If you plan to split and fill them, let them cool to room temperature; if not, serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

GOUGèRES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 1/2 cup water, the butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until butter melts and mixture boils. Remove from heat, and stir in flour with a wooden spoon. Return pan to medium heat, and cook, stirring, until mixture pulls away from side of pan and forms a film on bottom, about 4 minutes.
• Transfer batter to a bowl, and beat with a mixer on low speed until slightly cooled, about 2 minutes. Raise speed to medium, and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Beat 1 minute more. Batter should be shiny and form a string when pulled up with a finger; if string doesn't form, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it does. Stir in Parmesan.
• Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip (such as Ateco #806). Pipe about 30 mounds (1 inch in diameter) 1 inch apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush with egg yolk, and sprinkle each with about 1/2 teaspoon Gruyere.
• Bake until gougeres are puffed and lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, and bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out dry, 20 to 25 minutes more. Serve warm or at room temperature.