Mini Gruyère Gougères

Instructions

1. 1

   Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 200°C. Grate 120 g of Gruyère cheese finely and set aside. Crack 4 room-temperature eggs into a bowl and lightly whisk them together. Measure 250 ml water, 80 g diced unsalted butter, 125 g flour, 3 g salt, and 1 g nutmeg before starting to cook.

2. 2

   In a medium saucepan, combine 250 ml water, 80 g diced butter, and 3 g salt over medium heat. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil so the butter melts completely into the water. As soon as it comes to a full boil, turn off the heat briefly or lower it to the absolute minimum so the liquid does not boil away too fast.

3. 3

   Add all 125 g flour at once into the hot liquid. Stir rapidly with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms around the spoon. Turn heat back to low and stir vigorously for 2 minutes to dry out the paste, until a pale film forms on the bottom of the pan and the dough pulls away cleanly from the sides.

4. 4

   Remove the saucepan from the heat completely and let the dough cool down for 3 minutes so the hot pan does not scramble the eggs. Gradually pour in the beaten eggs in 3 to 4 small additions, mixing vigorously with your wooden spoon after each pour. The dough will look split at first, but keep stirring until shiny and smooth.

5. 5

   Add 1 g ground nutmeg and almost all of the grated Gruyère cheese into the warm batter, reserving a tiny handful for topping if desired. Fold the cheese evenly into the thick dough using a spatula or wooden spoon until smooth. The mixture should hold its shape when scooped but remain soft and glossy.

6. 6

   Using two spoons or a piping bag, drop walnut-sized mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 3 cm space between them. Bake at 200°C for 20 to 22 minutes without opening the oven door, until puffed, crisp, and deep golden brown. Serve hot or warm immediately as a classic French savory bite.