These are the ultimate party snack. They come together pretty fast and they make your house smell amazing as guests arrive. They also make a great addition to any tea parties you may have going on at your house. We also use them as lunch box fillers or after school snacks.

As a kid, my grandmother would always make something we called cheese straws that remind me a lot of gougères. They are piped out with a star tip and don’t get nice and fluffy like these, but they have a similar flavor with the cheddar and hint of cayenne. Gougères also remind me of Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit’s older, cooler cousin. They are a little more elevated, a little more worldly, and just as delicious.

Gougères

Ingredients

½ stick unsalted butter

½ teaspoon salt

Dash of cayenne pepper

135 grams all purpose flour (about 1 cup)

4 eggs

5 ounces cheddar cheese (1 ¼ cups shredded)

50 grams Parmesan (⅓ cup grated)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425℉.
2. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. 
3. To a small, heavy bottomed pan, add 1 cup water, ½ stick butter, ½ teaspoon salt, and dash of cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil (big bubbles). Stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 1-2 minutes or until your batter starts to form and pull away from the side of the pan. 
4. Ask a grown up to help you dump your batter into a large, heat proof bowl and stir quickly with your wooden spoon to cool off your dough for 1 minute. 
5. Crack your eggs into 4 small bowls. 
6. Add eggs 1 at a time and stir in between each egg. 
7. Add your shredded cheddar cheese and stir. 
8. Add your batter to a large, zip top bag and cut off 1 inch of the corner. 
9. Pipe Tablespoon sized blobs onto your sheet pans. Leave 1 inch between each blob. Top each blob with a sprinkle of parmesan. 
10. Bake for 15 minutes. Then turn heat down to 350℉ and cook 10 more minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. 
11. Serve warm.