Description
Chef John’s Party Cheese Puffs are light, airy French-inspired gougères with a crispy exterior and cheesy interior—perfect for parties, wine nights, or elegant snacks.
Ingredients
1 cup water
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine water, butter, salt, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and add all the flour at once, stirring vigorously until the dough pulls away from the sides and forms a smooth ball.
- Continue stirring and cooking the dough for 1–2 minutes to slightly dry it out. Remove from heat.
- Let the dough cool for 5 minutes, then beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
- Stir in the Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses until evenly mixed.
- Drop tablespoon-sized mounds of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 425°F, then reduce the temperature to 350°F (175°C) without opening the oven, and bake for another 10–15 minutes until golden and dry inside.
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Do not open the oven during the first 15 minutes of baking to prevent deflation.
You can make the dough ahead and refrigerate it for a few hours.
Feel free to substitute Cheddar with Gruyère or Swiss for a more traditional flavor.
Add herbs like chives or thyme for extra flavor.
Puffs can be frozen after baking and reheated directly from frozen.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cheese puff
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
