Gougères with Chèvre + Spring Herbs

Chives are the first sign of green that I usually see in the garden. Their perky green tips peek out of the ground as soon as the snow melts, letting us know that spring is finally here. While it takes a little while for them to grow big enough to harvest, I always associate those first spring days with chives and other fresh herbs that are soon to come from the garden. There’s still some time to go before I can harvest anything from my Toronto garden, but it doesn’t stop me from getting excited about spring and incorporating fresh herbs wherever I can.

Today’s herb-filled appetizer is perfect for the spring holidays and relatively simple to make. I did a little twist on gougères, which are savoury choux pastry puffs, commonly made with the addition of grated cheese. Instead of adding cheese to the pastry, I decided to whip up some ricotta and soft-ripened goat’s cheese, mix in some fresh herbs, and use the mixture to fill the hollow little puffs instead. They are super cute and are light and airy bites of tangy cheese, fresh herbs, and soft buttery pastry.

Choux pastry (pâte à choux) used to intimidate me, not because it was difficult by any means, but because it was made quite differently from the pastry I was used to making. Unlike pie or tart pastry dough, which is usually kept as cold as possible, choux pastry dough is cooked on the stove top before the eggs are mixed in. There is some magic that happens when the flour is cooked, allowing for a relatively high proportion of liquid to be absorbed by the dough. When the puffs are finally baked, the liquid generates steam, which is what makes them rise so dramatically and forms the hollow centre. Choux pastry is used in many French desserts as well, so it’s totally worth learning how to make. Once you’re a pro at gougères, making eclairs, profiteroles, French crullers, beignets, and many others will be a breeze.

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