These classic French cocktail-hour pastries are a cheese-lover’s delight. They’re best made with a strong hard cheese, like Gruyère or sharp cheddar. Be careful: once you make these once, you might not be able to stop yourself from making them every time you’re enjoying your favorite pre-dinner drink.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
Add all but about 2 tablespoons of the grated cheese to the pâte à choux batter, stirring to incorporate.
Drop the batter by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared pans; a tablespoon cookie scoop works well here.
Alternatively, you can pipe the pastry onto the pans. Transfer the prepared batter to a piping bag with a 1/2” to 3/4" diameter round tip. Pipe into mounds about 1 1/2" in diameter (the pastry will double in volume as it bakes), leaving 2" of space between them.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the pastries.
Bake the gougères for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 20 to 25 minutes longer, until they're a medium golden brown. Don't open the oven door while the gougères are baking.
Remove the gougères from the oven and transfer them to a rack to cool slightly before serving. Gougères should be served the same day they’re baked.
Store leftovers tightly wrapped in the freezer for up to 1 month. Let frozen gougères defrost at room temperature, then rewarm in a 300°F to 350°F oven for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
