1. Don’t forget to bring your eggs to room temperature!
2. Line 1 large or 2 small baking sheets with parchment paper (to fit in your freezer) and bring the water, butter and salt to a boil in a heavy bottom pot
3. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until all the liquid is absorbed
4. Lower the heat to medium low, remove the pan from the heat and continue to stir until it looks like mashed potatoes
5. Return the pan to the heat and stir for 3-5 more minutes until it is nice and doughy. A film may form on the bottom of the pan – don’t worry, that’s okay. The dough is ready when it’s thick and smells nutty
6. Transfer the dough to a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on low speed for 1 minute to cool the dough
7. Add 1 egg at a time, incorporating each egg into the dough before adding the next egg. The dough will come together after adding the last egg
8. Add the grated cheese and blend it in. Don’t over mix the dough
9. Scoop out gougeres onto the baking sheet using 2 big spoons or an ice cream scoop to form uniform size balls

Freeze and Bake Later – Recommended

1. Freeze on the baking sheet(s) overnight
2. Bag them in serving portions of 6-8 per bag. They will keep for two months
3. When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 375
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes on a parchment lined baking sheet until the tops are golden brown
5. Serve warm with Italian Butter! Get the recipe HERE

Bake Immediately

1. Preheat the oven to 400 and bake for 5 minutes
2. Reduce the heat to 350 and bake 20-25 minutes more without opening the oven
3. Warning: Be careful of burning the tops. There is a fine line between done and over-cooked
4. Wrap in a towel in a bread basket. Serve warm