We have a very good friend who frequently comes over for supper and who is gluten intolerant. A couple of weeks ago, my wife came across a recipe for gluten free gougeres that uses quinoa flour and corn starch instead of wheat flour. We figured we'd give it a try the next time our friend was over and that "next time" was last night. They came out beautifully in terms of texture, being puffy and light right out of the oven. Biggest problem with them was that they needed more punch. I used gruyere and used more than called for in the recipe, but they still lacked cheesiness. I left out the cumin seeds as I thought they'd be unnecessary, but they might have helped. Next time I do them, I'll try using more gruyere, a stronger cheese, or more herbs to amp it up. It's definitely a keeper of a recipe, though.
My wife found the original one in the book, "La Tartine Gourmand" by Beatrice Peltre. I found a blog post here which lists it.
Gluten Free Gougeres
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup whole milk
8 TB butter
1/2 tsp salt, pinch black pepper
1/2 cup millet flour (or quinoa flour)
1/3 cup cornstarch
4 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1 TB chopped fresh thyme
1 TB cumin seeds
1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Fit a pastry bag with a wide plain tip. You can also skip this step and spoon out the dough directly onto the baking sheets. They will just look more 'rustic'.
2) In a small saucepan, heat the water, milk, butter, salt & pepper just to a boil. When the milk just reaches a boil, add the flour and cornstarch all at once. Stir vigorously until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a ball, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
3) Stir in the eggs, one at a time, waiting until each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. You can also do this in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. The dough should feel smooth and elastic. Stir in 3/4 of the grated cheese and the chopped thyme.
4) Spoon the mixture into your pastry bag and pipe out little mounds, about 1 1/2" diameter, spaced about 2" apart on your baking sheet. If you choose to spoon out the dough, attempt to make tidy little mounds of about the same size, using a slightly wet spoon. Sprinkle each with the remaining cheese and the cumin seeds.
5) Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 and continue baking, for about 10 minutes more, until the gougeres are puffed and golden. Let rest for 10 minutes before eating. They should be slightly warm or at room temperature.