Classic French gougères with a Southern remix. These airy pimiento cheese puffs make an impressive addition to virtually any party spread. While the choux pastry dough may seem intimidating to make, trust us—success is just a matter of not walking away from the pan. As long as you can stay put and keep stirring (so that your dough doesn’t burn), you can make gougères.
How to Make It
Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat water, butter, and salt in a saucepan over medium until butter is melted, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add flour all at once, and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
Return to heat, and cook mixture, stirring constantly, until dough forms a ball and holds together, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until dough is no longer tacky, about 2 minutes more. Remove from heat, and let dough cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, stirring quickly and incorporating completely after each addition. Stir in cheese, pimentos, and Dijon until combined.
Transfer dough to a pastry bag with the tip cut off, and pipe 2-inch rounds onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spray the back of a spoon with cooking spray, and smooth the rounds so they have no peak. Bake in preheated oven until puffed and golden, about 25 minutes.