Burgundy Cheese Gougères

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the water and butter

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the water, butter, and salt in a small saucepan and heat until the butter has melted and the liquid begins to boil.

   
2. 2

   Cook the choux pastry

   Remove the pan from the heat, add all the flour at once, and stir vigorously until a smooth ball of dough forms. Return the pan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute, until a thin film forms on the bottom of the pan.

   
3. 3

   Mix in the eggs and cheese

   Transfer the dough to a bowl and stir for about 2 minutes to let it cool slightly. Beat the eggs with a fork and gradually work them into the dough. Stir in the grated Comté, black pepper, and nutmeg; the finished dough should be thick, smooth, and glossy.

   
4. 4

   Shape the small puffs

   Use two teaspoons to drop 16 mounds of dough onto the baking sheet, spacing them about 3 cm apart. Each mound should be about 3 cm in diameter.

   
5. 5

   Bake until golden

   Bake for 10 minutes at 200 °C, then, without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 180 °C and bake for another 15 minutes. The gougères should be puffed and evenly golden brown. Serve slightly warm.