How to Make Horseradish Gougères That Are Sure To Impress

All hail the gougère, the cocktail-friendly nibble that is one of the truly great party snacks!

Sure, for those of us adhering to proper pandemic protocols, group gatherings have been a no-go this past year, but I’m here to tell you that you don’t need a crowd to enjoy these one-bite appetizers.

Gougères are incredibly versatile. A batch of these savory cheese puffs can be made ahead and frozen, then baked off as you desire. Come wine o’clock, all you have to do is pop however many you like in the oven, and they’ll be ready to enjoy along with your drink in about 30 minutes.

I’ve made gougères here and there over the years, but I wanted to up my game, so I reached out to pastry chef Thuy Nguyen, owner of Thuy’s Treats for some tips (see below). Nguyen knows all about making killer pȃte à choux, the versatile pastry that serves as the base for both gougères and Nguyen’s specialty, sweet, pastry cream-filled choux au craquelin.

Started on the stovetop, pȃte à choux is made by beating flour into a boiling mixture of water, milk, and butter. Eggs are then slowly added to the mixture, and the whole shebang gets vigorously stirred until a paste-like batter forms. To make gougères, the process goes a step further; once the batter is removed from the heat, shredded cheese gets added to the mix––typically Gruyère, though other semi-dry cheeses, like Cheddar (see recipe) can be used. The batter is then piped (or spooned) out into bite-sized mounds, ready to be baked until puffed and golden brown. That’s the true glory of these cheesy beauties, they’re crispy on the outside, yet tender and chewy on the inside.

Whether you are socializing or not, keep a stash of these cheesy beauties in your freezer and turn wine o’clock into a festive cocktail party for one (or two, or three or more).

Thuy Ngyuen’s tips for perfect choux

 “V” is for victory

Choux batter should be smooth and slightly loose. To achieve this, add the eggs one at a time (Nguyen lightly beats her eggs together and then slowly pours them into the flour mixture). You’ll know you’ve achieved the proper choux texture when the batter that adheres to the paddle attachment, as it’s lifted out of the mixing bowl, forms a slight “V” shape. If the batter seems dry, Nguyen says you can add a bit more egg to the mix, however, if you’ve added too many eggs, and it’s flowing like lava, you’ll need to start over.

Piping perfection

To help prevent overflows, only fill the pastry bag (or plastic zip-top bag, which works great in a pinch) about halfway. To get uniform, bite-size morsels every time, hold the pastry bag perpendicular to the baking sheet, and squeeze for a count of 4 seconds, then slowly release. The gougères will expand as they bake, so make sure to leave a couple of inches between each mound as you pipe. Once you’ve piped out the batter, take a wet finger and smooth out the tip of each mound.

Lighter than air

Smashing the batter against the sides of the pan as it’s cooking, helps it dry out, which gives the gougères more lift as they bake. (You’ll know you’re getting there when a film begins to form on the pan.) Starting off at a higher oven temp also helps achieve initial lift. After you’ve reduced the oven temperature, and baked the gougères until they’re a deep golden brown, remove them from the oven, and use a skewer or toothpick to poke a hole in each puff. (This will help release the steam that’s built up.) Pop the tray back in the oven for another minute to finish baking.

Freezer friendly

Freezing the piped-out batter also helps the gougères to keep their shape when baking. If making ahead and freezing, pipe out the batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, then freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen gougères to an airtight container, and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Keep in mind if baking from frozen, you’ll need to add a few more minutes to the bake time.

Cheesy Horseradish Gougères Recipe

This recipe is loosely adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s gougère recipe in her cookbook, “Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook,” but also includes some of pastry chef Thuy Nguyen’s choux-making tips. I’ve used a blend of Gruyère and white cheddar, but feel free to experiment with other semi-dry cheeses, like Parmigiano Reggiano, pecorino, manchego, asiago, or smoked gouda.

Makes about 32 (1½-inch wide) gougères

½ cup (120 milliliters) whole milk

½ cup (120 milliliters) water

1 stick unsalted butter (4 ounces; 113 grams), cut into 4 pieces

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 cup (136 grams) all-purpose flour

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 large egg white, at room temperature

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

1 cup (85 grams) grated Gruyère

1 cup (85 grams) grated sharp white cheddar

½ cup (28 grams) chopped chives

Instructions:

Place oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, and preheat it to 400 degrees. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment. Fill a small bowl with water.

In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring the milk, water, butter, and salt to a boil. Turn off the heat, add all of the flour to the pot, and stir vigorously to combine. Turn the heat back on to medium-low, and stir, smashing the dough against the sides of the pan, until the dough forms a ball and a light film begins to appear on the sides of the pan, about 2 minutes. (This helps the batter to dry out, which helps give the gougères some lift as they bake.)

Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, and turn on low for 1 minute to help the dough cool down. Increase speed to medium, and begin adding the eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each egg into the dough before adding the next one. When all of the eggs have been added, stir in the egg white. (The dough should be smooth and loose enough to form a “V”) Add the Dijon, horseradish, Gruyère, Cheddar, and chives, and mix until combined.

Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. (If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use spoons to scoop out small mounds of dough.) Holding the bag perpendicular to the sheet pan, pipe out little mountains of dough (a 4-second count), 2 inches apart, and slowly release. Dip your finger in water, and smooth out the tip of the dough. (Gougères can be frozen on the sheet pans at this point. Transfer the frozen gougères to an airtight container, and store them in the freezer until you’re ready to bake them.)

Bake the gougères for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees, and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes. (If baking from frozen, you may need to add another 4 or 5 minutes in the oven.) The finished gougères should be a rich, deep brown. As soon as you remove them from the oven, poke each gougère with a toothpick or skewer to allow the steam to escape, then pop them back in the oven for another minute.

Let the finished gougères rest on a sheet pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Serve warm or room temperature.

Any baked gougères you don’t eat right away can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for a couple of days, then rewarmed.