Gourgeres

Sense of Home

Pronounced goo-jair, these beautiful, airy French cheese puffs are a good addition to a meal or an appetizer served with wine.  The dough is a pate a choux, think cream puffs or profiteroles, but for gourgeres you add cheese, such as Gruyere.  Years ago a friend used to bring profiteroles to all our gatherings, she would stuff them with whipped creme and they were delicious.  I was so impressed and I would ask her how she made them, she always said there was nothing to it, they were simple, I never believed her.  After trying these, I can say, there is nothing to it, they are simple.  Though I think taking the time to carefully open and fill with whipped creme is another matter, a lesson in patience perhaps, I would likely fail.

The next morning they are delicious with a spoonful of homemade apple butter.  The wonderful part of making these gourgeres, besides eating them, is that you can freeze the shaped dough, store it in a freezer bag and then pop them in the oven straight from the freezer.  I froze half the batch and now I am ready for a meal or gathering another time.  I will not be sharing the recipe I used here because I took the recipe from the book "Around My French Table" by Dorie Greenspan and I did not adapt it at all.  The cookbook came out just last year and it is brimming with beautiful full-page photos and wonderful recipes.  

See how beautiful the full page photos are?  Yes, I know my cat is on my table, he has to be in the middle of the action.  I have just about given up the battle, I know he is laying up there looking out the window when we are gone, now I just clean the table before eating.