People just LOVE these. I bring these savory french cheese puffs over to my dear friend’s house often when we have our small pot luck luncheons together. The last time, she greeted me at the door with a hug and the exclamation, “You smell wonderful!” About to demur that I was not wearing any perfume, she added, “You smell like Gougeres!”
Perfume indeed.
Gluten Free Gougeres
This unbelievably good little treat is just one of a whole family of delicious items using Choux Paste, a technique of mixing butter, eggs, water and flour that has been around almost 500 years and is used in many parts the world. The end result depends on the treatment. It can be sweet or savory, filled or unfilled, topped or plain.
A few familiar guises of Choux Paste as sweet treats are eclairs, croquembouche or cream puffs. Fried instead of baked – crullers. Add some fruit and you have beignets. I’ve seen profiteroles recipes in both savory and sweet versions. Filled with cream and topped with chocolate, or filled with herbed marscapone and sun dried tomatoes and served as h’ordeuvres. Call them what you will, these flexible and yummy treats rock.
Oh yeah. Once you master this recipe (and it’s really easy) a whole world of puffy, crispy, rich and delicious goodness is at your fingertips. And you’ll look like a professional pastry chef when you whip these babies out for your guests. You don’t have to tell them they only took you a few minutes to make, It’ll be our secret.
The Gougeres are wonderful with the Traditional Gruyere cheese, but go ahead and use different kinds of cheese to match what you are serving. Try a good swiss cheese or fresh grated Parmesan. Opt for sharp Cheddar and you have robust cheese puffs ready to pair up with a spectacular soup for supper. Gougeres make a very special light and airy bread to serve with almost any meal, and are just about the world’s best easy appetizer.
And nobody will know, or care, that these are gluten free.
I cannot take any real credit for the recipe for these little lovelies. I found the original recipe in a Betty Crocker’s International Cookbook
Gluten Free Gougeres
(Pronounced Goo-gehr)
Preheat oven to 400º
- 1/2 cup of butter
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup white rice flour
- 4 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 cup grated cheese (Gruyere for classic Gougeres, but regular Swiss, Parmesan and Cheddar are all wonderful)
Cook the milk and butter together in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring, until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil.
Stir in the rice flour all at once and beat/stir with a sturdy wooden spoon until the mixture comes together in a dough – 1 minute or so. Remove from heat.
Gougere showing the hollow center
Pour in the eggs and continue to beat until the mixture combines completely and becomes smooth. You may also transfer the hot dough to a food processor, and the eggs and pulse until smooth and thick.
Stir in 2/3 to 3/4 of the cheese
Drop by rounded soup-spoon full onto a greased cookie sheet leaving space for them to expand. If you prefer, you may also pipe them onto the sheet using a pastry bag.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese on the tops.
Bake about 25 minutes or until they are puffed and golden brown. Makes 16 Gougeres.
Gougeres can collapse as they cool. If it is important that all the centers are hollow – like if you want to fill them, turn the oven off about 8 minutes early leaving the gougeres in to finish cooking at a lower heat. After you take them out, poke small holes in them to let the steam escape. You can also try letting them cool slowly in the turned off oven with the door propped open.
