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Comté Gougères

  • Prep Time: 15m
  • Cook Time: 25m
  • Total Time: 45m

Ingredients

  • 1/4 c Water
  • 1/4 c Milk
  • 1/4 c Butter (1/2 stick), cut into tablespoons
  • 1/2 c All-purpose flour
  • 2 Large eggs
  • 1/2 c Comté cheese, shredded
  • 2 tbsp. Asiago or gruyère cheese, finely grated (optional, or more comté)
  • 1 pinch Salt (if using unsalted butter)
  • 1 pinch Freshly ground pepper
  • 1 pinch Freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon bake mat.
  2. In a medium saucepan, combine water, milk, butter and salt and bring to a boil. Stir in the flour with a sturdy wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms. Continue to stir over low heat until the batter dries out and pulls away from the pan, about 3 minutes (this intends to cook out the flavor of the flour).
  3. Transfer the dough into a bowl, let cool for 1-2 minutes. Check with your finger, it should be hot yet not burning (you don't want it to cook the eggs in the next step).
  4. Beat the eggs into the dough one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each one.
  5. Stir in the cheese and a pinch of both pepper and nutmeg.
  6. Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe table-spoon size mounds onto the baking sheets 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with grated cheese cheese.
  7. Bake for 15 minutes on the middle rack, then move to the bottom rack and rotate 180. Bake for another 7-10 minutes depending on size, until puffed and golden brown.
  8. Serve hot, or let cool and refrigerate or freeze. Reheat in the oven at 325°F oven until hot, about 10-15 mins.