Chef Sean's Signature Recipes

Spicy Havarti Gougeres

A cheesy baked pastry, perfect as an hor’s d’oeuvres.

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½ teaspoon dried dill
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs at room temperature
  • 3 oz Hot Havarti cheese, finely grated
  • 1 egg yolk for egg wash

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium saucepan, combine 2/3 cup of water, butter, spices and salt and bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Once the butter is melted and mixture is boiling, add the flour all at once, reduce the heat to medium.
  3. Using a wooden spoon, continuously stir the mixture. The dough will start to form into a ball. Keep mixing for another 3 minutes until light crust forms on the bottom of the pan.
  4. Transfer the dough into a mixing bowl with paddle attachment and mix it for a few minutes on low speed until the mixture comes to room temperature.
  5. Add the eggs in one at a time, beating well after each addition. The dough should be soft enough to pipe yet firm enough to stay together. Stir in the grated cheese.
  6. Transfer the batter into a piping bag and pipe into 1-inch rounds a couple of inches apart.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the sheets top to bottom and back to front half way. The gougéres should be golden brown, crispy and puffed up. Transfer the shells onto a cooling rack until cooled slightly.
  8. Serve with chive sour-cream and enjoy! It’s best to serve these warm, but can be made ahead and warmed up as well.