½ tsp. salt
¼ lb unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 cup minus 1 ½ tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour, sifted
4 large eggs
¾ cup freshly grated imported French or Swiss Gruyere cheese
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Combine salt, butter and 1 cup of water in a medium-sized sauce pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring all the while with a wooden spoon.
3. Quickly remove pan from the heat and add all of the flour at once. Beat vigorously with a large wooden spoon to create a smooth dough. Reheat for 1 minute over medium heat, stirring all the time, to allow the dough to dry out just a bit.
4. Quickly transfer the dough the bowl of an electric mixer. Add all of the eggs and cheeses and beat at medium speed until they are thoroughly incorporated into the dough. The dough should still be warm.
5. For rustic gougere spoon the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet with a tablespoon about 2 inches apart. For more elegant gougere spoon the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a ½ inch tube and squeeze into round 2-inch mounds.
6. Bake until puffs are golden brown, 20-25 minutes
Yield: about 40 puffs
(This recipe can be doubled successfully. Gougere may be frozen for later use. To refresh, thaw and place in oven at 425 degrees for approx. 5 minutes.)
