Gougères

Crispy, cheesy, and irresistibly snackable, gougères won't last long on your holiday appetizer table. These little puffs make an elegant accompaniment to prime rib (think Yorkshire pudding) or a great party starter with champagne for Christmas and New Year's Eve. The best part is, they're easy to make and can even be made in advance and frozen until party time! That leaves you more time and energy to focus on all the other finger foods and party dips.

What are gougères made of?

Gougères are baked savory cheese puffs. They're made of eggy French choux pastry and are cooked twice—like churros!—once on the stove and once in the oven. The liquid and dry ingredients are mixed up on the stove, chilled briefly, and then beaten with eggs. The eggs are extremely important because they create the gougère's signature hollow center. The addition of cheese, chives, mustard powder, and cayenne pepper makes these puffs absolutely irresistible.

What kind of cheese is best for gougères?

Oftentimes, gougères are made with gruyère cheese, but this recipe calls for sharp white cheddar cheese. The bite of cheddar combined with the mustard powder and cayenne, gives them so much flavor.

How do you make gougères the same size?

While simply eyeballing 1 1/2 inches works very well with these puffed-up goodies, there are a few tricks for those who strive for absolute uniformity. For even piping, make a template on a sheet of parchment paper with a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter and a pen. Use the cookie cutter as a guide to create circles, spaced at least 1 inch apart, on the parchment paper. Place the template underneath another sheet of parchment and pipe the gougères. Slide the template out before baking and reuse as desired.

Can you fill gougères?

Yes! If you want to switch things up, try filling the baked and cooled gougères. Using a ½-inch round piping tip, poke a hole in the bottom of each gougère. Then, poke a toothpick around to ensure there is a hollow center. Fill a piping bag fitted with the same tip with pimento cheese that has been blitzed in the food processor. Pipe the cheese into the gougère until it is full. Or use a serrated knife to cut them in half horizontally to fill them with other goodies. They can be stuffed with prosciutto, mustard, and arugula or smoked salmon, capers, onion, and crème fraîche. Get creative with the fillings!

Can you make gougères in advance?

The best thing about gougères is that they freeze beautifully. The fully baked puffs can be frozen for up to two months in an airtight container. Reheat them at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until hot and crisp. They're the ultimate make-ahead party snack!