Tartine's Gougeres Choux Au Fromage - French Style Cheese Puffs

Crisp on the outside, and soft and custardy on the inside-- I can’t imagine anything more lovely to serve at wine tastings or with a glass of champagne than a choux pastry (the same type you would make eclairs or cream puffs with) plus shredded cheese. And, these fancy little cheese puffs are really quite easy to prepare. Gougères are typically made with Gruyère cheese and thyme, or you can substitute any hard cheese and herbs you desire in the recipe (try gouda or farmhouse mature white cheddar with herbes de Provence or Herbes De Napa). Or, make them larger to be filled (try finely chopped ham, sausage or orange marmalade). Best eaten the same day. I've slightly adapted the original recipe which is from the world-famous Tartine Bakery in San Francisco, California.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Yields: 24 puffs

Ingredients

• Choux paste

• 1 1⁄4 cups nonfat milk (or water)
• 10  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1  cup all-purpose flour
• 5  large eggs
• 3⁄4 cup gruyere cheese, grated
• 1  teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1  tablespoon  fresh finely chopped thyme (or 1 1/4 teaspoon of your favorite dried herb)

• Topping

• 1  large egg, for egg wash
• 1  pinch salt
•  grated gruyere cheese, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. To make the Choux paste, combine the milk, butter and salt in a sauce pan and place over medium heat until butter melts and the mixture comes to a full boil.
3. Add the flour all at once, stirring until the mixture has formed a smooth paste and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 3 minutes.
4. Transfer the paste to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or may be mixed by hand).
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix on medium speed (or mix by hand vigorously), incorporating each egg completely before adding the next egg. Scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding each egg. When all of the eggs have been added the mixture will be thick, smooth and shiny.
6. Add the cheese, pepper and thyme, and gently mix in by hand with a rubber spatula.
7. Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch plain or round tip (no. 6 or 7), filling it about 1/3 of the way full so it is still easy to handle. Pipe the mixture out onto the parchment, making quarter size (about 1 inch) mounds. Leave about 1 1/2 inch space between the mounds. Or, you can use a spoon to drop the mounds onto the parchment, but it is harder to control the thick mixture.
8. The mounds may have cheese poking out in odd directions. With a wet finger just pat the mound into a more uniform shape.
9. To make the topping, whisk together the egg and salt. Brush the tops of the mounds and then sprinkle with the cheese.
10. Place the Gougères immediately into the preheated oven and don�t open the door until they are nicely browned or they may collapse.
11. Bake until they have puffed and are nicely browned, about 25-30 minutes.
12. They are delicious served hot, warm or room temperature. They can also be frozen in an airtight container, and re-crisped directly from the freezer in an 350F degree oven for 5 minutes.