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Three cheeses of varying strength and smoothness combine in these customizable bite-sized pastries.
By Laura Davidson
Gougeres are made with a choux pastry that is mixed with cheese, baked at a high temperature (to puff and steam), and generally served warm as an appetizer.
While they traditionally are supposed to be very small (about the size of a Brussels sprout), I tend to prefer to make them a tad bit larger and more substantial. 
Topped with a little bit of fresh Hirten cheese, these little baked pastries can be put together extremely quickly and customized to your liking (with more cheese, fresh herbs, roasted garlic, etc.)
Triple Alps Cheese Gougeres
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 20 gougeres 1x
Description
Three cheeses of varying strength and smoothness combine in these customizable bite-sized pastries.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk (or water)
- 2 oz (60 g) unsalted butter
- 2 1/2 oz (70 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 3 oz (85 g) Swiss Alps cheese (equal combination of Hirten, Weissbier, and Classic) + more for dusting
- 2 1/2 eggs (use the other half of an egg for a simple egg wash)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Prepare all your ingredients and set aside.
- In small bowl, combine flour, salt, and cayenne pepper and whisk together.
- In a saucepan, combine the whole milk and butter. Bring to a rolling boil (over medium-high heat), watch carefully to avoid the mixture from evaporating.
- Turn down the heat to low and immediately add in the entire flour mixture at once, stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together (there should be a light coating on the bottom of the pan) and begins to dry out a bit.
- Add the cheese and stir until melted and combined.
- Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer (fitted with the paddle attachment) and turn on to medium high speed, allowing the dough to cool slightly.
- With the mixer at medium high speed, add one egg at a time, allowing the eggs to be absorbed one at a time. You want the dough to not be stiff or runny–but have it be able to hang from the paddle in a “V” shape.
- Transfer the dough to a piping bag (fitted with a round large tip)–or use two spoons–and pipe small rounds (about an inch in diameter) onto a Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of each gougere with leftover egg wash and a sprinkle of grated Hirten cheese.
- Bake for ~15 minutes at 425 degrees. Rotate the pan and turn down the oven to 325 degrees and bake for an additional 7-10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Pastry
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 gougeres
- Calories: 90
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this gougère recipe specify 2½ eggs?
The dough’s texture is critical: you add the eggs one at a time so the choux dough can absorb each one, aiming for a consistency where it hangs from the paddle in a “V” shape — neither stiff nor runny. The half egg (the remaining half is used as an egg wash for the tops) gives you fine control over that final consistency.
Why does the recipe bake at two different temperatures?
The gougères start at 425°F for about 15 minutes to generate steam and puff the choux pastry, then the oven is turned down to 325°F for a further 7-10 minutes to set the interior and colour the exterior to golden brown without burning the outside.
What does the Castello Alps triple cheese combination bring to the flavour?
The recipe uses an equal combination of three Alps cheeses — Hirten, Weissbier, and Classic — described as cheeses of varying strength and smoothness. The blend produces a more complex, layered cheese flavour than any single variety would; an extra sprinkle of grated Hirten goes on top for a finishing note.
I failed, mostly because of the metrics. 2.5 oz of flour? 2 oz of butter? It would be way more helpful to have all of the ingredients in standard measurements like cups or teaspoons. I will try again if you revise.