Gougères

The King Arthur Test Kitchen’s selected gougères are Parmesan cheese puffs made from a cooked flour dough enriched with eggs. The recipe explicitly uses the gougères name for these lighter-than-air puffs and selects Parmesan for this version.

Water, cold unsalted butter, table salt and black pepper heat together until the butter melts. Flour enters all at once and is stirred over the heat until the dough forms a smooth ball.

Parmesan is beaten into the dough before the eggs enter one at a time. After three eggs, the dough’s smooth, shiny, shape-holding consistency determines whether the fourth egg is needed.

Small scooped portions go onto lined baking sheets, with water helping release the sticky dough from the scoop and smooth the tops. Baking turns the puffs golden and expands them before their tops are pierced.

The recipe offers hot, warm or room-temperature service. Fresh from the oven, the puffs have a crisp exterior and soft insides, while cooling gradually softens them throughout.