Gruyère Spelt Gougères

If you love cream puffs and nutty flavored cheeses you will absolutely love Gougères. Gougères are savory cream puffs made from the same French cuisine dough called choux usually with the addition of Gruyère, Comte or Emmentaler cheese. Thought to be from the Burgundy region of France they are often served at wine tastings there. Not to be intimidated, this is very easy to prepare. Better yet the dough can be frozen and popped into the oven when unexpected guests arrive to have a tasty appetizer with that glass of wine!

ONWARD:

To increase the nutritional and flavor value, this recipe replaces the white, all-purpose flour with Spelt flour. Considered an ancient grain dating back more than nine thousand years, spelt has a nutty flavor. Though it still contains gluten like wheat flour, it is higher in fiber which aids in the digestion of gluten. The unique nutty flavor enhances the nutty flavor of Gruyère cheese used in this recipe, however, Comte or Emmentaler cheese may be substituted. The crisp outer shell of Gougères yields to a slightly custardy center. It is simply love at first bite!

4 dozen appetizer-size

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup filtered water

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, cut into 12 pieces

½ teaspoon sea salt

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup Spelt flour

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 cups Gruyère cheese, grated

DIRECTION:

1.      Preheat oven to 425°F.

Simmering

2.      Bring the water, butter, salt and cayenne to a full boil. Add all the spelt flour at once. Stir with a wooden spoon for two minutes until the dough forms a ball. Remove from the heat.

Finished cooking.

3.      Transfer the dough to a standing mixer with a paddle attachment. Whip for a couple of minutes while steam escapes from the dough.

Adding one egg at a time.

4.      Add one egg at a time, beating until incorporated. The dough will look like it is separating but will come together again. Add the remaining three eggs, one at a time until the dough comes together. Mix in the cheese.

5.      Line two sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

6.      Scoop the dough with a small cookie dough scoop (one and a half teaspoon size) onto the lined pans two inches apart. (They may be frozen at this point. Once frozen place them in a tightly sealed container in the freezer until ready to bake.)

7.      Turn the oven down to 375°F. Place the pans in the oven on two shelves. Bake for twelve minutes. Rotate the pans on shelves and front to back. Bake for another fifteen to twenty minutes until the gougères are golden brown, puffed and firm. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Note: If baking from the frozen state, they may take a few minutes longer in the oven.