We are on the last day of 2019 and I can’t believe what an exciting (and tasty) year it’s been! From making tons of delicious recipes to doing my first paid collaboration to starting a YouTube channel (!), it’s been so fun and so rewarding to have this outlet to do what I love and share it with so many others who love food!
Of course, I could not let this year go out without a bangin’ recipe, so for the final post in my #AppyHolidays series, I am sharing this wonderful recipe for my Cheese & Thyme Gougères! These are the perfect treat to ring in the new year and go great with a glass of bubbly! 🍾
What are Gougères?
Gougères are these little delicious cheesy puffs that are incredibly light and airy. The base is made of choux pastry, which consists of flour, water, and butter. These are cooked over the stove until the dough comes together in a nice smooth ball. After that, whole eggs are mixed in one at a time to make these gougères nice and airy. It’s a little scary mixing in the eggs as each time one is added, the dough splits. But if you stir long enough, the dough always come back together! Trust me!
With a pastry as simple as this, you can add just about any flavour to these delectable puffs. Traditionally, only gruyère cheese is added to this recipe so that the gougères have a sharp cheesy bite. However, I added thyme as well to make it a bit more savoury and it’s a excellent winter herb to use in your cooking this time of year!
Don’t Peek while they Bake!
Once these are piped out onto a baking tray, they are brushed with egg yolks for a nice glossy sheen. Once the go into the oven, you have to leave the oven door closed until they are fully cooked. Opening the door part-way through cooking will cause the gougères to collapse and you will be incredibly disappointed. So keep that door closed until they are done!
Once cooled, served with some extra thyme for garnish along with a glass of bubbly!
I hope you enjoy this recipe and I hope you have a happy and healthy 2020! There is lots to come here on my blog and YouTube channel to stay tuned for lots of delicious recipes!
Get the Recipe!
Cheese & Thyme Gougères
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup salted butter
- 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves chopped
- 1 cup gruyère cheese shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 egg yolk for egg wash
Instructions
- Place the water and butter into a large pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the sugar, salt, and flour and use a wooden spoon to mix everything to combine.
- Lower the heat to medium, and cook the flour mixture for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly to ensure the flour does not burn. The flour mixture should form a cohesive ball and create a light film on the bottom of the pot. Once cooked, transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Add one egg into the flour mixture. Use a wooden spoon to mix it in to fully combine before adding another egg. The dough will split, but keep mixing and it will come back together. Continue the process until all 4 eggs have been incorporated.
- Add the thyme, ¾ cup gruyère cheese, and the Parmesan cheese to the dough and mix to combine. The dough should be thick and sticky. Transfer the dough into a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Alternatively, transfer into a plastic bag and cut a 2 cm opening in one corner.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lift each corner of the parchment paper and add a small dot of batter to the pan. Place the parchment paper back on top and press it down. This will ensure the parchment paper does not move around when you are piping the gougères.
- Pipe a small mound of the dough on to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Each gougère should be circular and about 4 cm in diameter. Repeat for the remaining dough, ensuring that they are spaces at least 4 cm apart.
- Once the gougères are all piped, dip a pastry brush into the egg yolk and brush the tops and sides of each gougère with it. Try to create a nice dome shape with no peaks sticking out to avoid burning.
- Top each gougère with the remaining gruyère cheese them bake in the oven for 22-25 minutes until they are golden brown on top. Avoid opening the oven while the gougères are baking to avoid them collapsing.
- Once cooked, remove from the oven and garnish with some additional fresh thyme leaves. Serve
- immediately and enjoy!
Looks yummy! Can you use a stand mixer or is it best to mix by hand?
Hey Ramona! Thank you! Yes, you could use a stand mixer instead of mixing by hand! Your arms will thank you!