# Gruyere puffs, too runny



## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

I tried making gruyere puffs, but the dough was way to runny.

I used this recipe:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Gruyere-Cheese-Puffs-106397

But it came put like a little thicker than pancake batter.

What is the consistancy suppose to be like before putting them on the sheet pan?

Any other tips?


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Don't see how that recipe could work, Abe. It's way too hydrated.

Pate choux (which is what that's supposed to be) is fairly standard. Cheese is often added for savory applications (i.e., gougere). For sweet applications (profiterole, eclairs, etc.), milk is often used instead of water. And you'd leave out the cheese, of course.  

Either way, the flour/water ratio is 1:1. And I prefer more butter than is called for in that recipe.

Here's the gougere recipe I use:

1 cup cold water

1 stick butter

1 tsp salt

Dash pepper

1 cup flour

4 eggs

1/4 lb Gruyere or Swiss, shredded

1 tsp dry mustard

Bring the water and butter to a boil with the salt and pepper. Add the flour all at once and cook, stirring, until it leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball. Remove from heat.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the cheese and mustard.

At this point you have some choices. You can, as the other recipe suggests, drop the batter by spoonfuls on a baking sheet. Alternatively, fill a pastry bag with the paste and, with a large tip, make blobs the size you want.

You can also, using the pastry bag, pipe the paste into shapes. For parties I often do that, making, for instance, crescents, triangles, rounds, etc. I then use a different filling for each shape.

However you form them, bake at 425F for 10 minutes. Lower heat to 375 and bake another 20-25 minutes until they are puffed and golden.

A couple of pointers. For me, at least, hand mixing the paste works better than using a mixer. I'm not sure why that is. I just use a wooden spoon.

When adding the eggs, beat until all shininess disappears, and the paste takes on a matte appearance, before adding the next one.

Another variation I make is Reuben Party Puffs. For those, use 1/2 cup all purpose flour and 1/2 cup rye flour. I also add some ground caraway seeds to the mixture, and, later on, garnish with whole caraway seeds. The filling replicates the flavors of a Reuben sandwhich, and includes cream cheese, corned beef, and kraut, among other things.


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## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

Thanks!  Will try that!


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