Gougère

So, how's your Summer holiday going? Mine's not been too bad so far (thanks in part to the  kids club at my gym).  I quite like the school holidays though - no rushing up and out of the door for 8:40am is a Very Good Thing.  And it is always a rush, isn't it, however early you get up.


Thanks for all your comments on my crochet and embroidery recently - I do appreciate them.


Today I made gougère (or savoury cheese puffs if you like). 

I make these quite often as the children love them. As do I.  And, despite what you may have read*, they are very easy to make. The first time I ever made gougère was at university and I had to make do with a crappy university oven. If I can do that and make it work, it can't be that tricky.


I will admit that making these will make your arm ache and that there are times when you think it will never work, but it will as long as you keep beating.


The recipe makes around 20 small puffs or 1 gougère ring and is to serve 6.


2 oz butter
½ pint milk
4 oz flour, sifted
4 eggs
3 oz gruyère cheese
salt and pepper


Heat the oven to 190°C


Cut the butter into small pieces and put in a pan with the milk, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil.


Pour in the sifted flour and stir until you have a thick smooth paste that comes away from the sides of the pan.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the eggs one at a time. (At first you will have a horrible slimy mess, but just keep stirring!)  The mixture will become thick and glossy.

Add the diced cheese and leave to cool.


Put spoonfuls of mixture (I used a soup spoon) onto a lined or well greased baking tray leaving 2cm between each.  (I forgot to take a photo of this part.)


Bake for 25 minutes.

If you want to make a ring - put the spoonfuls into a ring around 7" in diameter, brush with milk and bake for 45 minutes.




Because I make these for 2 small children and 2 adults I halve the mixture but I suspect this will not do for much longer -  today there was a fight over who got to eat the last one.




* Elizabeth David, in 'French Provincial Cooking', says 'it is rather tricky to make...'