Gougères in the Air Fryer
Light, airy French cheese choux puffs with gruyère, baked crisp and golden in the air fryer. Serve them warm with an aperitif, just as they do in Burgundy.
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Small pot
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Electric mixer
- 2 Parchment paper (for air fryer)
- 1 Knife
Ingredients
60 ml whole milk
60 ml water
50 g butter Cubed
0.25 tsp salt
75 g plain flour Sifted
2 pcs eggs At room temperature, beaten together- 75 g gruyère Finely grated (or emmental)
1 pinch nutmeg Freshly grated
1 pinch white pepper
Topping
- 20 g gruyère Finely grated
Instructions
Preparation
- Bring 60 ml whole milk, 60 ml water, 50 g butter and 0.25 tsp salt to the boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. The butter must be completely melted by the time the mixture boils.
- Stir in 75 g plain flour all at once while the saucepan is off the heat. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough is smooth and comes together in a ball.
- Dry out the dough over low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until it comes away from the pan and leaves a thin film on the bottom. It must be completely dry before the eggs go in – otherwise it can't carry them, and the gougères will collapse.
- Cool the dough in a mixing bowl for about 5 minutes, stirring a couple of times so the steam can escape. It should be warm, but not hot, when the eggs go in.
- Beat in 2 pcs eggs a little at a time with an electric whisk, waiting to add the next portion until the dough has absorbed the previous one. The dough is ready when it is glossy and hangs from the beaters in a thick, V-shaped ribbon.
- Add 75 g gruyère, 1 pinch nutmeg and 1 pinch white pepper, and stir it evenly into the dough.
- Pipe the dough into small mounds about 3 cm in diameter using a piping bag with a large, plain nozzle – or drop spoonfuls using two teaspoons. Arrange them on two sheets of baking paper cut to fit the bottom of the air fryer basket, and leave 3-4 cm between them, as they almost double in size.
- Sprinkle 20 g gruyère over the mounds once you have smoothed out any peaks with a wet fingertip.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 180 °C fan.
- Place one sheet of baking paper with the gougères in the preheated basket. Never put loose baking paper in the air fryer during preheating, as it can blow up against the heating element.
- Bake the gougères at 180 °C for 15 minutes, until they are well risen and deep golden. Do not open the air fryer during the first 12 minutes, and don't shake or turn them – if the steam escapes too early, they collapse.
- Prick a small hole in the side of each gougère with the tip of a knife so the steam can escape. Then continue baking them at 160 °C for 5 minutes, until they are light and crisp and sound hollow when you tap the bottom gently.
- Repeat with the second sheet of baking paper: turn the temperature back up to 180 °C, bake for 15 minutes, prick a hole in each, and finish baking for 5 minutes at 160 °C.
Serving
- Serve the gougères warm with an aperitif. If you like, let them rest for a couple of minutes on a wire rack first so the bottoms stay crisp.
Notes
Tips for a perfect result:
Dry the dough out well in the saucepan before the eggs go in – a dough that is too wet can't hold its shape, and then the gougères collapse. Beat the eggs in a little at a time, and stop when the dough is glossy and hangs from the beaters in a thick, V-shaped ribbon. If the eggs are large, you may not need all of them. Keep the air fryer closed for the first 12 minutes so the steam can lift the dough. How to stop them collapsing:
The gougères are only done when they are deep golden, light in weight and sound hollow when you tap the bottom gently. If you take them out while they are still pale, they sink. The hole in the side and the last few minutes at 160 °C dry them out all the way through. Variation:
Use emmental, comté or a mature hard cheese instead of gruyère, or stir a teaspoon of Dijon mustard or a little fresh thyme into the dough along with the cheese. Vegetarians can choose a cheese made with microbial rennet, as classic gruyère is made with animal rennet. Serving:
In Burgundy, gougères are served warm with a glass of chilled white wine or kir. They also work nicely on a tapas table or as an accompaniment to a clear soup. Portion size:
The recipe makes about 20 gougères, which are baked in two batches in an ordinary air fryer. If your air fryer is smaller, you can make them in three batches. Raw, piped gougères can be frozen on the baking paper and baked straight from frozen at the same temperatures – add 2-3 minutes to the first bake.
Dry the dough out well in the saucepan before the eggs go in – a dough that is too wet can't hold its shape, and then the gougères collapse. Beat the eggs in a little at a time, and stop when the dough is glossy and hangs from the beaters in a thick, V-shaped ribbon. If the eggs are large, you may not need all of them. Keep the air fryer closed for the first 12 minutes so the steam can lift the dough. How to stop them collapsing:
The gougères are only done when they are deep golden, light in weight and sound hollow when you tap the bottom gently. If you take them out while they are still pale, they sink. The hole in the side and the last few minutes at 160 °C dry them out all the way through. Variation:
Use emmental, comté or a mature hard cheese instead of gruyère, or stir a teaspoon of Dijon mustard or a little fresh thyme into the dough along with the cheese. Vegetarians can choose a cheese made with microbial rennet, as classic gruyère is made with animal rennet. Serving:
In Burgundy, gougères are served warm with a glass of chilled white wine or kir. They also work nicely on a tapas table or as an accompaniment to a clear soup. Portion size:
The recipe makes about 20 gougères, which are baked in two batches in an ordinary air fryer. If your air fryer is smaller, you can make them in three batches. Raw, piped gougères can be frozen on the baking paper and baked straight from frozen at the same temperatures – add 2-3 minutes to the first bake.
Nutrition
Calories: 305kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 13gFat: 21gSaturated fat: 12gPolyunsaturated fat: 1.4gMonounsaturated fat: 6gTrans fat: 0.6gCholesterol: 157mgSodium: 370mgPotassium: 105mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 710IUCalcium: 280mgIron: 0.7mgNet carbohydrates: 14.5g
