Easy French Popovers (Gougeres)

Submitted by: Angela Marlaud, Program Coordinator, Office of Professional Competence

These are a weekly staple at my house; great with soups, salads, or as a stand-alone snack for adults and kids. You can adapt to your liking by adding your favorite herbs or chopped up bits of ham.

1/2 cup water 1/2 cup milk 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons 1 pinch coarse salt 1 cup all purpose flour 4 large eggs 1 cup shredded cheese of choice (I recommend Gruyère or cheddar), plus more for sprinkling 1 pinch freshly ground pepper 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, milk, butter, and salt and bring to a boil. Add the flour and stir it in with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms; stir over low heat until it dries out and pulls away from the pan, about 1 minute.

Scrape the dough into a bowl; let cool for a few minutes so the eggs don’t cook from the heat. Beat the eggs into the dough, one at a time, beating thoroughly between each one. Add the cheese and a pinch each of pepper and nutmeg.

Using a wooden spoon, place tablespoon-size mounds onto the baking sheets, two inches apart.

Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 22 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.