Bacon Garlic Gougères are perfect for when you need an easy appetizer. These bite-sized cheese puffs are made with cream puff dough that is loaded with Gruyère cheese, bacon, and garlic.
Prep Time 25 minutesminutes
Cook Time 40 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour5 minutesminutes
Servings 35
Ingredients
7slicesbacon, minced
4medium garlic cloves, minced
⅓cup(75g)unsalted butter, cup into pieces
1cup(249ml)water
1cup(120g)all-purpose flour
3large eggs
6ounces(170g)Gruyere cheese, grated
1large egg yolk
Instructions
Fry the minced bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until almost crisp, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to fry for about 1 minute. Drain the bacon and garlic with a fine-mesh sieve and set aside.
Heat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set aside.
Add the butter and water to a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat and stir until the butter is fully melted. Remove from heat and stir in the flour until well combined.
Cook over medium heat, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture is no longer sticking to the sides of the pan and forms a ball, about 2 minutes.
Continue cooking and stirring until a dry film forms on the bottom of the pot and the dough is no longer sticky, about 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let the dough cool for about 5 minutes. Add the whole eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated in between each addition. Stir in the cheese and bacon mixture.
Use a 1 tablespoon-sized cookie scoop and drop round mounds of batter on the prepared baking sheets. Gently roll each mound of dough into a ball and space them 2 inches apart.
Whisk 1 tablespoon of water with the egg yolk and brush it over the tops of each dough ball.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until puffed up and golden. The centers should be dry and sound hollow when tapped.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a serving platter. Gougères are best served warm.
Notes
If you prefer smaller gougères, divide the dough ball in half. Pay close attention as they bake because smaller puffs may require a shorter baking time.
Make-ahead tip
The dough can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill until ready to bake.
Baked gougères can be cooled completely and stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours or frozen in a zip-top plastic bag for up to 1 month.
Before serving, heat the room temperature gougères in a 300°F oven for 5-8 minutes; heat frozen gougères for 8-10 minutes.