Lemon Basil Parmesan Gougères (Cheese Puffs)
Gougères use a classic type of French pastry called a choux as their basis. They’re light and puffy, and in this version, lit up with the flavors of lemon, fresh basil, and Parmesan cheese for the perfect appetizer or party finger food. You’ll love them at the holidays, and they’re perfect for entertainin
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 large eggs
- 1 lemon zested
- 3 scallions finely chopped
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil finely chopped
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the water, coarse salt, butter, and cayenne pepper to a heavy 4-quart saucepan. Turn heat to a medium high setting. Bring to a boil, stirring, until the butter has melted.
- Remove from heat and quickly stir in the flour.
- Return to the burner, and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes, or until the dough begins to stick together and pull away from the sides of the saucepan.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir in 4 of the eggs one at a time. The dough should be smooth in texture and look shiny.
- Stir in the scallions, Parmesan, scallions, and lemon zest. Season to taste with Kosher salt and black pepper.
- Spoon the mixture into a piping bag, cutting a 1/2 inch opening. Pipe the dough into 1 inch rounds on the baking sheet.
- Take the remaining egg and add 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Beat together until smooth. Brush the glaze on top of each of the gougères.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, and serve right away.
Notes
NOTE: If you don’t have a piping bag, you can easily substitute a plastic sandwich bag of any variety – zip-lock, or other. Simply spoon the dough in the bag, squeeze to one end, and cut the corner. You can also simply use a teaspoon to form small puff shape
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!