Black Truffle & Gruyère Cheese Puffs

Black truffle gougères are the gougère taken to its logical conclusion — the base technique of classic Burgundian cheese puffs, enriched with shaved black truffle or high-quality black truffle paste. The result is something extraordinary: the hollow, airy interior of the choux, the deep nuttiness of aged Gruyère, and the unmistakable earthy intensity of black truffle.

These are best made with a quality jarred black truffle paste rather than shaved fresh truffle for this application — the paste distributes more evenly through the choux batter and costs considerably less per ounce while delivering equivalent flavor impact. Fresh truffle shaved over the top, if budget allows, is the exceptional finish.

Ingredients (makes 36 puffs): - 1 cup water - 6 tablespoons (3 oz) unsalted butter, cubed - 1 teaspoon fine sea salt - ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper - Pinch of nutmeg - 1 cup all-purpose flour - 4 large eggs, at room temperature - 1½ cups (5 ¼ oz) Gruyère AOP, finely grated (plus ¼ cup for topping) - 2 tablespoons black truffle paste (such as Urbani or Roland brands — widely available at specialty stores) - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (optional)

Egg Wash: - 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Choux Paste: Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

Bring water, butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to a vigorous boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat, add all the flour at once, and stir vigorously until the dough comes together in a smooth ball and pulls cleanly from the sides of the pan. Return to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes to dry out the paste — this step is critical.

Transfer to a stand mixer and beat for 2 minutes on medium to cool slightly. Add eggs one at a time, beating fully after each, until the batter is smooth, glossy, and falls from the paddle in a slow, thick ribbon.

Fold in the grated Gruyère, black truffle paste, and thyme. Taste the batter — the truffle should be pronounced. The batter will be slightly looser from the truffle paste.

Baking: Pipe or spoon mounds about 1½ inches in diameter on the prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Brush with egg wash. Sprinkle reserved Gruyère on each puff.

Bake 22–25 minutes, rotating trays at the halfway point, until deeply golden and hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom. Do not open the oven for the first 20 minutes.

Serve warm within 20 minutes of baking — these do not reheat well.

Make-Ahead: Piped unbaked puffs can be frozen on the baking sheet and transferred to a bag — bake from frozen for 28–30 minutes. Baked puffs can be reheated at 375°F for 4 minutes, though fresh-baked is always superior.

Pro Tips: The truffle paste concentration can be adjusted to taste, but the minimum 2 tablespoons is required to achieve a clearly perceptible truffle flavor through the cheese. Gruyère AOP (the Swiss-certified version) has significantly more complex flavor than standard Gruyère — the Swiss appellation cheese is worth the small additional cost for this application.