Can You Freeze Gougères? But of Course!
Can I freeze Gougères? You bet! Here's how to freeze unbaked gougères or baked gougères. Both work!
The French rarely bring out huge appetizer spreads before a sit-down dinner. The idea, instead, is to bring out a little bite that just stimulates the appetite. That is, an appetite-rouser rather than an appetite-douser.
The classic French appetize-rouser is gougères—those wonderful little cheese puffs. And guess what? Gougères freeze beautifully. Make a batch, and you'll be able to bring them out, here and there, whenever you wish.
There are two ways to freeze gougères, and both work equally well. In fact, I just taste-tested the two different ways this morning and if someone made me choose one way over the other, I'd have a tough time telling which one was truly “best.” Okay, maybe I'd give the unbaked version a slight edge … but the baked version has the advantage of being ready to serve that much more quickly.
First, follow directions for making gougères. (My Everyday French Cookbook has a great recipe, of course. But if you don’t have my book, you can rely on this recipe from The Kitchn).
Then, follow these instructions, either before baking or after.
How to Freeze Unbaked Gougères:
1. Pipe the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheet (choose a baking sheet that will fit into your freezer). (Alternatively, you can drop the dough by rounded teaspoons if you don't have a piping bag.)
Pipe the dough directly on the parchment paper. You can also spoon the dough if you don’t have a piping bag.
2. Place the unbaked gougères on the baking sheet directly in the freezer. Freeze for 1 hour or until firmly frozen.
3. Place the firmly frozen Gougères in a freezer bag. Don't worry, they won't stick together in the freezer! Label the bag and freeze up to 1 month.
4. When ready to enjoy, take them out of the freezer and place them directly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (Don't let them sit in the bag at room temperature, or they will begin to thaw and stick together!) Bake as directed in your recipe, adding just a minute or two to the baking time.
How to Freeze Baked Gougères:
1. Prepare and bake the gougères as directed in the recipe. Place in freezer bags; seal, label and freeze for up to 1 month.
2. When ready to enjoy, place frozen gougères on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature.
I love freezing Gougères, because it lets you bring out just a few when you're ready to enjoy a cocktail with whomever you spend your evenings with. Or if you're serving a houseful, well, bring out the sparkling wine and a batch of these and everyone will be so very happy.
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